Although Heather Connell of Multiply Delicious has previously published a PDF cookbook, Paleo Sweets and Treats is her first foray into traditional publishing and really putting herself into the mix of the paleo cookbook scene. Although it might seem counterintuitive to create a paleo book filled with desserts, I think this book is actually quite successful in its intentions and it sets Connell apart from other paleo chefs and bakers.

Now, before we go any further, the biggest thing to know about this book is that if you are trying to lose weight or cut back on your sugar intake, you should not buy this book. Just because it has “paleo” in the name doesn’t actually mean it’s healthy. (I know that’s strange, but it’s how things have evolved (no pun intended).) Like I tell my weight-loss clients, if it looks like a dessert, don’t eat it.

Now, on the flip side if you are at your goal weight or you just simply want to be able to create special items for special events, holidays, or random weekends that need cupcakes, then this is a fantastic book for you. All of the recipes are grain free, dairy free, and free of processed sugars. Instead, you will see a variety of nut flours, honey, dates, molasses, and maple syrup. And the recipes cover everything from cookies, to cakes, to candies, to ice cream.

The book is laid out by season, with the idea that fruits and vegetables are best eaten (both cost-wise and nutrition-wise) when they are in season. I must say, there is also something just innately enjoyable about lemons and strawberries in spring and pumpkins and squash in the fall. So if you are committed to seasonal eating for nutrition reasons or simply trying to make something appropriate for a certain holiday, then you will find this book simple and useful in its organization. In addition, many of the recipes can easily be modified for what is in season by changing the toppings or fillings.

Recipes I tried included:

• Mini Lemon “Cheesecakes” with Raspberries
• Apple-Walnut Cake
• Pumpkin Spiced Bundt Cake
• Maple Spiced Sweet Potato Cupcakes
• Coconut Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

Now, there are a couple potential negatives to know about. First, I actually found some of the recipes weren’t sweet enough. The Pumpkin Spiced Bundt Cake could be called more of a pumpkin bread and the recipe for the Maple Spiced Sweet Potato Cupcakes even says you can just call them muffins if you leave the frosting off. Now it may be your experience that if you’ve been hardcore paleo for a while that these recipes are sweet enough for you compared to what you’ve been eating. For me, when I make the choice to splurge on dessert, I really want it to taste like dessert.

However, this problem is easily solved. Most home cooks and bakers I know will modify recipes over time, slowly tweaking them to fit their taste. This cookbook will be no different for me. Now I know to make things a little sweeter than prescribed and the base recipes remain fantastic regardless.

The only other thing about the book that I didn’t like was that there aren’t photographs for every recipe. I really like having a photo for each recipe so I know if I even remotely hit the mark in what I created. I also think I’m more likely to make a recipe if I’ve seen an enticing picture. (So that would be my personal tip to all cookbook publishers out there, by the way.)

Taking all of that into account, I still have a big list of recipes from this cookbook that I intend to make. We enjoyed all the recipes I tried and I have faith that many more in the book are just as good or better. And I do think the idea of seasonal eating is good for the planet, the pocketbook, and the soul. I just wish I worked in an office so I could bake something every day and then make other people eat it.

“Paleo Sweets and Treats” is available for $15.68 from Amazon.com.

And just to give you a taste of what you can find in Paleo Sweets and Treats, here’s an excerpt from the book. This is one of the winter recipes:

Honey Spiced Orange Cake

Yield: One 9-inch (23 cm) cake.

The most important aspect of this simple cake is the orange flavor that shines throughout. Adding fresh orange juice, orange zest, and a sweetened honey-orange syrup allows this cake to speak volumes. Transform this cake into a bread by simply using a bread pan instead.

Ingredients

For cake:

• 2¼ cups (270 g) almond flour
• 1 teaspoon (2.3 g) ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup (55 ml) extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon (20 g) raw honey
• 2 teaspoons (3.6 g) orange zest

For honey-orange syrup:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon (20 g) raw honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with coconut oil.
2. To make the cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, process the coconut oil, dates, eggs, orange juice, honey, and orange zest until the dates are completely broken up and the mixture is smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and process until well combined.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, to make the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange juice and honey and stir until the honey is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 2 more minutes while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and invert the cake onto it. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of the cake.
8. Brush the top of the cake with the honey-orange syrup and allow the syrup to soak into the cake. Let the cake cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
9. Once cooled, slice and serve with coconut whipped cream (page 67) and dust with orange zest.

The cake is best stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for up to four days.

The post Book Review: “Paleo Sweets and Treats” by Heather Connell appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Though you’re reading these words because I am, in part, a writer for Breaking Muscle, much of my time is consumed as a coach and a passionate advocate for real food nutrition. In addition to coaching fitness, I even created a sports nutrition company, ORIGINAL Nutritionals, based on my passion for a responsible, real food lifestyle. Why am I telling you this? I’m telling you this because when I came across The Carb Sensitivity Program by Dr. Natasha Turner, I was curious as to which side of my very tall fence this book would fall.

In my time with the book, I was able to read about the program as a passionate, knowledgeable observer. I also took time to interview Dr. Turner for yet a deeper understanding both in the intentions of the book and the outcomes it has yielded since the last pages were printed. Coming in as a skeptic, I set the book down feeling like I had another confidant fighting the good fight with me toward a healthier, one meal at a time.

The Carb Sensitivity Program (CSP) sets out to address an out of control health issue rooted in insulin abuse. CSP is Dr. Turner’s third book, and it stands on a solid foundation created by her first two books, The Hormone Diet and The Super Charged Hormone Diet. These two books pave the way for a hormonal based nutritional strategy.

The hormonal insulin response triggered by carbohydrate consumption is often recognized as the guilty culprit behind obesity, heart disease, and many other modern ailments. This text seeks to wean its participants off of their respective carbohydrate sensitive diets and systematically reintroduce carbohydrates in a fashion that doesn’t yield health consequences manifested on blood work panels, or their waistline.

Dr. Turner’s text begins with context for readers who are in the dark about what psychological functions contribute to fat storage. In addition, Dr. Turner paints a clear picture that on some level all carbohydrates promote an insulin response. Given current lifestyle habits and nutritional strategies, many of us are on the verge of insulin resistance, which means when we consume a sweet potato our bodies may respond no different than if we’d had a bowl of sugar.

With a dismal but informative understanding of the state of much of the population’s nutritional situation, Dr. Turner directs her readers to the actual program, which does much more than explain the “whys” of obesity. The program addresses many of the “hows” with regards to digging our way out of a potentially deep carbohydrate sensitive, insulin resistant hole.

Dr. Turner walks men and women through a step-by-step process of gradual reintroduction of carbohydrates with constant evaluation of markers that indicate a spike in sensitivity, such as insulin response and weight gain. The first of six stages, for example, is the most restricted with regards to carbohydrate consumption. It excludes nearly all starchy vegetables, with a focus on lean meats, good fats, and some fruits and vegetables. Each step of the way, participants are asked to answer a checklist of questions. If the carbohydrate load of any particular stage is without negative effects, then they are free to move to the next, more carbohydrate liberal phase. All the while, people are resetting their insulin receptors to potentially handle carbohydrates in a healthy manner again.

As a curious devil’s advocate, I asked Dr. Turner what the goal of the program was. Is it to systematically create an opportunity for the ultimate omnivore to consume nearly all foods in a controlled manner, free of major health consequences? Why move past Phase I or Phase II and even dance with the devil with higher glycemic carbohydrates? My concern with this system was that it would work in the sense that folks would earn some normalization in insulin function, but as they progressed down the line towards a nearly open table of carbohydrate consumption they could eventually undermine their newfound success. If there were no goal to keep grains and other higher glycemic carbohydrates in the diet, wouldn’t the CSP be fool proof if folks never moved beyond the more rigid first phases?

In many ways, Dr. Turner agreed with me. As she explained to me, “I agree. You know, the majority of people usually start getting into sensitivities around stage four, when you start to put in grains. You’ve got to have a healthy metabolism to get to the last phase.”

The CSP, of course, is a tool to repair metabolic derangement. As you begin to work your way through these gateways of carbohydrate reintroduction, you may be wondering what happens if you reach a level in which carbohydrates begin to have a negative effect. The CSP doesn’t leave folks in the dust by any means. The program will spit you out into a Metabolic Repair program, advising you to use proper nutrition, some supplementation, and even a training protocol to right your metabolic wrongs.

The CSP includes some ninety easy-to-follow recipes. As a coach myself, I understand the value of having clear instructions for participants. The CSP leaves no room for wonder and keeps its readers fully aware of tools to use and knowledge about their respective “next step.”

Who is the CSP for? When I asked Dr. Turner, she said that it’s obvious the most metabolically deranged folks, obese individuals, and the least healthy people may see the most progress, but the CSP is relevant for nearly all of us. If not now, we will likely need some insight into our sensitivities of carbohydrates in the future. As Dr. Turner noted, as we grow older we lose muscle mass, and naturally become more insulin dominant.

Overall I was pleased with how thorough this book was. Dr. Turner builds enough context to get you motivated and she delivers a clear and detailed plan to guarantee success in the program. The only question is whether or not folks are willing to hang on throughout the program, or not.

“The Carb Sensitivity Program” is available on Amazon.com for $17.65.

The post Book Review: “The Carb Sensitivity Program” by Natasha Turner appeared first on Breaking Muscle.