Whittle your middle with probiotic-enriched goodies.
Delicious, seasonal treats that feed the soul and help you lose weight—now, that’s what we really need this time of year!
I love giving gifts with a healthy touch. So please help yourselves to two of my favorite recipes—they make great holiday gifts for friends and family. These holiday treats offer a healthy alternative to all the packaged and refined foods everywhere you look this time of year. Besides, they contain the probiotic sweetener—Flora-Key—that kicks up your metabolism by changing the type of bacteria in your gut.
Foods made with probiotics are the most novel approach to weight loss in years! Why? Research in Nature shows that the right kind of bacteria helps your body more efficiently extract and absorb energy from foods, resulting in effortless weight loss. In one study, in fact, scientists found that—without the right amounts of friendly bacteria—animals got “twice as fat.”
Intimately involved with every organ, tissue, and health concern, probiotics represent the next wave of health and healing. Flora-Key, which I have been using in private practice for over a decade, can do double duty as an immune booster and natural sweetener that’s the real deal when it comes to losing weight.
Here’s a great make-ahead snack mix to serve during the holidays—or just nibble on yourself. Nuts are a healthy source of essential fats and offer antioxidant vitamin E and fiber to keep you from overindulging.
Fat Flush Nut Mix
(Makes 6 servings)
2 tablespoons butter, preferably organic
½ cup almonds
½ cup pecans
½ cup walnuts
½ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup chopped, dried apricots, dates, or figs
½ to 1 teaspoon Flora-Key to taste
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add all the ingredients except Flora-Key to the skillet, stirring constantly to blend and coat nuts evenly with the spices. Cook the mixture until lightly golden brown and nuts are toasted (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool, adding Flora-Key to taste. Store in airtight containers.
For that holiday bird or roast, here’s another tasty treat that you can easily package up in small, decorative jars or freezer-to-oven containers as a hostess gift. Fresh cranberries are available nationwide this time of year (pick up a few extra bags to freeze) and add just the right piquancy for heavier meals.
Fresh Cranberry Chutney
(Makes approximately eight 1-cup servings)
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
¼ cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground)
Zest from 1 orange
1 tablespoon Flora-Key
Combine all the ingredients except Flora-Key in a 2-quart saucepan. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until all veggies and fruits are tender, stirring often. Let cook and stir. Let it cool down for about twenty minutes and then stir in the Flora-Key. Store the chutney in decorative jars or containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to “gift” someone.
A Gift That Truly Keeps on Giving
Flora-Key is the most unique probiotic sweetener on the market today. This no-heat product contains a combination of the well-studied beneficial bacteria—Acidophilus lactobacillus (healthy flora in the small intestines) and Bifidobacterium bifidum and longum (that populate the large intestines)—and help normalize bowel function no matter what little “bugs” the season brings.
Friendly bacteria prevent damage to the lining of your gastrointestinal tract, while helping to crowd out bad and even pathogenic bacteria (like E. coli and salmonella) by creating a “barrier wall” in your GI tract. Your small intestine alone is home to 60% of your immune system, so it pays to support your gut this time of year—with colds and flu going around.
You want a ratio of 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria to fight off infections that spoil holiday fun, as well as bloating and gas. Flora-Key even helps ward off the discomfort of acid reflux and heartburn, as well as the antibiotic side effects of Candida and other yeast infections, so common this time of year.
In addition, Flora-Key contains natural FOS (fructooligosaccharides) that provide a touch of sweetness, although the molecules are too big to be digested as sugar. Since FOS aren’t digested, this sweetener doesn’t affect blood sugar levels—or feed Candida albicans and other yeasts.
What FOS does do is nourish and promote growth of beneficial bacteria to restore a healthy balance of flora, as well as short-chain fatty acids that feed the colon. This good-for-you sweetener helps prevent gastrointestinal disorders so common this time of year.
Oh and one more tip: I use Flora-Key to sweeten all my chilled holiday beverages. This year I plan to mix in a tablespoon or two in my real whipped cream toppings and frostings for the best icings and desserts ever!
Over the holiday season, don’t bother counting calories as long as you count on your probiotics!
Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
The Fat Flush Cookbook
Get the Sugar Out
The Gut Flush Plan
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20677449
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20119826
