It also got sort of "mushy." So, this time all I used was a half cup of brown sugar—no stevia, no monk fruit, and no cup of granulated sugar. It was good enough to generate the sensation of having been satisfied with an after-dinner dessert, but I'm thinking I'm likely to go back to also using dates for just a touch more sweetness (not to mention I forgot to buy chopped walnuts while I was out this afternoon, which also enhances the flavor). Also, it seemed to me like applying a non-stick spray to the parchment paper should not really be necessary, so I skipped that step and the cake still came out of the pan with no problems.
The carrot cake did not get AS mushy this time, but apparently, if I don't use granulated sugar (or at LEAST a few dates) the cake does not hold up very well over time... so I will definitely go back to trying it with dates again next time. For now however, I want to begin experimenting with the date brownie recipes I've started to look into.
YouTube[dot]com/watch?v=1AqfSRJovXg Date Brownies | Healthier Alternative | No Sugar, Only Dates Preheat the over to 350° Fahrenheit or 180° Celcius. Blend the 1 cup of pitted/seedless dates into a smooth paste with approximately ½ to 1 cup of milk or water in a blender or mixer. Sift and mix: ¾ cup of wheat flour (atta) or all-purpose flour (maida) or powdered oats ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt Wisk two eggs (or substitute with 1 cup condensed milk, apple sauce or plain yogurt/dahi) Add cooking oil (or substitute with flavorless olive oil, or mashed avocado, or melted butter, or ghee) Add 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp vanilla essence Optional Step: For the dates icing (optional): ½ cup dates 1 tbsp cocoa powder ¼ to ½ cup of water Spread water, date and cocoa paste on top.
Ingredients for Date Brownies: (Dude, this is the same thing as the previous post.) For the date paste: 1 cup of pitted/seedless dates approx. ½ to 1 cup of milk/water Dry Ingredients: ¾ cup flour (wheat flour/all-purpose flour/maida/powdered oats) ½ Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt Wet Ingredients: 2 eggs or (1 cup condensed milk or 1 cup apple sauce or 1 cup plain yogurt/dahi) 1/3 cup of cooking oil ( or 1/3 cup Flavorless olive oil or 1/3 cup Mashed avocado or 1/3 cup Melted butter or 1/3 cup Ghee) ¼ cup milk or (1/3 cup of Almond milk or Soy milk or Coconut milk or Cashew milk) 1 tsp vanilla extract/ ½ tsp vanilla essence Dates paste (prepared in 1st step) For the dates icing (optional): ½ cup dates 1 tbsp cocoa powder ¼ to ½ cup of water
flavcity[dot]com/chocolate-date-brownies/ CHOCOLATE DATE BROWNIES (from Post #339): Preheat the oven to 350°. Start with about 12 ounces of (Medjool) dates softened by soaking them in hot water for about ten minutes (except that I soften them by putting them in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds). Evenly blend them into a paste (in a food processor) adding back in some (a little) of the hot water to make the paste nice and loose. Add four eggs, one at a time. Add one cup of virgin coconut oil melted, but not hot, so that it does not cook the eggs. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract). Add ⅔ of a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. Add fine ½ cup of almond flour and ½ cup of millet flour. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. And add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Let the batter sit for about five minutes so all the flours can hydrate. (Use a parchment-lined 8 by 12 inch baking dish. Top off the batter with a cup of chocolate chips. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and then let it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting/eating.
Ten Worst Foods for Your Health (New York Post) 1. Bacon Let’s get this fan favorite out of the way first. Bacon is not good for your health. “Many don’t know that the World Health Organization has classified bacon in the same category as tobacco when it comes to carcinogenesis,” says Reyzan Shali, MD, referring to the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. “We have done a good job asking people to give up tobacco, but how come we have not done a good job asking people to not eat bacon?” 2. Turkey bacon Turkey bacon isn’t a healthy choice either. “If I can convince my patients to give up bacon, the next question I get is usually whether they can have alternatives to bacon, like turkey bacon. I explain that it’s the processing that makes the meat harmful. So replacing bacon with turkey bacon to make it healthier is misguided,” says Shali. “All types of bacon are processed to become bacon, so changing the type of bacon does not change the fact that it’s processed meat,” she says, noting that this is a difficult diet change to make, especially if someone has been eating processed food all their lives. With that said, Shali urges people to remember when they reach for turkey bacon at the grocery store that “it’s processed meat that has nitrates. And according to a study in the Meat Science Journal, in the stomach, nitrite can eventually form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the acidic environment.” 3. Fried food “Fried foods, yet another staple of the American diet that is terrible for our health,” states registered dietitian Angela L. Lago, also known as the Mental Wellness Dietitian. “I’m not suggesting that one never has fried foods, however, fried foods should not be a staple of anyone’s diet. In general, fried foods are higher in fat, salt and calories, all of which are horrible for heart health and the risk of developing obesity,” she continues, highlighting that the type of oil that fried foods are cooked in is of great concern. “Many times, especially in restaurants and fast food businesses, hydrogenated, trans fats are used, which are associated with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. A great alternative is to pan fry at home in olive or avocado oil or use an air fryer to get the same effect without the negative health benefits,” Lago comments. 4. Potato chips Andrea Paul, MD, medical adviser to Illuminate Labs, chimes in on why this popular snack food is bad for you: “Chips are known to be unhealthy for a number of reasons. They’re low in nutrition, and high in cheap fats and sodium,” she says. “This obviously varies by brand, but health-conscious consumers want to avoid chips as a snack.” If you’re craving a crunchy food, opt for nuts or veggie snacks like kale chips, Paul says. 5. Added sugars If you see any added sugars on the nutrition facts panels of packaged foods, steer clear. “Added sugar has essentially zero nutritional value and has been shown in medical research to increase risk of obesity and metabolic disease,” Paul explains. “I recommend that consumers try to cut out added sugars entirely from their diet,” she adds. “You can replace added sugar with whole foods like fruit or healthier sugar substitutes like blackstrap molasses, which is nutrient-dense and has a lower glycemic index.” 6. Processed oils Try to cut processed oils out of your diet as much as possible. Arika Hoscheit, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Paloma Health, an online medical practice focused exclusively on treating hypothyroidism, explains why: “Processed oils like grapeseed, soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn and vegetable oils are generally detrimental to human health and should be avoided. This is because they are heated to extremely high temperatures during processing, which oxidizes the oils,” she says. “Oxidation produces free radicals that can cause damage throughout the body. As we age, our bodies have to work harder than they used to in order to recover from insults,” she explains. “Try to limit or avoid processed oils and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants. Consuming plenty of antioxidants can help to protect the body from any free radicals that are produced,” Hoscheit notes. 7. Hydrogenated fats This category of fats lurks in many packaged foods and fast food products. “Hydrogenated fats are conclusively shown to increase mortality rates in population studies. It’s important that consumers read the ingredient label on their packaged food products, because many popular consumer brands of products like peanut butter contain hydrogenated fats,” says Paul, who advises avoiding these fats entirely. “They don’t even add any flavor, and are used to improve cost efficiency for the manufacturer. Peanut butter with a simple ingredient label like dry roasted peanuts and salt is much healthier than peanut butter with hydrogenated fats and added sugar,” she says. 8. Refined carbohydrates These include white bread, white rice and pasta, pastries, pizza and more. “I like to describe refined carbohydrates as foods that started out as nature intended, yet were then stripped of most of their nutrients to make them more palatable and enjoyable for the American public. Refined grain products are known to promote inflammation in our bodies, they are generally higher in sugar, and are also associated with obesity,” says Lago. “Gut health is also negatively affected by the standard American diet that lacks fiber and consists largely of processed, refined grain products.” Lago takes the nutrient profile of 100% whole grain sprouted bread as an example. “It is abundant in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that help our body thrive. Once the bread is processed to become soft, white bread, the nutritional value of the bread plummets, the fiber is stripped, the nutrients are wiped away, and there is little to no nutritional value compared to the original item,” she shares. “Up to 89% of the antioxidant activity in whole grains is lost during processing, flavonoids, zinc, and vitamin E are reduced by 79%, fiber is reduced by 58%,” she adds. “This can be said for rice, pasta, cereals, flour and other whole grains that go through the refining process.” 9. Breakfast sausages Consider this while loading your shopping cart: “According to a study [published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports titled] ‘Unprocessed Red and Processed Meats and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease,’ the available evidence points to strong associations of processed meat consumption with the incidence of coronary heart disorder (CHD),” says Shali. To reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Shali urges her patients to cut out all processed meats from their diet, especially from their breakfast. “I know that is not easy, and I have found that helping them take small steps over time can help get them detached from these dangerous breakfast treats,” she comments. 10. Processed meat Even though it’s been explained that processed meats like breakfast sausage, bacon and turkey bacon are horrible for your health, this category of food is unhealthy as a whole. Therefore, it merits a standalone section. Hot dogs, deli meats, packaged bologna, beef jerky, pepperoni and more should all be avoided as much as possible, if not eliminated from your diet completely. “The World Health Organization has classified processed meats as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning it’s known to cause cancer. Processed meats contain chemicals that are not present in fresh meat,” says Lago. “Studies show that people that eat an abundance of processed meats are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well,” she adds. If you’re looking to make this year your healthiest yet, check out these nine superfoods for a long, healthy life.