Day #2 Without Sugar

This may be just a coincidence, but I feel like I'm already seeing the effects that processed sugar has had on me. First and foremost, I am spending more time in the kitchen, but thankfully some time up front gives me a lot of snack options that I know are OK. Secondly, I had a headache at the beginning of the day (I ate an apple, chewed some sugar-free gum and it went way). Thirdly, I can see my energy level changing. For example, it's almost 4 PM. I've usually already had an afternoon crash in energy which I used to attribute to lack of caffiene or whatever else. I am blogging and making homemade cheez-its (!!!) while my roomate is snoozing on the couch! I feel like I have a ton of energy. On that note, here are a few more snacks I have tried (and really liked!)

First of all, my roomate (the one who is sleeping on the couch!) had an ice cream craving, so I went to the store with her to get supplies for cheez-its and (hopefully) find some ice cream with no unnatural sweeteners. I was in luck! I found "So Delicious" Coconut Milk Ice Cream in Toasted Almond Chip. It is seriously better than regular ice cream and all the sweetness comes from organic coconut milk. In any case, here is something to tide you over if you're feeling munchy. It's nice because it's super customizable and can be as healthy as you want using substitutions!

Homemade Cheez-It's (adapted from Cooking Ala Mel)

• About 3 oz (2 cups grated) cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar)
• 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour (no sugar like white flour)
• 4 TBSP butter (softened a bit)
• 1/4 TSP salt
• sea salt to sprinkle (optional)

Combine these ingredients until a ball of dough is formed (I used the KitchenAid). The easiest way to roll out the dough is to do it between two pieces of parchment paper, but I just did it on a lightly floured pan. Roll out to about 1/8-1/4 of an inch (mine were thicker and looked less like cheez-its, but were still delicious). Then, using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 inch squares and transfer them onto a lined baking pan (parchment or foil). Use a fork to poke holes in the squares and sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Pop those bad boys in the oven for 8-10 minutes (I checked for doneness using my fingers- but they can be hot!)  Voila! A perfect no sugar added, whole wheat snack for you!

I hope you find success with these! Let me know how your variations turn out! I hope to snack on these tonight while doing homework! I'll let you know how my next few days go. Fingers crossed for no more headaches!  

xoxo, Lauren