Remember to continue the other items we started: (Day 1) LongLife Vitality Supplements, Zendocrine Capsules, (Day 2) a drop of lemon or grapefruit in a glass of water and Curbing Cravings Tea, (Day 3) evening detox bath, (Day 4) Morning Liver Flush drink, (Day 5) De-Stress time, (Day 6) Using Geranium and a nice Foot Soak, (Day 7) adding TerraZyme & Rosemary Essential Oil to help support our digestive system.

Today, let’s spend some time talking about healthy snacks to use between meals that aid our systems in the healing portion. We need to concentrate on whole foods and eliminating foods that cause our bodies issues.  So for snacks to help our bodies, we need to know what is good and what is bad.  Sugar is a substance that will wreak havoc on your digestive system. Sugar will feed the growth of yeast, candida and bad bacteria, which will further damage your gut. Bad bacteria actually creates toxins called exotoxins that damage healthy cells and can eat a hole into your intestinal wall. Most artificial sweeteners turn to alcohol when it gets into digestive systems which then breaks down into the same substances to feed those bad bacteria. Therefore, it you need to sweeten something use raw honey.

To help with ridding our system of sugars, I have included a few snacks that don’t use sugars.

DELECTABLE CHOCOLATE PROTEIN CAKE

Want to have your cake and eat it too? That day has arrived for you! Look no further than this clean recipe to get your chocolate fix in.  The best part, besides the yummy taste, is it still packs a protein punch! No reason to feel guilty about eating cake before bed. In fact, this recipe just might justify eating cake for breakfast!

This recipe serves 1. Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons chocolate OR vanilla protein powder
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce
• ½ tablespoon raw honey

Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
Drop mixture into a (1 cup) oven safe ramekin or coffee mug.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Snacks don’t get much more perfect than this so enjoy and be sure to share with your friends!

DRIED FRUIT CHEWS

Turn fresh peaches or nectarines into a great mess-free, on-the-go snack by drying slices in a low oven. These sweet, chewy treats are perfect for lunchboxes and homemade trail mix. Stash them in the car or your bag for anytime snacking.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 pound nectarines or peaches

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Combine 4 cups water and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Pit fruit and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (preferably with a mandoline for consistency). Place slices in lemon water and let soak 10 minutes.

Meanwhile arrange a cooling rack in each of 2 large, rimmed baking sheets and spray the racks lightly with nonstick cooking spray, or line the racks with cheesecloth (to prevent sticking).

Remove fruit slices from lemon water and arrange in a single layer on the prepared racks. Bake about 3 hours or until slices are almost completely dried. Let the fruit slices cool completely, uncovered overnight to finish drying. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

PB&J BITES

Quick to make and easy to carry, these convenient treats are great for an afternoon pick-me-up or grab-and-go breakfast. Experiment with your favorite nut butters, dried fruits and spices. We also like adding a tablespoon of sesame or poppy seeds to the mix.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1/2 cup no-salt-added unsweetened peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place oats, currants, peanut butter, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor and process until smooth and sticking together. Drizzle in 2 to 3 tablespoons hot water so that the mixture comes into a ball. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a heaping spoonful of the mixture. Roll into a ball, pressing firmly so that it sticks together. Chill bites until ready to serve. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 week.

Try these variations:

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed spread
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups dried juice-sweetened cherries
• 1/2 cup no-salt-added unsweetened almond butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed spread
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Perfect for snack time, home-roasted pumpkin seeds are simple, tasty and fun. We offer a few options for spicing up these crunchy goodies, or feel free to make your own spice combinations.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Cut off top 3 to 4 inches of pumpkin; scoop out seeds onto a clean work surface. Use the pumpkin meat for another recipe. Discard stringy fiber from seeds along with any seeds that are split or cracked, and then transfer to a strainer and rinse well. (You should have about 2 cups of seeds.)

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add seeds, lower heat and boil gently for 10 minutes. Drain well then transfer to a paper towel-lined tray and pat dry.

Transfer seeds to a medium bowl, toss with oil and spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast seeds, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until just crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour total. (They will become crispier as they cool.) Set aside to let cool completely then shell or eat whole.

For spicy pumpkin seeds, mix 1/2 teaspoon each garlic salt, cumin, coriander and cardamom with seeds and oil before roasting. For sweet pumpkin seeds, mix 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cloves and ginger and 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar with seeds and oil before roasting.

CHEWY COCONUT GRANOLA BARS

Perfect for breakfast on the go or a quick snack, these moist and chewy granola bars can be customized with any combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup dried fruit such as dried cranberries, raisins and/or chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup oat flour*
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with a long sheet of parchment paper, allowing for 2-inch overhang on each side.

Spread oats and coconut on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until just golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir together cooled toasted oats and coconut, dried fruit, walnuts and oat flour. In a small bowl, stir together applesauce, honey and vanilla until evenly blended. Stir applesauce mixture into oat mixture until combined. Spread mixture in the prepared baking pan, pressing down to compact.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store the bars in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

* Oat flour is available in the bulk department, or you can make a quick batch by whirring quick cooking oats in a blender or food processor until powdery.