Sunday, May 1, 2011

Ranch Dressing and Facts on Vitamin D

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Are you using fat free salad dressing? Well, did you know that vitamins A, D, E and K are FAT-SOLUBLE vitamins? You can't absorb these vitamins without a fat, which is why fortifying skim milk with vitamin D is a waste of money! I have so many clients deficient in vitamin D. Could our low fat diets be the problem? Taking a vitamin d supplement with a bowl of cereal and skim milk will NOT let the vitamin D absorb into the bloodstream.

Having low vitamin d levels can effect us in so many ways. Here are just a few:
1. Last year it was proven that vitamin D deficiency is likely to be a major factor for the development of type one diabetes in children.
2. Activated vitamin D in the adrenal gland regulates tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme essential for the production of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Check out Secrets to Your Weight Cravings and Mood for more information.
3. Low vitamin D contributes to chronic fatigue and depression.
4. Insulin resistance is one of the major factors not only leading to the cancers, but also to the number one killer in the US, heart disease. Northern countries have higher levels of heart disease and more heart attacks occur in the winter months (when our vitamin D levels plummet).
5. Infertility is associated with low vitamin D, and PMS has been completely reversed by addition of magnesium and vitamin D.
6. Progression of degenerative arthritis of the knee and hip is faster in people with lower vitamin D levels.
7. Autoimmune Disorders: Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis and Crohn's disease have all been linked with low vitamin D levels.
8. Obesity: Vitamin D has recently been shown to lower leptin secretion. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells and isinvolved in weight regulation. It is thought that the hormone signals the brain when fat cells are "full." To read more check out Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.

Not only that, I've tried fat free ranch dressing in my past life...it tastes terrible, no wonder why people don't like salads. You need a great dressing to jazz up the veggies. Fat free dressings are nothing but sugar and corn syrup. Yuck.

Ingredients in Free Ranch: Water, Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Modified Food Starch, Buttermilk (Adds a Trivial Amount of Fat, Adds a Trivial Amount of Cholesterol)Salt, Less Than 2% of Vinegar, Garlic Puree, Onion Puree, Garlic (Dried)Onion (Dried)Green Onion (Dried)Spice, Sour Cream (Cream, Nonfat Milk, Cultures; Adds a Trivial Amount of Fat, Adds a Trivial Amount of Cholesterol)Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil and/or Soybean Oil; Adds a Trivial Amount of Fat)Monoglycerides (Adds a Trivial Amount of Fat)Natural Flavor, Artificial Color, Monosodium Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Phosphoric Acid)Disodium Phosphate, with Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, TBHQ and Calcium Disodium EDTA as Preservatives, Alpha Tocopherols (Vitamin E)

Click HERE to read about TBHQ!


I know my recipe sounds a little crazy, but it tastes awesome. The cream cheese makes it so thick. This added an amazing flavor without extra calories, 1 TBS of mayo is 100 calories, 1 TBS of cream cheese is 50 calories. Since cream cheese is so much thicker, you can add a flavorful broth to thin the dressing and you save a lot of calories.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp Celtic salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

In a blender or a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, broth, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving (it will thicken up as it rests). Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Ranch = 153 calories, 1.1 carbs, 0 fiber
KRAFT Fat Free Ranch = 50 calories, 11 carbs, 0 fiber
"Healthified" Ranch = 66 calories, 0.75 carbs, 0 fiber


CLICK HERE TO FIND THE GLASS (NEVER PLASTIC...estrogens!) SALAD DRESSING MAKER I USE.

22 comments:

  1. Wow! Cool recipe. Can't wait to try it. :) Thanks!

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  2. Made this and it tastes great! Better than store bought!

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  3. Maria,
    I am a ranch lover and this is amazing!! The best ranch I have ever had! I haven't been able to have any ranch for over a year, since I've been on a mission to eat healthy and so I just eat my salads w/out dressing... but now this! Wow! I actually look forward to eating my salads now! And my kids have been devouring it as veggie dip! Thank you so much :)

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  4. Thanks Rachel! I appreciate your kind words;)))

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  5. I made this and poured it over diced cauliflower, and it made an excellent salad. Truly a nice balance of the herbs.

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  6. How long does this keep in the fridge? Cream cheese has an ok shelf life, but not so sure about the broth. I received 2 of the 3 books of yours that I ordered and have a lenghty list of things I want to try! First recipe I tried was the shamrock shake. DEE-licious!! I received a shipment notification that the Kids cookbook shipped as well! With 8 month old twin boys, I can't wait to add even more recipes to my recipes to try list! Now if I could somehow come up with a few extra hours a day...thanks for all of your great info on your blog and in your books! One more thing, what are some of your go to snacks? Being a nursing mom (of 2!), I need to eat a fair amount of food every few hours or else I don't have as much milk. What I often eat is a bowl of plain Cheerios - bad I know!

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    1. I keep this about a week in the fridge. Thank you for the kind works!

      I keep a batch of waffles in the freezer at all times for easy meals of waffles and fried eggs. You can also keep a batch of pancakes in fridge and eat with nut butters (recipes in kids book). Good luck! :)

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  7. the recipe says 12 servings....is this 1 T or 2 T per serving??? Thanks

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  8. Thank you so much for this recipe! I've looked for a long time for an easy and good basic ranch dressing, that used ingredients I usually have on hand. I think this fits the bill! I can also see that I can convert it to my husbands favorite, Blue Cheese dressing. For that matter, a Dill dressing, Sweet Onion, etc etc. Thanks!

    Oh, and that little glass container with the cork is adorable! I occasionally just throw out cute little glass jars, since they don't have good lids that seal tight. Never thought to get little corks... great idea. :-)

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  9. Sounds like an interesting recipe, Maria! I make an easy quick version with mayo and milk, but I might try yours too!

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  10. How on earth did I miss this?! Can't wait to try it!!!

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  11. Maria, my I ask how long this keeps for? Thanks! :)

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    1. I keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. :)

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  12. I love ranch dressing and have been looking for a healthy alternative. This dressing is my absolute favorite! Thank you so much for what you do :)

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  13. I just made this with dried cilantro because I did not have chives and it was still delicious!! I blended it in my little food processor and maybe I did it too long because it is THICK! Should I add more chicken broth or milk to thin it out? As is right now, it would be an amazing dip for a veggie platter! Thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Thanks! I would use chicken broth to thin it out. :)

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