Peppermint Sleigh Balls
Ahhhh… Christmas. A time for family gatherings, playing in the snow…..and holiday treats.
If you are like me and trying to live the low sugar lifestyle, Christmas can be a really difficult time! It’s so easy to start thinking “what’s the harm in having just ONE?”
The problem with having one of those super sweet, refined sugar laden treats is that they actually make you crave another…and another….and another….pretty soon you’ve had a whole plate, are laid up on the couch for an afternoon nap, and may find you have a few extra pounds or inches around your waistline come holiday’s end.
This sugar crash that makes you feel napping the day away is due to the fact that your insulin levels have had to spike as well in order to address the amount of glucose in your blood. This rapid spike in insulin brings your blood sugar down, yes, but it can happen quicker than you want it to….leaving you feeling sleepy and craving that afternoon pick me up.
The excess weight that you might generally carry around after the holidays can be sometimes attributed to blood sugar imbalance as well! Your body is only able to store so much glucose in your muscle cells and liver. Once these two areas are full to the brim, your body is told to store any excess glucose still lingering in your blood in your fat cells, especially surrounding your abdomen. These cells do not have a “limit” and can grow as large as they need, in order to fit it all in.
Now…just because you want to adopt a blood sugar supporting lifestyle, doesn’t mean that you don’t ever get to enjoy something sweet. There are things that can help your body to release glucose into your blood stream slower, which will help your body to maintain a more steady blood sugar level throughout the day. These blood sugar superheroes are: protein, fat and fiber, and all three of these are present in these delicious Christmas treats!
It is important to note that any sweet food, natural or not, will cause blood glucose to rise, especially if you consume a lot of it. Therefore there can indeed be too much of a good thing around the holidays. These treats are wonderful to enjoy at the end of your meal, instead of the refined sugar options, but do try to limit yourself to 1 or 2 in order to support healthy insulin levels.
Stay tuned, I have a couple more treats up my sleeve for you this holiday season! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so that you don’t miss out on the next one!
xo - Katie
PEPPERMINT SLEIGH BALLS
Ingredients
- 1 cup Blanched Almond Flour
- 1 cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut
- 1/4 cup Virgin Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract
- 8 Medjool Dates, Pitted
- Pinch Sea Salt
- 4 oz 70% Dark Chocolate
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Combine all ingredients up to the dark chocolate in food processor
- Process for about 2 minutes until the "dough" starts to come together
- Shape into roughly 24 dough balls. Set aside.
- Fill a small pot with about an inch or two of water. Place a glass bowl over top of the pot, ensuring the bowl is slightly bigger than the pot opening. On low heat, melt the chocolate, being careful not to burn it.
- Once completely melted, start to cover each ball in chocolate by placing them in the bowl and rolling them around using a spatula. Remove the ball and place back on the baking sheet.
- Top each ball with additional coconut while the chocolate is still soft, then place in the fridge to harden
- Place the chocolate balls in the fridge to harden. Once hardened, remove and drizzle with additional chocolate. Place back in the fridge to harden once more.
Notes
Keep balls in the fridge (or freezer) until ready to enjoy!
It is important to note that any sweet food, natural or not, will cause blood glucose to rise, especially if you consume a lot of it. Therefore there can indeed be too much of a good thing around the holidays. These treats are wonderful to enjoy at the end of your meal, instead of the refined sugar options, but do try to limit yourself to 1 or 2 in order to support healthy insulin levels.
Stay tuned, I have a couple more treats up my sleeve for you this holiday season! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so that you don’t miss out on the next one!
XO - Katie