Almond Fudge-The Perfect Christmas Snack

 The Christmas Season is officially upon us.  With this special time spent with family comes the American tradition of overeating and overindulgence.  Here is a recipe for a healthy alternative to Christmas cookies and snacks.  Enjoy, and Merry Christmas from Valley Chiropractic Associates.

Almond Fudge
2 cups almond butter
¼ cup raw cocoa powder, sifted to remove any lumps
½ cup + 2 tablespoons raw liquid honey
1 heaping Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coarse sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Spoon mixture
into a pan and flatten with the back of a spoon. Place in the freezer for an hour or
so, then take it out to cut into bite-size squares or rectangles. Transfer the pieces
onto a plate. Keep these covered and stored in the freezer.
***Must be kept in freezer, otherwise will become soft and mushy, to the consistency
they were at before freezing. So if you take them out to eat, eat them quickly! Also
keep this in mind when cutting the fudge; work quickly.

What's the story with vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is synthesized by skin cells in the human body in response to sunlight exposure.  It has received a significant amount of attention recently regarding the health benefits it provides.  It is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which are important in maintaining the integrity of our neuromuscular and skeletal systems.   It aids our immune system.  It regulates over 1,000 genes in our body.  It may even play a role in preventing asthma, multiple sclerosis and cancer. 

Optimizing your vitamin D levels may be one of the most important steps you can take in support of your long-term health.  The ideal way to do this is by exposing large amounts of your skin to sunlight during peak hours (10am to 3pm), specifically your face, arms, hands and back.  Fifteen to twenty minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week without sunscreen is required for your body to synthesize adequate amounts of vitamin D.  However, because our location of residence is far from the equator, our sunlight exposure is less during the late fall, winter and early spring months.  Therefore, supplementing with vitamin D during these months is recommended.  Animal-based food sources, such as fish, cod-liver oil, lard, egg yolks and butter also contain vitamin D.  As a generic guideline, adults need to take about 2,000 IU's per day when sunlight exposure is minimal, however more may be clinically warranted, depending on an individual's current health status and vitamin D level.