A few weeks ago I received my latest food test results. No more eggs. No more fruit and sugar together (within a five hour window, at least). And, these will always be the case. This test determines genetic allergies, so to speak. Basically my body does not have the proper digestive enzymes to break down these foods, so when ingested it causes various toxic reactions. Good news is that my other allergies should start to lessen now. (For those of you who don’t know, I am completely off restriction for corn and dairy!)
I’ve always wondered how much sugar I would be using in my kitchen in the future. This new change solves it…NONE!
The trick is fruit derivatives are everywhere. The most surprising places are: citric acid, most tea bags, various food oils, some vinegars, Vitamin A Palmitate, some nuts (in the manufacturing process), most vanilla extracts, nutmeg, … Yeah, so avoiding sugar is definitely easier (and more healthier) than avoiding fruit. Even one half of a gram of sugar will spin internal chaos. Trust me, I tried. It was not fun.
So, life without sugar? The difference is astounding! Turns out sugar (with fruit) was responsible for: inner ear pain, other gut irritations, not being able to fully comprehend things at times, difficulty concentrating, blanking out for minutes at a time, being overly tired or exhausted, being socially inept at times... It will be frustrating at times, especially out in the world, but sugar isn’t worth the risk. I know that Benadryl Allergy (Dye-Free) dramatically lessens my reactions, so the hope is that someday (when things calm down) I will be able to eat out without restrictions – for special occasions, of course. Yeah, I know, Benadryl is not natural, but it is fairly a benign drug and, hey, it makes a huge difference!
Random thought: I wonder why so many food manufacturers use things like aspartame-based sugars – they taste horrible and have now proven to cause nerve damage and degeneration. I feel like a poster child for 100% Maple Syrup. So good with a few health benefits! And I always have a large jug in the fridge. So, now that I already know how to bake without sugar – yes, even sweet things — it’s just a matter of perfecting the art. And, on days when I do have sugar I will have to plan very carefully and make my sugar date well worth it :o).
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.James 1:2-4
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Animal Crackers!
(Personally I would like to have a zoo, but my butterflies and little flowers will do for now.)
•2 cups flour (add 2 teaspoons of xantham gum if gluten free)
•1 teaspoon salt
•2.5 teaspoons baking powder
•½ cup unsalted butter
•½ cup maple syrup
•1 egg (or 1 tablespoon flaxmeal and 2 tablespoons hot water, let stand for 5 minutes)
•1 teaspoon vanilla (I use a sugar and alcohol free vanilla powder)
•¼ whole unhomogenized milk (or preferred dairy beverage)
•[For chocolate add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder to dry ingredients. Mine tasted like dark chocolate, so adjust the maple syrup accordingly for a lighter taste if desired.]
Blend with whisk all dry ingredients in one large bowl. In another bowl (or sauce pan), combine maple syrup and melted butter. (If maple syrup and butter refuse to blend, an electric whisk is a wonderful thing!) Now combine the rest of the wet ingredients in with the butter mixture. Whisk until well blended. Scrape bowl of liquid ingredients into the dry. Mix well with spatula. Roll into ball and then cover with plastic wrap. Chill dough for one hour.
Roll out dough onto desired work surface. You’ll want the thickness to be 1/8 (crispier) to 1/4 (chewier, but they don’t last as long) of an inch. Cut out with desired cookie cutters (the smaller the better). Fit shapes flatly onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375˚F. For the dual look, place a small ball of chocolate dough next to the vanilla before rolling.
Enjoy!
(And, just sayin’, they go great with chocolate homemade chocolate pudding.)
Cracker recipe altered from Moose Racks, Bear Tracks, and Other Alaska KidSnacks
