If you have a sweet tooth (as we all do) but don’t want to pile on the sugar into every beverage and dessert you have, try switching to stevia (a healthy sugar substitute). It is just as sweet, minus the guilt.

Stevia is made from a plant, so there is nothing carcinogenic or unhealthy about it. In fact, it has been used for decades and since it does not affect blood sugar, it is completely safe for diabetics.

Stevia has zero calories and zero grams of sugar. Some people think it has a slight licorice taste to it, but personally I have found that this is only true of certain brands out there; try Stevia Supreme for the most ‘sugary’ type taste. A little goes a long way (it is 250-300 times as sweet sugar) so use with a slight of hand.

For baking, I use about 1 teaspoon of stevia for every cup of sugar in the recipe, but the exact amount varies for every brand. Stevia does differ from sugar in the way certain instances. For example, when sugar is heated it caramelizes, allowing you to make gooey caramel or that crunchy shell on top of a crème brulee. Because of the different molecular structure, stevia does not cook the same way and no many how many times you try, you will never get caramel. However, (breathe a sigh of relief) sky is the limit when experimenting with different cookies or cakes (you will find some sweet recipes with stevia here).

Stevia is available in a liquid and a powder form and personally I have both. The ‘powder’ packets are everywhere from my car to just about every purse I own, and the liquid is used in my coffee or tea everyday. As stevia is becoming increasingly popular, I have started to notice it popping up in more and more products I find at the grocery store; check out Zevia, an all natural stevia sweetened soda for a sugar free treat. The grape flavor is most always stocked in my fridge.

Beginning Oct. 16 is a 5-week series of healthy cooking classes in San Diego, teaching busy mom’s and college students how to save time during the week by preparing food ahead of time on the weekend. It will provide some great tasty tips and recipes to make cooking more fun, healthy and less time consuming. Check out the class schedule at http://centerforahealthylifestyle.com/ (they are every Sunday 4:30-6 pm).  Sign up by sending an e-mail to FILL IN. If you only want to come to some of the classes and not all 5 that’s okay too! Classes are only $20 and cash or check works great for payment.

Cooking Class Description:

Class 1: This course will teach you how to speed things up in the morning while keeping it healthy We will stir it up with some oatmeal and breakfast quinoa followed by a breakfast wrap and a tasty smoothie. You will also get some good weekend breakfast options along with breakfast tips for the kiddies. Hello real food, goodbye sugary cereal!

Class 2: Don’t be afraid of the chicken! Chicken is extremely versatile yet many people are afraid to cook it. Now is the time to get over your chicken fear and learn some new easy recipes. We will cover 3 different chicken marinades and how to make 3 different chicken meals.

Class 3: Viva la Mexico! Living in Southern California exposes us to the delicious tastes of Mexican food. Tacos/ Burritos are quick and delicious options for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Come join us for a Mexican fiesta in the kitchen. You will also become more knowledgeable about healthy food choices when eating and Mexican restaurants. This course will also cover several ways to prepare veggies.

Class 4: Fishing for new recipes? You have found the right class. Fish is an excellent source of protein and Omega 3s. Luckily, there are many varieties of fish and it is super easy to prepare. I the second half of this class we will go over some healthy snack options, including my favorite homemade protein bar recipe.

Class 5: Back to the basics. This is a culmination of several recipes taught in Amy’s cooking prep series. The focus will be time management in the kitchen in order to reduce your overall cooking time during the week. We will prep oatmeal, quinoa, protein bars, hardboiled eggs, and a chicken dish in just 1 hours!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil (organic, virgin)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Stevia to your taste (for me it’s about 3 packets)

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a cup and microwave until the coconut oil turns to liquid. Stir until well combined and pour over your ice-cream.

{pictured above: homemade coffee ice-cream with strawberries, almonds, coconut flakes, and of course, a chocolate shell}

Ingredients:

2 cups of non-fat Greek yogurt

1 ½ cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon almond extract

1/3 cup of finely chopped pistachio nuts

Stevia to taste, I used about 6 packets

4-5 drops of natural green food coloring

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until smooth, excluding the nuts. Pour into an ice cream maker and follow the machine’s directions. With about 5 minutes to go before the ice cream is done, add in the nuts. I have found because this ice cream is relatively low in fat, that it freezes harder than regular ice cream, so it is best eaten an within the first few hours of making it. Garnish with any extra nuts and enjoy!

It is just about the season for soup. Soup can be an incredibly healthy start to a meal or sometimes even an entire meal in itself. It fills you up, gets you to eat vegetables, and besides, what’s more comforting then a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter evening? For a hearty soup, I love blending together an assortment of vegetables together in broth, then adding tons of fresh garlic and spices. Its so easy to get a rich, thick soup using just vegetables, I don’t know why people so often bother to add cups of cream. Because I am mildly obsessed with cauliflower, this soup here is one of my absolute favorites. It looks/tastes just like a potato soup but is much lighter, and depending on the add-ons you sprinkle on top, you could fool people into thinking they are eating baked potato soup.

Ingredient:

One container of vegetable broth (32oz)

2 heads of cauliflower chopped up

3 mild white onions

3 cloves of garlic

3 oz of soft goats cheese

2 tablespoons of non-fat Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon of pepper

Salt to taste

To sprinkle on top: turkey bacon, cut up scallions, parmesan or mozzarella cheese, or a dollop of Greek yogurt

Directions:

Coarsely cut up the cauliflower, onions, and simmer in the broth for about 40 min (be sure to cover the pot with a lid).Turn off the heat, add in crushed garlic and using a hand blender, blend all the ingredients together. Stir in the goat cheese and yogurt and reheat the soup, but be careful not to simmer or boil it, otherwise the soup will start to separate because it now contains dairy. Serve hot with any additional topping sprinkled on.

We all go to the gym with the intention of being as healthy as possible and looking as great as we can. Maybe meeting the person of our dreams there does cross our mind, but first two reasons are usually the main reasons. Get the most out of your strenuous workouts by providing your body with proper nutrition before and after your sweat session.

If you are in that ‘weight loss’ frame of mind, you may be reluctant to eat at both of these times. It makes sense to think that no calories in plus extra calories burned results in weight lost. While that math may make sense, take into account that if you are not eating your body will not work as efficiently and it will start to burn muscle as a way of compensating for lack of fuel. I know there are those people who are just not a fans of eating before a gym session, and I always tell them to try to get something, even if it’s small, in your stomach for your body to work off of. To wake up and go to the gym without eating is not uncommon, but remember that after sleeping for 8 or so hours, your body is kind of in a shut down, fasting mode. If you work out without waking your metabolism up with food, your body may slow down even more, as a defense mechanism. Start your metabolism going even before you hit the gym so you will burn fat, instead of muscle.

To be simple, similar snacks can be eaten before and after working out. Try and eat a slightly larger portion after your workout, and be sure to eat it in that 1-hour window after your workout ends, while your body is sill burning calories at a elevated rate. The ratio of your meal should be 40/30/30, meaning 40% of it is protein, 30% is complex carbohydrates, and 30% is fat.

Some examples of what I like to fuel my body surrounding my exercise are:

½ a protein bar before, ½ after. I like ThinkThin bars, Zone, or CarbRite bars.

A cup of Greek yogurt mixed with a scoop of no-sugar whey protein powder.

A protein shake (whey powder, ice, almond milk or coconut milk, and any extras you like i.e. unsweetened cocoa powder, instant coffee, frozen fruit) and a handful of almond.

Egg white sandwich with the bread being a hearty, complex carbohydrate such as a multigrain English muffin.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of fresh blueberries

8-9 packets of stevia (more depending on how sweet you like it)

2 tablespoons coconut oil (plus extra for greasing the pan)

¾ cup oats

4 tablespoons ground flax seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9”pie pan with a little bit of coconut oil. Pour the washed blueberries into the pan and sprinkle with 5-6 packets of the stevia. Mix together dry ingredients and slowly work in the remaining warm coconut oil. Gentle lay this ‘crumble’ on top of the blueberries and place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake until the top turns light brown and the berries become syrupy (about 30 minutes). Let cool for 10-15 minutes and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or frozen yogurt on the side!

{Once people know this crumble is guilt-free, it won’t last too long!}

1. Special K Protein Plus

2. Hi.Lo

3. Galaxy Granola

4. Kashi Go Lean

5. Ezekiel 4:9

Eating More Cayenne Pepper: If you can endure the heat, sprinkle this in a stir-fry or on top of your meats. It speeds up your metabolism by slightly raising your body temperature. But be warned, just a little bit of this spicy pepper goes a long way.

Eating More Cinnamon: This spice helps control your insulin levels, which in turn, directly affect how much fat your body stores. Mix it in yogurt, granola, or throw some on top of popcorn with some stevia for a sweet treat.

Garlic: Yes, it may wreck havoc on your breath (and love life for that matter), but besides doing good things for your metabolic rate, it lowers cholesterol, fights cancer, and boosts your immune system. Eat some and swear off kisses for a day or force some upon your significant other because two garlics, well, they cancel each other out.

Drinking More Water: Your metabolism needs water to work efficiently and drinking water also helps you shed excess bloat. Aim for eight glasses a day, or for an even more precise number, half your weight in oz. For an example, if you weigh 150 lbs. drink 75 oz. a day.

Drinking Green Tea: A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green tea helps you burn more calories throughout the day and there are countless different flavors and varieties out there, so find some that you love and embrace your inner ‘zen’.

Eating Fiber and Protein: Your body requires the most energy (meaning it burns the most calories) when it’s breaking down and digesting foods rich in fiber and protein.

Sleeping: When you sleep your body produces a hormone called melatonin (which assists your metabolism). Further, when you miss sleep, your body produces a hormone called cortisol, which slows metabolism and causes your body to store fat. The moral of the story is, when you can, sleep in. This may just be my favorite (and the easiest) way to help your body function well.

Side note:  I find that when the hot drink craving stikes, I am 95% of the time too lazy to whip up a fancy latte from scratch.  Much more likely, I make a quick cup of tea, throw in an absurd amount of stevia, and I’m good to go. So although it may be ‘cheating’, when making this spiced hot drink, I double or triple the recipe (minus the espresso) and stick the leftovers in the fridge. That way, when I want another drink the next day (or an hour after my first one) I just heat up the milk mixture and add in the espresso at the last minute. Who needs to spend $4 on a Starbucks drink that is full of sugar? Not I.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2-1 teaspoon of stevia

1- 2 espresso shots

1 dollop of natural whipped topping (optional)

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, stevia, and pumpkin pie spice on medium heat until everything is combined. Add in the espresso, transfer to big mug, dollop with some natural whipped topping, and cozy up with a blanket and good book for a relaxing evening.