Thinny Thursdays | Dessert Darling

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Slim Star at UVA Sun: A Thinny Thursday Miracle!!!!!

By Dessert Darling · May 17th, 2012

Ohmygosh guys- I’ve always been a firm believer that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That’s why, every time I heard about the SlimStar Infra-Wrap System at UVA Sun, I totally rolled my eyes. SUUURE you could burn 1,200 calories in 50 minutes just sitting there! And what of all those results people were seeing? Dropping a full dress size in 4 session? Um, clearly that was water-weight.. right?!

You guys, I tried it. It works. I’m a little dumbfounded… but after 6 months of not shedding those annoying 5-post-wedding pounds, I finally caved and decided to invest in some Slim Star sessions. First, you smother this stinky gel on your thighs and torso.

Then you come fully clothed in sweats and lie down on this bed, where you will relax for an hour, watch a movie, TV, read a book, or play Words With Friends (my current addiction )

Here I am, wrapped up and ready to go! The infrared heat penetrates twice as deep as other heat sources to target toxins and cellulite trapped in pockets below the surface of the skin (though, I only noticed a change in weight-loss, not cellulite). These wraps get very Hot!

They had one plus size model who lost twenty pounds using Slim Star!!!! Holy smokes, I want to sing it from the mountain tops, this machine is insane!! Click here to see more about the science of Slim Star and how it works.

Normally it’s $345.00 for 3 sessions, but if you mention that the DD sent you, you can buy 3- get 3 sessions FREE! Hot-damn.

To book an appointment with UVA Sun (on 3rd Street between the Grove and the Beverly Center), click here.

Favorite Ice Creams I’ll Never Eat Again & Why: Baskin-Robbins, Haagen Dazs, Breyers and Dreyers with rBGH

By Dessert Darling · May 10th, 2012

There are many articles, like this fabulous one in the HuffingtonPost, about Bovine Growth Hormones, or rBGH. But I’ll break it down into simple language for you here this Thinny Thursday.

Monsanto, the chemical company that’s determined to run the world’s food supply (and thus, the world), created genetically engineered growth hormones to make cows produce more milk. The cows utters get extremely large, tender, and soar.

This swelling and pain makes the cows get infections, which makes them need antibiotics. Furthermore, the infections lead to blood and puss being released into the milk.

So now, dairy from cows injected with rBGH have:

Genetically Engineered Hormones
Antibiotics
Puss and Blood

“Food is information,” per this article by Dr. Franklipman. What we eat directly interacts with our genes and can make us healthy and happy, or diseased and sick. Wonder why some kids are hitting puberty as early as six years old?! Consuming milk from affected cows with artificial hormones and antibiotics directly and adversely affects our own bodies.

Sadly, my ALL TIME FAVORITE ice cream brands: Baskin-Robbins, Haagen Dazs, Breyers, and Dreyers, all use dairy from cows injected with rBGH. Seriously guys, this is like the Day the Music Died for me. People often ask what my favorite dessert is, and it’s ice cream. I’m so bummed that my childhood staples are so careless with the quality of their ingredients. Furthermore, some have the audacity to outright lie with labels like “All Natural”- UGH!!! Good news though..

Ben and Jerry’s has always taken a firm stance against using rBGH dairy, long before I even knew what the labels meant. All Organic ice creams are safe as well, like Stonyfield, Alden’s, Julie’s, and pretty much any brand that you’d find in a health food store.

Hopefully, if enough of us demand quality ingredients with our shopping dollars, Baskin-Robbins, Haagen Dazs, Bryers, and Dryers will catch on and make the shift to natural milk products. Hey, it worked for Starbucks! Who, I’m happy to share, also refuses to use dairy with rBGH.

Thinny Thursday Tip- I Never Drink Soda

By Dessert Darling · May 3rd, 2012

Never Drink Sodas

This Thinny Thursday tip is pretty self-explanatory. Soda has been linked to pancreatic cancer, heart risks, rotting teeth, and of course, obesity. I know a guy who simply cut soda out of his diet and dropped 15 pounds. Wop-babaloo-bop, there you go.

And for you diet soda fans who drink a beverage as a snack or food substitute, you’re drowning your insides in disgusting chemicals for nothing, because studies show that “artificial sweeteners increase weight gain odds.” Studies also show that even sugar free sodas result in an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome (“a cluster of risk factors linked to diabetes and heart disease”).

Yikes!

Anyway, it’s a complete waist of calories to drink them, if you ask me. I’m a huge fan of the tall glass of water! If you need caffeine, drink tea! Tea can have incredible benefits for your body.

If you need bubbles, try fruit flavored sparkling water. Or if you want a cold palette cleanser with a kick, try Kombucha! This fizzy beverage is has many healthful benefits and is naturally low in calories

Finally, if you must must must have “soda”, try all natural brands made with natural sweeteners (NO High Fructose Corn Syrup!!) and fewer calories. Hope that helps!

Thinny Thursday: Eat Chocolate- Stay Thin with Hail Merry Macaroons

By Dessert Darling · March 29th, 2012

Well Glory Hallelujah! Yet another scientific study that touts the merits of Chocolate! This study essentially states that those who eat chocolate on a regular basis are thinner than those who don’t, even though they do not eat fewer calories or exercise more. WOW! So THAT’s how I do it! Seriously, I eat chocolate every morning after breakfast since I’m not a coffee drinker.

In honor of this outstanding Thinny Thursday news, I’m sharing with you these raw, vegan, gluten-free Hail Merry Chocolate Macaroons to feed your fix in an even healthier way. Made without refined sugar, these delicious treats still boast dark cocoa for all your chocolate needs. They’re Sooooo delicious I ate the whole bag in one sitting. Oops.

For more information on Hail Merry, click here! (I found my bag in Whole Foods).

Thinny Thursday Tip, Ask for a Doggy Bag

By Dessert Darling · March 8th, 2012

This Thinny Thursday I’m sharing a tip that I rarely employ myself, but it does work. When a restaurant serves you a plate with enough food to feed an army, ask your waiter for a Doggy-Bag before you even start. Split half to go, and half for now. This way you leave room for dessert and get a free lunch the next day.

photo from metropoleparis.com

What is Coconut Palm Sugar? Yummy, Low Glycemic, Natural

By Dessert Darling · March 1st, 2012

This Thinny Thursday I’d like to introduce you to Coconut Palm Sugar, a delightful sweetener that I discovered on my honeymoon in Thailand. Granulated Palm Sugar has a very similar look and taste to Brown Sugar, but a much lower glycemic index (35 GI versus brown sugar’s 64), thus making Palm Sugar the perfect substitute for baking, sweetening my oatmeal, and other Brown Sugar like uses (yea!). Additionally, Palm Sugar is naturally rich in potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron, and is a natural source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C (more info here). The caramel like sugar is made from evaporating the nectar of a palm flower before it blossoms into a coconut. Whoo la la, who knew?!

As always, I recommend organic Palm Sugar, like this one by Sweet Tree. I bought this bag at Whole Foods and used it promptly to make my Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies (recipe here)!

For more information- Google it! Sorry, that’s an obvious statement, but really, there’re a lot of sites that wax poetic about this lovely sweetener. Enjoy!

The BEST Chocolate Bar for your Dark Chocolate Fix

By Dessert Darling · February 23rd, 2012

If you didn’t already know it, dark Chocolate is GOOD for you. And if you want some solid reasons why, here are nine of them from Everyday Health. Even before I had substantial proof of this glorious fact, I’ve been a firm believer in keeping the kitchen supplied with a token bar of chocolate- If not for everyday health, then at least for emergency’s sake. I’ve played around with my chocolate bar choices over the years, selecting whichever bar seemed to jump out or intrigue me the most on the Whole Foods shelves. There’ve been hits and misses and it’s high time that I share with you the absolute best bar that there is.

The #1 Chocolate Bar is……….(those dots are a drum roll)…… Dark Chocolate Quinoa- Midnight Crunch by Alter Eco Fair Trade!!!!

Sure there’re fancy little icons at the bottom of the bar signaling that they have a Zero Carbon Objective, it’s certified Fair Trade, and USDA organic- Also, on the back you learn its Free of GMOs (wohoo!), Gluten Free, No artificial Flavors, Vegan, Swiss Made etc! All feel good markers indeed, but really? This bar just tastes the best. :-9

For more info on Alter Eco Chocolate, click here.

Thinny Thursday: What does GLUTEN FREE Mean?

By Dessert Darling · February 16th, 2012

Gluten Free products are sprouting up everywhere and it’s no wonder why since there has been a 400% increase in Celiac’s Disease. Holy crap, say WHAT?! Ok, let’s back up.

What is GLUTEN?

Gluten is a substance in grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. It basically acts like.. a GLUE. So when you mix flour, water, and salt to make play-dough? Well that sticky-gummy like substance is what gluten also does in your insides when you consume it.

What is Celiac’s Disease?

Celiac’s is a digestive disease that wreaks havoc on the lining of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients. People with Celiac’s Disease cannot tolerate Gluten (source).

Why the Increase in Gluten Allergies?

Turns out that yet again, GMOs are to blame (what are GMOs? See video here). In the case of wheat, it was genetically modified with the promise of feeding millions of starving people world wide. The result? There are now “30% more obese than undernourished in the world.” (source)

Genetically Modified Wheat

The wheat in our food today is drastically different from the wheat our grandparents or even parents had growing up. According to Dr. Mark Hyman’s fascinating article here, some facts about the wheat of today:

It contains a Super Starch – amylopectin A that is super fattening.
It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory.
It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more.

Crickies! What’s a DD to do?!

I know, you’re totally scratching your head right now, wondering WTF you can do and eat that’s still delicious and doesn’t tear up your intestines and make you sick and fat, right?! Or something like that. Fear not- you CAN take action.

Eat Organic
Eat Gluten Free- I shall be on the look out for fantastic GF dessert options! Stay tuned
Eat Raw desserts (always Gluten Free)
Sign this petition to ask the FDA to label foods with GMOs

Eat yummy, stay healthy! Together, we’ll learn how.

Thinny Thursday, the Skinny on Raw Desserts

By Dessert Darling · February 2nd, 2012

Someone on Twitter recently asked me what Raw Desserts are, so I’m taking this Thinny Thursday to explain. Raw Desserts are basically a God-send if you’re abstaining from refined foods, white sugar, flour, are Vegan, Gluten-free, and like sweets! According to About.com, a raw food diet consists of “raw, vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit” so as to not lose their enzymes and nutritional value. These desserts are sweetened with natural and unrefined ingredients like dates, agave nectar, coconut and fruit. Additionally, they use crushed or pureed nuts to make the base of these treats. While Raw Desserts can be high in nut fat, every ingredient is usually a healthful item with minerals, vitamins, protein, and fiber. You can usually find Raw Desserts in a refrigerated area of a health food store like Whole Foods. Below is an image of one of my favorite Raw Chocolate Treats by Hail Merry (see review here). Yum!

Thinny Thursday- America’s Poisoned Food & its Devastating Effects

By Dessert Darling · December 1st, 2011

Hi all, I try not to be preachy in my La la land of Desserts, but this Ted Talks video was so captivating, jaw-dropping, and mind-boggling, that it completely changed the way that I view food in America. While I eat desserts every day, I still promote eating real food with all natural ingredients. For example, a cupcake with real butter, sugar, and flour is a thousand times better than a packaged dessert with an unending list of preservatives, chemicals, and artificial colors. If you wonder about Allergies, Obesity, Diabetes, Autism, and Cancer rates, then watch this video.

What can you do to protect yourself and family? Click here to sign a petition to have the FDA label foods that have GMOs in them so that you are not shopping in the dark anymore. In the meantime, buy organic when you can or shop at stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods that try to carry as few items with GMOs as possible!