Friday, November 15, 2013

Benefits of Chicory and Recipe for Pumpkin and Cranberry Cookies, from Beyond Celiac

To continue on the Thanksgiving theme, here is  a Pumpkin and Cranberry Cookie
recipe from Suzanne  at Beyond Celiac. And the best part is that the sweetener used in it is made from chicory root. The recipe and benefits of chicory are listed below and here. 

Suzanne wrote:I found a new sugar to add to my sugar free list. "Just Like Brown Sugar" is a great substitute for real brown sugar. I found a recipe athttp://mariamindbodyhealth.com/the-best-chocolate-chip-cookie/

I used Craisins which were pomegranate sweetened with some elderberry syrup and pumpkin seeds.
I wrote about health benefits of chicory in a previous blog so I am glad that this sweetener is made from chicory.
Maria says that she reserves JUST LIKE SUGAR and JUST LIKE BROWN SUGARfor special recipes due to the expense. The cookie was crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Perfect! Just Like Sugar contains no sugar alcohols and does not cause the laxative effect of some of the other sweeteners. It is composed of natural fiber obtained from Chicory Root, Calcium and Vitamin C.

BENEFITS OF CHICORY ROOT:

1. CHOLESTEROL: It decreases the levels of serum LDL cholesterol in the blood.
2. INFLAMMATION: It contains vitamin C, one of the most powerful antioxidants.
3. DIABETES: The inulin content is not digestible, so its lack of glucose can help promote optimal blood sugar levels while also increasing stool bulk and consistency.
4. CONSTIPATION: It provides soluble fiber, which improves digestion.
5. GALL BLADDER ISSUES: It builds your body’s resistance to gallstones and liver stones. By increasing the flow of bile, it assists the body in digesting foods and liquids. The extra bile also helps break down fats in the body.


There are more benefits of Chicory root listed at her site. 

Watching what we eat, avoiding grains and their toxic proteins and eating traditional foods made in the traditional way is the foundation of health. Build on that foundation would be the additional nutrient supplements to remedy problems from the environment and polymorphism, those pesky but dangerous variants on gene expression that need more vitamins to express better health. More on that later. 

To Your Health.
Dr. Barbara