Survive the desserts (+recipes)

Avocado and chocolate mousse. Photo / Supplied

We are biologically hard-wired to seek out the instantly available energy from carbohydrates, which is why most of us find sweet food irresistible. Such foods were extremely rare and valuable for our pre-industrial ancestors, but in the modern world sugary foods and drinks are all too common.

Consumed regularly, sweet food causes mood swings and countless health issues, including fatigue, weight gain, lowered immunity, depression, anxiety, bowel problems and yeast overgrowth. Ultimately, the overconsumption of refined sugars contributes to degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

That's why we have repeatedly emphasised the importance of obtaining the bulk of your carbohydrate requirements from whole-food sources. We do recognise, however, that few of us can resist sweet food altogether and so here are recipes that will satisfy a sweet tooth without feeding unhealthy cravings.

Kicking a sweet addiction

Ingredients that make sweet treats healthier:

* Natural sweeteners: eg, dried fruit, honey, stevia and whole cane sugar
* Xylitol: a low-calorie sweetener refined from vegetables like maize
* Gluten-free flours and spelt flour
* Healthy fats and oils, including tahini, butter, coconut oil, rice bran oil
* Ground nuts and seeds.

Aside from our hard-wiring, emotional addiction to sweet food is also common. Most of us learn as children that sweet foods are treats, creating an association between sweet food and happy times. As a result, many people consume sweet nibbles and carbohydrates in an attempt to make themselves feel better. Eating healthy sweet alternatives to white sugary foods is an excellent step. But in excess even healthy treats will cause problems.

Tips for curing a sweetness habit:

* See a naturopath to find out if you have nutrient deficiencies.
* Eat good-quality protein with every meal and reduce your intake of processed grains and flours.
* Avoid rigid health-food regimes. An inflexible attitude can magnify cravings.
* Let change happen gradually.

A note of caution: People who suffer from low immunity, candida infections or a serious disease should eat sweet foods made from lower-carbohydrate recipes. Use ground nuts instead of flour, and low-glycaemic sweeteners such as xylitol and stevia.