There really are easy-to-prepare, sweet-tasting recipes that are so healthy that they will actually help you make progress towards your fat loss goals.

Like most kids, I grew up with lots of desserts in my home. Eating my vegetables at dinner time was a prerequisite to being rewarded with some type of sugar concoction. Cake, ice cream, cookies, I didn’t care. As long as it was sweet, I never turned it down. Broccoli and peas were another story completely.

Sugar is shunned by every nutritionist, dietitian and holistic practitioner. Study after study shows how excess sugar leads to a fatty liver, diabetes, cancer and a host of other diseases. I firmly believe we can still eat foods that taste sweet and satisfy our palate without causing bodily harm to our systems. It is natural to crave sugar and salts. It’s the sources that we use to satisfy these cravings that are wrong. The majority of cookies, cakes, pastries and ice cream in your local supermarket are loaded with chemicals, dyes and artificial sweeteners. These extras interact with your pleasure centres causing you to crave them more and more, much like an addict who takes that first hit. Sugar works quite similarly.

This may sound a bit overblown, but it is true.  How many people do you know who experience these cravings first hand? Late night trips to the doughnut shop or a sour key run in the middle of the day? It shows a complete loss of control and that is what sugar can do to many people. There are a few who don’t fall victim to this type of physiological and psychological response to sugar, but they are in the minority. The rest of us get a rush followed by a crash and it is the crash that causes your body to crave more sugar to perk itself back up again.

Apart from the natural sugars that occur in dairy, fruits and vegetables, I’ve been sugar-free for years. Sugar is sugar, but there is a big difference between the sugar in an apple and sugar in a chocolate bar. The fructose (fruit sugar) in the apple doesn’t spike insulin to anywhere near the extent of the sucrose or table sugar in a chocolate bar. A good sized apple contains 5 grams of fibre, and the fibre further slows down the release of sugars from the apple into your bloodstream. A healthy, lean individual can eat 3 to 5 pieces of fruit a day without experiencing any negative effects. Someone who is on the heavier side and trying to lose weight should keep it to 1 to 3 pieces a day and stick with lower glycemic options. Different types of berries, cherries and plums are ideal.

Try this luscious, dairy-free, rich, silky and smooth Strawberry Panna Cotta to finish your meal. It has a creamy texture from the coconut milk but holds together nicely because of the gelatin. Look for unflavored gelatin that is sourced from grass-fed, healthy animals to add both an excellent source of pure protein and texture.

This recipe was originally from Dr. Mark Hyman’s Blog, and has been modified by my Mom:

Ingredients
1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
1 pound fresh strawberries (organic) rinsed, stems/leaves removed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons gelatin
1 pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons finely unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions
1. Put the strawberries in a food processor and pulse until well chopped.
2. Warm the milk, berries, vanilla, and honey in a saucepan over medium-heat for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Using a hand mixer, blend for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Blend with the mixer so the gelatin is thoroughly mixed in with the berry mixture, another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into a glass bowel, sprinkle with a little salt and shredded coconut and place in the refrigerator to cool for an hour, or until panna cotta reaches desired consistency.
5. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices, if desired.

Makes 4 servings. Nutritional analysis per serving: calories 240, fat 22g, saturated fat 19g, cholesterol 0mg, fibre 3g, protein 6g, carbohydrate 14g, sodium 95mg