Delicious and healthy recipe for Chocolate Fudge

Delicious and healthy recipe for reduced-sugar, nutrient-dense, "Super-Food" peanut-butter Chocolate Fudge

-Takes less than 5 minutes to make
Ideas for lower-calorie, reduced sugar desserts
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Today, I have one of my most famous delicous Lean-Body desserts or snacks that always helps to satisfy my sweet tooth while at the same time giving you TONS of quality nutrition.

It's my own special version of a healthy peanut-butter-fudge! We could even call it "superfood-fudge". Everybody RAVES about this recipe, and people that try it almost always can't believe that this could be healthy -- because it tastes so damn good!
In fact, there are NO refined sugars or artificial sweeteners in this fudge recipe, so it is MUCH lower in sugar than any fudge you would ever find at any store. Plus, I make this recipe jam-packed with nutrient-dense additions to satisfy your body's need for micronutrients, but also satisfy your sweet tooth!
If you don't like (or can't eat) nuts or peanut butter, you can simply leave out those ingredients and make a chocolate-only version. Pay attention, because there are specific ingredients that make this a LOT healthier for you than typical fudge.

I will say that this dessert / snack is not low-calorie per se, but it is loaded with quality healthy fats, protein, LOTS of antioxidants, and is relatively low in sugar and total carbohydrates (compared with typical fudge or other desserts), while also containing a decent dose of fiber.
Overall, it's a great snack or dessert that helps curb your appetite, fuel your muscles, loads you up on protective antioxidants, and quells that sweet tooth that often makes you overeat on refined sweets.

Geary's Lean-Body Chocolate Peanut Butter "SuperFood" Fudge Recipe:

• 3/4 cup organic coconut milk (NOT the watered down "light" version which just replaces some of the healthy coconut fat with water...use the real full-fat version)
• 1 bar (3-5 oz. bar works well) of bakers unsweetened chocolate - 100% cacao content (if you can't find 100% cacao bakers chocolate, look for at least 70-80% cocoa content on the label of any dark chocolate bar - to minimize sugar content)
• 4-5 tablespoons of peanut butter or your favorite nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, and/or macadamia butter, etc)
• 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries or goji berries (optional)
• 1/2 cup whole raw almonds or other nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup raw chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 scoop, about 25 gms of your favorite protein powder (I used my new favorite protein -
  the only raw GRASS-FED whey protein!)
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds, hemp seeds, and/or flax seeds (optional, but adds crazy amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants...plus a nutty taste)
• 2 Tbsp rice bran (usually only available at health food stores)
• 2 Tbsp whole oats or oat bran
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A little natural stevia powder to sweeten (add a small amount to achieve the sweetness you prefer)
• add a small touch of real maple syrup if you want a more "blended" sweetness flavor (keep the amount small to keep sugar content low)

Note on coconut milk: don't be afraid of the fats in this... coconut fat is mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are more readily used for energy and also contain a special fat called Lauric Acid, which is extremely healthy and supports the immune system.
Start by adding the coconut milk (cans of organic coconut milk are available at most health food stores and possibly even your grocery store) and vanilla extract to a small saucepan on VERY low heat -- the lowest heat setting. Break up the extra dark chocolate bar into chunks and add into pot. Add the nut butters and the stevia, and continuously stir until it all melts together into a smooth mixture.
Then add the raisins, nuts, seeds, protein powder, oat bran, and rice bran and stir until fully blended. If the mixture becomes too thick or dry consistency, just add a small amount more coconut milk. If the mixtures seems too wet, keep in mind that it will solidify a good bit once it goes in the fridge.
Spoon/pour the fudge mixture onto some waxed paper in a dish and place in the fridge until it cools and solidifies together (3-4 hours). Cut into squares once firm and place in a closed container or cover with foil in fridge to prevent it from drying out.
Enjoy small squares of this delicious healthy "super-food" fudge for dessert and for small snacks throughout the day. This is about as good as it gets for a healthy yet delicious treat!
Even though this is a healthier dessert idea that's lower in sugar and higher in nutrition than most sweet treats, keep in mind that it is still calorie dense, so keep your portions reasonable. Give this recipe a try and I guarantee that you'll LOVE it... Everybody I know raves to me about this healthy, but delicious fudge recipe!
BTW, feel free to email the link for this page with the special healthy fudge recipe to any friends and family that you think might enjoy it or share this with your facebook friends!

FYI - you can also get healthy organic snack bars for quick bites on the road or at the office (and they have chocolate peanut butter flavor too!) at my good friends site at Prograde:
Healthy organic snack bars (peanut butter, almond butter, or spirulina)
Enjoy!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

You might also like this related Article:

Healthy Raw Snacks and Treats

Why excess abdominal fat is more DEADLY than you think

Below is another article contributed by Mike Geary, the founder of TruthAboutAbs.com. I thought this was an important topic to share with you because the reality is that most people simply don't realize how dangerous their excess abdominal fat really is to their health.

The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat - It's More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for "miracle" fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.

The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I've actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I've spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.

The entire solution... all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.
Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork... it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It's really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS.

Don't waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.

Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this problem at...

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/

Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

Overeating Nutritious Food

Overeating Nutritious Food

Can you actually GAIN body fat by eating as much nutritious food as you want?

Mike Geary, author of best selling book “Truth About Abs” experiments with intense overeating on himself

“I wanted to see if I could actually GAIN unwanted body fat by eating as much food as I wanted for 6 weeks straight. My theory was that if you eat the right types of food and don’t stray from those foods, the body will automatically rebalance itself, even though you’re attempting to overeat.

I couldn’t just eat any and all types of foods… I would overeat on as much food as I wanted, but ONLY the foods that are “approved” according to my rules (the same rules Isabel teaches in The Diet Solution Program).

You’re not going to believe what happened. The end result after 6 weeks of trying to stuff my face with as much healthy food as possible: My body weight stayed EXACTLY the same! I didn’t gain a single pound.

I know the first reaction of many people is that I just must have a “fast metabolism” or something along those lines and that’s why I didn’t gain weight – But that is false!

The truth is that I have no problem at all gaining weight when I overeat on junk food or processed food in general. I can guarantee you that if I was overeating on those foods during the 6 weeks, I would have gained a massive amount of weight.

In fact, in the past I’ve easily gained as much as 10 lbs in only 1 week when I’ve been on some sort of vacation and simply ate the normal types of processed foods that everyone else was eating.

This proves that I’m just as prone to gaining weight as anybody else. Eating nutrient dense foods forces the body to readjust, just like I theorized. Not only that, but this is the type of eating that pretty much totally eliminates cravings…

You just cannot get fat when you make the right food choices and you just can’t help but burn fat off your body when you make the same great food choices. As I’ve mentioned before, I think one of the programs that gives some of the best guidelines for eating healthy and truly enjoying your food for lifelong success is Isabel De Los Rios’ program.”

Mike has an extremely effective fitness program and also shares many of the same nutrition principles that I follow. His program is called The Truth About Abs and you can check it out here.