THE PUDDING OF HAPPINESS

My husband counts the pills I put out for him in the morning to be sure I didn’t sneak in anything new. If he doesn’t recognize one, I have to show him the bottle. Once, when my children were small, I overheard my vegetable-phobic son whisper to his sister, “Don’t eat the spaghetti~she put PARSLEY in it!” The only foolproof way I’ve discovered to convince the people I care about to eat things that are good for them is to turn them into foods they can’t resist!

I call this the “pudding of happiness” because it can lift your spirits, fill you with energy, make you look and feel younger, and possibly change your life. It is probiotic, prebiotic, rich in anti-oxidants; a super-food, tonic, and supplement disguised as a simple, homey dessert. I make it with premium ingredients, the best of the best, and my recipe makes sure that its nutrients remain whole, alive, and active. (Any good quality ingredients can be substituted, of course.)

CHOCOLATE YOGURT PUDDING
Do you know which foods have the highest levels of antioxidants? Chocolate, coffee, and some spices. For comparison, wild blueberries have an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) of 9,621; raw gogi berries have 3,290. Chocolate’s ORAC value is 55,650. Coffee has between 15,000 to 17,000.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon gelatin, Great Lakes Unflavored, preferred
1/2 cup hot coffee or water, Upgraded coffee preferred
2 cups liquid yogurt or kefir, Plain Amasai, preferred
1/4 cup cocoa powder, Upgraded, preferred
2 tablespoons collagen, Great Lakes or Upgraded,  preferred
Sugar substitute with bulk, such as xylitol or an erythritol or
oligofructose blend, equal to 6 tablespoons sugar
A pinch of salt
Zero-carb liquid sugar substitute to equal 3 tablespoons sugar or to taste
1/2 to 1 whole vanilla bean* or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla
extract, optional
2 tablespoons medium chain tryglycerides (MCT oil) or coconut oil or     Upgraded Brain Octane Oil, preferred

Directions:
Place gelatin in a medium bowl or Pyrex pitcher, add the hot coffee or water, and stir until completely dissolved. Let stand until just warm. Stir yogurt or kefir into gelatin until dissolved.

In a second bowl, whisk cocoa powder, collagen, sugar substitute with bulk, and salt together until well blended. Add liquid sweetener to the bowl with the gelatin and yogurt. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until smooth.

Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into mixture or add vanilla extract, if using. Whisk in MCT oil. Pour into serving dishes or leave in mixing bowl. Refrigerate until firm and serve. This sets up very quickly.

Recipe inspired by Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof® coffee.

*To preserve the beneficial living organisms in the yogurt, don’t use a vanilla that contains alcohol.

Makes 1 and 1/2 cups or 3 servings of 1/2 cup. (Picture shows 1/4 cup servings.)
Cal: 143; Fat: 11.4g; Protein: 9.4g; Fiber: 2.4g; Carbs: 6.1; Net Carbs: 3.7g
(Count will vary with sweetener choice. The sugar in yogurt that has been eaten by live cultures is not included in count; the remaining amount is estimated to be 4 grams of carbs per cup of yogurt.)

~~

NOTE: You can, of course, substitute other high-quality ingredients for the ones named in the recipe, but here are some of the brands I like. Several of them can be purchased through Dave Asprey‘s site. Click the links below the images to learn more about the respective health benefits and the recommended daily amounts for some of the products.

Upgraded™ Brain Octane Oil (C-8 MCT) is eighteen times stronger than coconut oil for maximum cognitive function. It is rapidly metabolized into ketones to provide fuel to the brain without requiring glucose from sugar or carbohydrates. It also has powerful anti-microbial effects that support healthy digestion and enhance immunity. Dave warns that this is potent fuel! Start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up to 1 to 2 tablespoons per day.

Amasai™ is a cultured beverage made from whole milk from 100% grass-fed cows of an ancient breed. It is cultured with over 30 probiotics to produce a smoothie-like beverage that is easily digested and teeming with protein, healthful fats, and fat-soluble vitamins. It is pasteurized, but never heated above the body temperature of the cow! It comes plain, fruit flavored, or honey sweetened, so be sure to get the plain one.

This cocoa is made from beans from wild cocoa trees grown in rich volcanic soil in a single small area at high elevation in South America. The trees are watered from pure mountain streams and the cocoa is hand-harvested by virgins. (OK, I made up the part about the virgins.)

Upgraded Coffee

Upgraded™ Coffee beans are mechanically processed right after picking using only clean cold water. This more expensive process is safer because it dramatically reduces harmful molds and bacteria. To read more and to get Dave’s recipe for making his famous Bulletproof® Coffee, click here.

 

Traditional diets included lots of collagen from slow-simmered broths made from the bones, skin, and cartilage of vertebrates. Modern processed foods and quick-cooked, boneless, skinless fillets do not provide the essential proteins necessary to repair and heal our bodies and counteract the wear and tear of aging. Collagen, the precursor of gelatin, is easily assimilated by the human body. It reduces inflammation, promotes cell growth, and produces synovial fluids to lubricate joints. It improves mental focus and clarity, minimizes wrinkles, and gives skin a healthy glow. It mixes readily into hot or cold liquids, but it does not congeal. Gelatin dissolves in hot water and sets up into a solid gel. Neither collagen nor gelatin is available from plant sources.

Great Lakes Gelatin sells both gelatin and Collagen Hydrolysate from grass-fed animals. The Bulletproof® Executive’s site sells Upgraded Collagen from happy cows who have grass for breakfast, grass for lunch, and grass for dinner.

Some of the bulk sweeteners given as choices in the ingredients list for the pudding are made from indigestible sugars. They cannot be broken down by human enzymes and are counted as dietary fiber. They are prebiotic, meaning they feed the “good” microbes that live in the gut.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that has been shown to reduce tooth decay and strengthen bones. Erythritol is similar, but while xylitol may cause digestive distress, most people can tolerate erythritol.

A combination of different sweeteners usually tastes better than one alone. Some brand names are: SweetPerfectionLC-Foods Sweet, Just Like Sugar, and Swerve.

Disclaimers:
Product information and health claims came from the respective websites, linked to above. The links are provided for your convenience, but I do not get a commission on sales. I received product samples in the past from SweetPerfection and LC-Foods.

This website is intended to serve as a guide to great-tasting, low-carbohydrate cooking. The author is neither a physician nor a nutritionist. None of the content of this site is intended to treat any disease or medical condition. If you believe you have a health problem, consult your physician. Information on this site is believed to be accurate, but is solely informational and educational and is in no way warranted for accuracy or completeness. No information on this site is intended to be a replacement for the advice of your physician or nutritionist.

Nourished on Amazon > http://tinyurl.com/mq42koa

(c) 2013, Judy Barnes Baker, http://www.carbwarsblog.com

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Judy Barnes Baker

The working title for my first book was, “You’ll Never Know What You Are Missing.” It summed up my goal: to make eating for health synonymous with eating for pleasure. Once you discover the secret, you will find that the very best food for weight management, longevity, the treatment and prevention of disease, and over-all health and happiness is also the most sumptuous, satisfying, and indulgent way of eating the world has to offer. You are invited to the feast. Enjoy!
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Judy Barnes Baker
10 years ago

Thanks for the comment, Alex!

Judy Barnes Baker
10 years ago

Thanks, Carolyn!

Alex
10 years ago

Very good article. So much information to absorb. Thanks x

Carolyn Ketchum
10 years ago

Looks amazing. And amazingly healthy!

Jude
Jude
1 year ago

Just a bit of an update, your LC Foods Sweetener link is out of date (haven’t checked the others). Label name change and now a variation of products and sizes… this one has Inulin (interesting!):

https://www.lowcarbfoods.com/low-carb-confectionery-powdered-sweetener-with-inulin

Ta!