Desserts are everyone’s favourite and their abundance increases the number of foodies. It’s not bad to indulge in desserts, but it’s not good for the body to overindulge in desserts. Desserts are high in sugars and fats, and many of them are very calorific. Eating one high-calorie dessert provides the body with the calories of several meals. This frequent excess calorie intake increases the risk of overweight and obesity. People who are physically active often claim that sweets are fine for them, but forget that sugars can have a negative effect on their bodies. When the body is exposed to simple carbohydrates such as various sugars on a daily basis, the pancreas is under constant stress. This organ is depleted by the huge amounts of sugar. A malfunctioning pancreas can increase the risk of developing diabetes.
Too much or too frequent intake of dietary sugar adversely affects the hormonal and nervous systems, interferes with the activity of ‘good’ bacteria and increases the amount of fat in the body. If we constantly crave sweets, we should pay closer attention to our body and our organism and feel when and why we have uncontrollable cravings for treats. When we are tired, sleep-deprived or under prolonged stress, we crave something sweet or fatty. To help reduce our intake of sweets, we can choose a few days a week when we can indulge in what we want without feeling guilty. “‘Sweet days’ should not be from morning to night, but once a day it is possible to have a treat that you really want. The process of indulgence should start with looking at the treat, smelling it and then tasting it. There are many health-friendly desserts that can be enjoyed, feel pleasurable and benefit the body.
Sweets with dates
Ingredients:
– 1 avocado – 6 dried dates – pinch of cocoa powder – 1 teaspoon coconut chips
Preparation:
Pour boiling water over the dates and soak them slightly. After the dates have soaked, puree them in a blender with the avocado. Form the mixture into balls. Sprinkle the balls with coconut flakes and cocoa powder. The resulting sweets can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for a while.
Avocado is a source of ‘good’ fatty acids and rich in fibre. Avocados are rich in the mineral potassium, vitamin E and folic acid. Dates are good for the body as they are rich in iron, magnesium, copper and selenium. Selenium is very useful for our body as it is a strong antioxidant.
Chocolate bean biscuits
Ingredients:
– 2/3 cup cooked dark beans or a can of canned beans – 1 tbsp pure coconut or olive oil – 2 tbsp oat flour – 3 tbsp cocoa powder – half a teaspoon of cinnamon – 1 teaspoon of baking powder – 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence – pinch of salt
Preparation:
Before buying canned beans, make sure they do not contain salt. Otherwise the cookies will be too salty. Drain the cooked or canned beans. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Shape the sticky mixture into biscuits. Arrange the biscuits in a baking dish lined with baking paper and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 175 °C.
Beans are rich in phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc. One hundred grams of beans contain almost half the daily requirement of iron! These legumes are rich in fibre, which improves the functioning of the digestive tract. It is more useful to cook your own beans instead of canned ones. Oat flour is rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, which also improves intestinal function. Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants, which improve the functioning of the whole body.
Cottage cheese and pumpkin dessert
Ingredients:
-roll of cottage cheese -1 banana -1/4 medium pumpkin – half teaspoon cinnamon – 5 walnuts.
Preparation:
Slice the cleaned and shaved pumpkin and roast in the oven until soft. Cool the baked pumpkin. Mash the pumpkin with the cinnamon until smooth. In another bowl, mix the grated cottage cheese with the banana. Place a few spoonfuls of the cottage cheese and banana mixture in a glass and top with the pumpkin mixture. Garnish with chopped nuts.
Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. Bananas are rich in B vitamins and potassium. Nuts are rich in good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. Manganese, which is abundant in nuts, is important for maintaining proper bone health and helps protect cells from oxidative damage.
Seed and chocolate dessert
Ingredients:
– 1 tbsp sunflower seeds – 1 tbsp pecans – 1 tsp dried cranberries – 1 tsp dried goji berries – Half a bar of dark chocolate – 1 tsp pomegranate seeds
Preparation:
Mix the seeds, slightly chopped nuts, dried berries with the melted chocolate. The mixture can be placed in cupcake tins or evenly distributed in a container. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top of the mixture and leave in the fridge to set.
Sunflowers and pecans are beneficial because they contain vitamin E, which is an antioxidant needed by every cell in the body. Dried cranberries are very rich in various minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, iron, copper and manganese. Mineral salts are essential for the body as they regulate metabolism and are beneficial for digestion. These dried berries are also rich in vitamins B1, B2, E and P. Goji berries are valued for their antioxidant content. By consuming them, we will provide the body with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Chocolate, like cocoa, is rich in magnesium, which strengthens the immune and nervous systems.
Chocolate delicacy
Ingredients:
– Half an avocado – 3 tablespoons blackcurrants – 1 teaspoon honey – 2 teaspoons cocoa – 1 banana – pinch of cinnamon – a few orange slices
Preparation:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy. Serve with orange slices.
Blackcurrants are the kings of berries, rich in a wide range of substances such as carotenes, minerals (potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus), Vitamins B, C, D, E, K, PP, essential oils. It is important to add that blackcurrants have a very high content of vitamin C. Orange is also rich in vitamin C, but is also rich in calcium.