Pigs in a Blanket and "Complex" Carbohydrates

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We all know that sugar is bad, but we mistakenly believe complex carbohydrates are healthy and we need to eat them in abundance. BUT what if I told you that "Complex carbohydrates" and "Whole Grains" are just glucose molecules hooked together in a long chain; the digestive track breaks it down into glucose...also known as sugar. So a "complex carb" diet and a "sugary" diet are pretty much the same thing.

Whole wheat bread is high in sugar, higher than some candy bars and sugary sodas, and some scientists have proven that two slices of whole wheat bread will raise your blood sugar levels as high as if you were eating a candy bar.

According to the Life Extension article, eating two slices of whole wheat bread is worse than drinking a can of Coke or eating a candy bar. In 1981, the University of Toronto found that the Glycemic Index of white bread is 69 and whole-grain bread is 72. Wheat cereal is 67, but table sugar is only 52. That means the Glycemic Index of whole grain bread is higher than that of table sugar, which is also known as sucrose. For you “gluten free” readers out there...rice cakes are listed on the Glycemic Index at 77! This is why when people go “gluten free” and grab a lot of packaged “gluten free” items at the store, they gain weight rather than lose weight.

Simple sugars are so gratifying. That first bite of heaven can calm us down and give us energy at the same time. It’s like magic, with the power to flip our mood 180 degrees. That’s the upside of sweets. The downside is that the more you eat them, the more you want them. Excess sugar causes a hormonal imbalance, which leads to carbohydrate cravings and weight gain, literally turning your body into a fat-making, fat-storing machine. However, I’ve got good news for you. You are in charge and can get off the fast track to diabetes; and you can do it naturally. An overconsumption of fat-free foods and a sedentary life can lead to a condition called insulin resistance; which is a physical imbalance that makes the body respond abnormally to carbohydrate-rich foods and causes people to gain weight.

Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate; which can be natural such as lactose (milk sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar), or can be refined such as sucrose (table sugar). All starchy foods, like potatoes, and sweet foods, like fruits, raise blood sugar quickly. When digested they are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream, causing an increase in the hormone insulin. Insulin clears sugar and fat from the blood and to be stored in the tissues for future use. This causes weight gain. No matter where the carbohydrates come from; 4 grams of carbohydrates equal one teaspoon of sugar in our body. Let me say that again…4 grams of carbohydrates equal 1 teaspoon of sugar in our body. So with that thought, a small Blizzard has 530 calories and 83 grams of carbohydrates; which equals 21 teaspoons of sugar. A nine ounce bag of potato chips equals 32 teaspoons of sugar! To read more, check out my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.

Sugar is toxic for so many reasons, which is why we shouldn't let our kids eat whatever they want. So my goal is to make lots of recipes your kids would enjoy too!



"BLANKET":
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 TBSP psyllium husk powder
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 cup butter OR coconut oil, softened
1 cup boiling water (or beef broth for more flavor)

"PIGS":
3 package grass fed mini hotdogs

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the coconut flour, psyllium husks and salt. Add the softened butter or coconut oil. Stir continuously as you add the hot broth or water, it will melt the butter or oil. Combine until very smooth.  NOTE: Once you add the boiling water the dough will begin to cook so move quickly!

Take 1 TBS of the dough and roll it out into a 2 inch, string-like piece and wrap the dough around 1 mini hot dog. Repeat until all dogs are covered (the dough will expand, so the skinnier the piece the better).

Place the wrapped hot dogs onto a piece of greased parchment paper (I used THIS coconut oil spray). Bake until dough is baked through, 18-25 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

NOTE: This makes a lot of mini Pigs In a Blanket. My suggestion is to bake them and then freeze them for easy after school snack options.

Optional dipping sauces: mustard, Nature's Hollow Xylitol Syrup, Nature's Hollow BBQ sauce/ketchup. Click HERE to find.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving: 5 total)
Traditional Pigs in a Blanket (with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and Little Smokies = 410 calories, 30g fat, 8g protein, 29g carbs, trace fiber
"Healthified" Pigs in a Blanket = 209 calories, 17g fat, 8.5g protein, 6.4g carbs, 3.3g fiber

AND NEVER use the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls to make your kids healthy snacks! The ingredients are terrible for their brain and cells which are growing at a rapid pace.

Ingredients: Flour Bleached Enriched (Flour Bleached, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid (Vitamin aB)), Water, Soybean(s) Oil Hydrogenated, Sugar, Baking Powder (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Dextrose, Wheat Gluten Vital, Salt, Corn Starch, Datem, Potassium Chloride, Monoglyceride, BHT, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Color(s) (Color(s) Artificial, Yellow 5, Red 40)