Who can resist them – and why should we?

A recent survey by the foodservice consultancy Technomic found, what we all know already: almost everyone enjoys desserts, some of us occasionally, others frequently.

During the Holidays most of us tend to join the ‘frequent’ group. We will enjoy exquisite desserts and goodies not only after already rich meals, but we will most likely nibble on cookies and cakes at any time of day.

Here a few tips to enjoy home made scrumptious treats without overdosing on sugar and fat:

Use alternative sweeteners that are better for you, such as honey, maple syrup or rice syrup. Find dessert mixes that have no sugar added, such as our very easy to prepare and delicious GoBIO! Organic Puddings and Jellies. They are bursting with natural, organic flavours, rather than being overly sweet.
The elegant, fluffy and creamy GoBIO! Organic Chocolate Mousse and Organic Vanilla Mousse contain only a fraction of sugar compared to conventional mixes. That does not only make them healthier, but they are also so much more delicious.

Combine traditional desserts with fresh fruit. Use raspberries for garnish on Chocolate Mousse, add a small serving of fresh strawberries in each dessert bowl and fill up with creamy GoBIO! Organic Custard, or sprinkle pomegranate arils (seeds) over your Organic Almond Pudding for a festive touch.

If you are concerned about fat, use soy drink, almond drink or low fat milk for your GoBIO! Organic Puddings and Organic Custard. All GoBIO! Desserts are free of Trans fats.

Stick with pure, organic products and enjoy rich, natural flavours as they were meant to be. Stay away from commercial desserts, loaded with chemical additives, such as artificial flavouring, artificial colouring, preservatives, and chemical agents that supposedly give the product a “better” consistency and texture.

Be creative and try new combinations. Use your traditional recipes and experiment a little. Use GoBIO! Organic Berry Pudding instead of sugary jam in your Thumbprint Cookies or GoBIO! Organic Cherry Jelly in your Jello Christmas cookies. Try a Café Au Lait Parfait with GoBIO! Organic Gelatine.

And don’t forget – enjoy all good things in moderation, try not to over-indulge.

Celebrate the Holidays and all its tastes!

Salt had a lot of bad press lately – but only some of it is justified.

For thousands of years salt has been known throughout the world as a purification and healing remedy, a source of nourishment, taste enhancement and as a natural preservative. For centuries the use of the ‘White Gold’ was the privilege of the rich and powerful.

The disenchanted Sodium Chloride of the modern world is available in abundance to all. Almost no prepared foods can be found without it. And with this over-use of a good thing the quality of most salts on the market has suffered substantially. Salt has been reduced to an over-processed, bleached and refined product; a far cry from its natural counterparts, rich in essential minerals and trace elements, such as:

• Magnesium (for muscle relaxation, strong bones, energy metabolism and nerve function)
• Calcium (for strong bones)
• Potassium (regulate our fluid balance and improve nerve function)
• Sodium (regulate our fluid balance and improve nerve function)
• Phosphorus (energy carrier for metabolism)
• Iodine (for a healthy thyroid and the production of certain hormones)
• Iron (production of read blood cells and oxygen supply)
• Zink (metabolism, healthy skin and strengthens the immune system)

Different kinds of unprocessed salts

For the conscious consumer various kinds of pure, unprocessed salts are currently available on the market. We can group them into sea salt and rock salt.

• Sea salt is being extracted by evaporating salt-water in man made basins.
• Rock salt originated from the evaporation of historic oceans and is being mined.

Historically, rock salt developed in a time when human caused pollution was unknown and is therefore the purest salt available.

Harvest Sun Himalayan Rock Salt is 250 million years old, it is found underground and protected from modern pollution and is extremely high in minerals and trace elements.

How much salt is good for us? 

There is a reason, why our bodies crave salt. Our blood actually contains 0.9% salt and just about every system in our body needs small amounts of salt to function.

Excess intake of salt however has been linked to elevated blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. But, while a low sodium diet does reduce hypertension in some people, for many others it doesn’t. Only about ¼ of the North American population is salt-sensitive, meaning their bodies are reacting to salt by increasing the blood pressure. Likely candidates for this group include the elderly, African Americans, and people who have a family history of high blood pressure.

The suggested daily intake ranges between 1,500 mg for a low sodium diet to 2,400 mg - in other words ½ to 1 teaspoon.

In our fast paced society with its many forms of processed and prepared foods, our salt intake typically exceeds the suggested amount.

Conclusion

Stay away from over processed foods. In general, they are depleted of their natural nutrients, and laden with all of those things that are not good for you, including a multitude of chemical additives. Instead, enjoy a wholesome diet with an abundance of fresh products.

And the next time you grab that salt shaker, pause for a second and contemplate the origins and quality of your salt. Then, enjoy a healthy sprinkle of pure, unprocessed, nutrient-rich ‘White Gold’.