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Sweets

The following is an extract from an article by our founder – Neville Mandy. You will find the full manuscript for his best-selling Disease-Free book at www.keepwell.com. Highly recommended reading.

Sugar “is a prime ingredient in countless substances that we eat and drink, from cereal to soup, from cola to coffee. Consumed at the rate of one hundred pounds for every American every year, it’s addictive . . . and [is] responsible for modern plagues ranging from depression to coronary thrombosis.” (William Dufty, Sugar Blues, Back Cover)

According to Dr Boris Chaitow, founding/director of the famed High Rustenburg Hydro, `Sugar by its very nature and its function in the system, constitutes one of the most damaging of the so-called foods modern society imposes on itself. It is highly concentrated, taken out of its context, and above all inflicts on the poor pancreas a burden which is eventually responsible for two of society’s serious physical stresses, namely diabetes and hypoglycemia.’ (Dr. Boris Chaitow, My Healing Secrets, p.67)

With all that is known about sugar, and its deleterious effects on the human system, it is surprising that so many children are still given free reign when it comes to sweets and cold drinks – and it is just as surprising that sugar distributors are still allowed to advertise sugar as a wonderful source of energy or to tout it under the banner of “Natural Wholesome Goodness.”

. . . And then we wonder why our kids are restless and/or hyperactive, why they cannot concentrate in class, why they have a problem with tooth decay, why they have skin problems, why they become depressed – etcetera. Oh, it’s genetic, some would say, or hereditary, others would say, or it’s because they have a hormonal imbalance, yet others would say. We would suggest, however, that in the great majority of cases, sugar might well lie at the heart of the problem. By clicking on these links you can read how sugar affects the immune system and how it gives rise to diabetes and hypoglycemia. And these maladies constitute only the tip of the iceberg.

In our home, as in the homes of most health conscious people, we make no compromise with sugar – for we have learnt through bitter-sweet experience that, besides all else, sugar is a primary cause of colds and flu, that its frequent use helps us to feel far older than our years, and that it can give rise to depression, skin problems and tooth decay.

By way of example I will tell you about my own children. Our two sons were born some years before we became “sugar aware”, and they both had a problem in their earlier years with tooth decay. Our two daughters were born into a sugar-free family – and neither of them developed a single cavity for all of sixteen or more years.

Fructose has served us well as an alternate sweetener, though we must warn that fructose, though preferable, is also a processed product and that, as such, it should always be used in moderation.

Honey too is a favorite in our home, especially Nature’s Choice Organic Honey, yet even Scripture gives us some timely counsel as regards the use of honey. In one verse we read: “Eat honey, my son, for it is good.” In another verse we get the balance: “If you find honey, eat just enough – too much of it, and you will vomit.” (Proverbs 24:13; 25:16)

As far as possible, we should try and satisfy the sweet tooth using natural products such as dates and raisins and sultanas and other sweet fruits. By adding finely chopped dates, or sliced banana, or a handful of sultanas to your cereal, you might be able to add far less of the alternate sweetener – such as NC fructose, or NC honey, or NC sweet molasses, or NC barley malt syrup.

You can read more about alternatives to sugar at the end of the article on sugar at the Natural Health Foundation’s Website.

We strongly suggest that you consider the basic ideas that we have presented below and that you work towards becoming a sugar-free family. Remember, sugar is addictive in that it creates a disrelish for naturally sweet foods – it can even lead to sugar binges. Which means that this step will require some discipline in the beginning – but why wait until its too late.

Remember, the kids with the sweetest natures are those who eat but three meals a day and nothing – not even a crumb – in between meals. As such, we should serve bio-friendly sweets immediately after meals – and never in between meals, and always be moderate when it comes to anything sweet. Even so-called natural juices should be used in moderation – if they are used at all.

As for school lunches, and school tuck shops – and the horrendous array of non-foods that they usually sell, unless your child has a Herculean will, this is one situation where compromise might be the better option. Instead of giving your child nothing to eat during break – which will mean he is sure to be tempted by the tuck shop – fill his or her lunch box with healthy fruits and favorites – and especially those that are more easily digested.

Fruit Kisses

2 cups NC dried fruit
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup ground NC pecan nuts

Blend together with sufficient water to aid blender action. Spread out on plastic film. Refrigerate overnight. Slice in 6 mm slices with sharp knife. May be made into small balls and rolled in NC carob powder or coconut.

Coconut-Cashew Bars (N)

1 cup NC honey
1 cup ground NC cashew nuts
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp NC natural vanilla
1/2 cup NC soy flour
1/2 tsp NC sea salt
2 cups quick NC rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped NC pecans
1 cup shredded NC coconut

Combine all ingredients. Put through food mincer. Mix or blend together and press to make 1 cm thick layer in floured, non-stick pan or cookie sheet. Bake @ 200C degrees for 20 minutes. Cut in squares while still hot.

Carob Fudge

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup NC carob powder
1/2 cup NC peanut butter
1/2 cup NC honey
1/2 cup sesame paste
1/2 cup NC coconut
1 cup NC nuts

Boil the carob in water, stirring for 5 minutes until a smooth paste. Mix all ingredients and press into square pan. Refrigerate.

Note: 1 cup date butter may be substituted for 1/2 cup honey, and 1 cup NC raisins for 1 cup NC nuts.

(Yield: about 40 pieces)

Popcorn

Popcorn may be prepared in a hot air popper. These are inexpensive and very convenient. Once popped add NC Sea Salt and NC sesame oil (or butter if you must).

Have you ever peeped inside the frying pot of any popcorn vending apparatus? Have you noticed that you or your kids had a throaty cough the day after eating popcorn that was prepared in these vending machines? We would say that such popcorn is positively dangerous and probably highly carcinogenic. Stick to the home-made variety instead.

Chocolate Substitute (N)

3 Tbsp NC carob powder
2 Tbsp milk, dairy or NC soya milk

Mix together. This amount is equal to 1 square of chocolate. A more “chocolatey” flavour is achieved by adding 1 tsp coffee substitute, or by toasting the NC carob powder for a few minutes on a low heat in a frying-pan.

Fruit Nut Squares (F)

1/4 cup NC honey
1/2 cup NC dates
1/2 cup NC raisins
1/2 cup NC dried apricots
1 cup NC nuts
1/4 cup NC wheat-germ

Warm NC honey, but do not boil. Now put all the ingredients in the blender, and blend till smooth. Spread in a glass dish. Chill till firm. Cut in squares.

Carob Squares (F)

Combine the following in a saucepan. Warm up for ten minutes, but do not boil.

1/2 cup grated apples
2 Tbsp NC carob powder
1/4 tsp NC sea salt
1/2 cup NC honey
1/4 cup cream

Quickly stir the following into the above hot mixture:

1/2 cups NC rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped NC nuts
1/2 tsp NC vanilla
1/4 cup corn-flour

Keep warm for further ten minutes and then drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto non-stick baking-dish. Sprinkle with coconut and refrigerate.

Home-made Halvah (N)

2 cups NC sesame seeds
1 cup corn-flour
1/2 cup NC honey
corn-flour

Mill seeds till fine. Gently warm honey. Add honey to sesame seeds, and mix together with enough soy milk powder (or corn-flour) to make mixture stiff. Pack into pan, and press chopped nuts on top if desired. Harden in refrigerator. Slice and serve.

In place of sesame seeds, you may use milled NC sunflower seeds for an interesting change. NC Soy milk powder may be substituted for corn-flour.

Chewsies (F)

Put NC raisins through a food mincer. Form into 1.25 cm balls. Roll in desiccated NC coconut and serve. These are a treat and kids that are not sugar-freaks will love them. Try combinations of NC coconut, NC nuts and NC dried fruit as well.

Laxi-Bars or Transit Bars (N)

For those who have a problem with constipation, these should be found to be of great benefit.

1 cup ground NC linseed
1/4 cup whole NC linseed
1/2 cup NC digestive bran
1 1/4 cup ground NC sesame seed
3 Tbsp NC coconut
1/2 cup NC peanuts
25 ml NC soy milk powder
4 Tbsp NC fructose
1 cup NC molasses

Chop NC peanuts (lightly roasted) coarsely. Mix all of the above together. Press into a shallow pan and cut into squares, or press into a tablespoon and slide out. Refrigerate to harden.

Carob Sauce (N)

1 cup water
2 tsp NC vanilla
1 Tbsp NC sesame seed
2 Tbsp NC honey
1/8 tsp NC sea salt
1/4 tsp coffee substitute
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp NC carob powder

Grind NC sesame seed to a paste. Mix all ingredients together. Cook until mixture thickens.

Carob Spread (N)

4 Tbsp NC carob powder
1/2 cup NC peanut butter
1/2 cup sesame paste
1/4 cup NC honey

Mix all ingredients together and use as a spread on toast or waffles. May add 2 Tbsp NC Barley Malt Syrup for a malt flavour!

Carob Goodies

1/2 cup NC sesame seed
4 Tbsp NC sunflower seed
1/4 cup NC peanut butter
3 tsp NC fructose
2 Tbsp NC carob powder
4 Tbsp NC honey
little NC coconut
pinch of NC sea salt

Grind NC sesame seeds. Chop NC sunflower seeds. Mix all ingredients together and moisten with a little water. Form into balls.

Alternatives: NC Raisins may be added. Roasted, chopped NC peanuts may be used instead of home-made peanut butter.

Carob Milk Shake

Blend together:

1 Tbsp NC carob powder
1 Tbsp NC honey
1 banana
1 cup milk

Peanut-Sesame Sweets

1 cup ground NC sesame
1 tsp NC natural vanilla
1 cup NC peanuts
1/2 cup NC honey
1/4 cup NC raisins (opt.)
1 cup NC coconut

Grind 1/2 cup of the peanuts coarsely, and grind the other 1/2 cup to a paste. Blend all ingredients together and roll in remainder of coconut. Refrigerate to harden (do not freeze as the raw protein in the sesame seed will be destroyed).

Note: 1 tsp ground fennel may be substituted for 1 tsp NC natural vanilla, and instead of 1/2 cup NC honey, 1/4 cup NC fructose and 1/4 cup NC honey may be used.

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