The Truth About Sugar

Sugar may taste delicious, but it stresses the immune system, causing an assortment of issues in the body.
Things that don't even taste sweet often contain high amounts of sugar. When reading product nutrition information, keep in mind that every 4 grams of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar!! Other names for sugar include high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, and artifical sweeteners (like aspartame and Splenda).
In the recipes featured on this blog, you will notice that they are often sweetened with things such as agave necgar, honey, stevia and maple syrup. These products are good substitutes for pure sugar as they all have a lower glycemic index (the rate at which sugar gets absorbed into the bloodstream).

To read more about this and other related topics, please visit our blog on chemical stress. This blog (along with our other blogs) is accessable through viewing our complete profile to the right of this post,or by going to http://www.novaspinalcarechemicalstress.blogspot.com/

Elana's Classic Carrot Cake

Serves 12

3 c blanched almond flour
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 c grapeseed oil
1/2 c agave nectar
5 large eggs
3 c grated carrots
1 c raisins
1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped


Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in the carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans for 1 hour, then serve.


Note: This recipe has been taken from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam.

Date Balls

1/4 c ground flax
1/4 c oat bran (or oatmeal)
1/2 c pecans
1 c almonds
12-15 dates (or many - to make the balls stick together)
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c coconut
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together in a food processor then form into balls, and enjoy!

Jason's Quinoa

Rinse quinoa first
2:1 ratio water to quinoa (try 2 cups quinoa/4 cups water)
Add some olive oil and 1 tbsp *Bragg's soy sauce
Add approximately 1-2 tsp garlic powder
Add equal amounts of cumin and chili powder (approximately 2-3 tsp each)
Bring quinoa to a boil then let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until cooked and the water has evaporated.
Add peas, corn and black beans
Add pepper and Bragg's to taste

Note: most of my cooking does not involve exact measurements so you may need to play with the seasoning. You can also add your favorites, such as onion, cilantro, etc.


*Bragg's soy sauce is available at Superstore. Bragg's is a gluten free fermented soy product.