Cinnabons and WHY WHEY

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About 75% of clients come into my office on an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication. After studying the brain chemistry, I understand the essential part of amino acids and the brain. To build dopamine, serotonin, GABA and other feel good chemicals we need animal protein (which is where we get amino acids from). Since I have so many vegetarians struggling with this, I added a category of "Vegetarians" to my blog. Pass this onto friends who don't eat enough protein and have low moods/energy:
CLICK HERE

Whey protein not only builds a healthy brain, but it also helps suppress appetite. A recent study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found a fantastic effect when people consume whey protein before meals. In this study, the participants drank a 400 calorie beverage 90 minutes before eating a test meal. They split the test subjects into 4 groups to see how many calories they consume after their test beverage:

Group 1 = placebo – 987 Calories
Group 2 = 12.5% protein beverage – 841 Calories
Group 3 = 25% protein beverage – 808 Calories
Group 4 = 50% protein beverage – 681 Calories

This is just one of the many benefits to adding whey protein to your snacks and desserts...it helps with portion control!

When buying a whey protein product, “Whey Protein Isolate” is the highest quality you can buy; which has at least 90 percent protein with only trace amounts of fat and lactose. Also check the sugar count; some brands add way too much sugar to make whey taste like candy and get you hooked on their product…and that sugar isn’t going to help our waist line! If you do decide to try whey protein powder, it’s important to read the ingredients on the product closely. Some whey protein powders have added ingredients that can be counter-productive to your goals. For example, whey protein “gainer” powders have tons of extra calories added to them in the form of sugar in order to increase their calorie content for people who are trying to gain weight. Jay Robb is a superior weight loss brand that uses stevia to sweeten their whey. And they use HORMONE-FREE whey which is important for SOOO many reasons!

There are many ways to consume whey protein. I personally like to “chew my food” so I add it to my baked goods. Click HERE to find QUALITY Jay Robb Protein.



NOTE: Not all coconut flours are the same, click HERE to find the one I use.

"HEALTHIFIED" CINNABONS OPTION 1
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, softened
3/4 cup erythritol (or Just Like Sugar)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup vanilla whey or egg white protein
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

OPTION 2 (softer and easier to roll out):
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, softened
3/4 cup erythritol (or Just Like Sugar)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and the sweetener until very smooth. Add in the eggs. In another bowl mix together the coconut flour, protein powder (if option 1), salt and baking powder. Slowly add in the dry ingredients into the wet, then add in the vanilla. Stir until a thick dough forms. Cover and place in fridge to chill the dough for 1 hour or overnight.

Place a sheet of parchment on counter, then spray with coconut oil spray. Place dough on greased parchment, push the dough down a bit, and spray with another layer of coconut oil. Top with another sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until a long rectangle shape (9x12) or so. Then remove the top layer of parchment.

CINNAMON FILLING:
3 TBS Coconut oil or Butter, softened
2 TBS Cinnamon
3 TBS erythritol (or Just Like Sugar)
1/4 tsp stevia glycerite

Mix all ingredients together and spread evenly over the dough...make sure the top layer of parchment is off:) Roll up dough using the edge of the plastic to make a tight log. Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place the rolls into a greased muffin tin or onto a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until baked through (insert a toothpick to check doneness...the toothpick should come out clean).

FROSTING:
6 TBS cream cheese, softened (or coconut cream if dairy allergy)
3 TBS butter, softened
2 TBS erythritol (or Just Like Sugar)
1/4 tsp stevia glycerite
A little almond milk (to thin it out, if desired)

Place all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and combine until smooth. Store in fridge (it will thicken overnight). Spread over cinnamon rolls. Makes 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per roll)
“Cinnabon” Cinnamon Roll = 730 calories, 24g fat, 1g protein, 114 carbs, trace fiber
“Healthified” OPTION 1 = 252 calories, 19g fat, 9.5g protein, 6.9 carbs, 3.4 g fiber
"Healthified" OPTION 2 = 257 calories, 23g fat, 4g protein, 7 carbs, 4.2g fiber