The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (3 page)

SF (SUGAR FREE)

Why is there no icon within the recipes to indicate
(Sugar Free)?

Eliminating sugar and foods that are accepted by the body as sugar is a cornerstone of my Sexy Forever Weight Loss Plan. Why then, some have asked, have I not included a code to indicate recipes that don’t contain sugar? Since I don’t use sugar in
any
of my recipes, there is no reason to indicate the recipes that don’t include it! You can be certain that you will not find this ingredient anywhere in this book (unless you prefer to use it in place of the natural sweeteners I recommend). Just because I do not use sugar does not mean you have to give up sweet tastes. I use other sources for sweetening, and frankly, I don’t even notice the difference between refined sugar and the natural sweeteners I choose.

My sweeteners of choice include organic agave nectar and All Natural SomerSweet. There has been some controversy about agave nectar recently, with some believing it has similar qualities to high-fructose corn syrup. I believe this is both an overstatement and misleading. Agave still has a much lower glycemic index than sugar and is certainly a much better choice than high-fructose corn syrup. (Agave contains fructose, which is 20 on the glycemic index, as opposed to sugar [pure glucose] which is 100.) There has also been concern about the chemicals that may be used during the manufacturing process. I always choose organic agave nectar to be certain the product is free from such chemicals.

All Natural SomerSweet is made from inulin, a naturally occurring substance found in a large number of plants, such as dandelion, wild yam, Jerusalem artichoke, onion, agave, and chicory. The natural inulin used in All Natural SomerSweet comes from chicory, which is a prebiotic fiber (2 grams per serving). Fiber is something your body needs anyway! The product also includes erythritol, another natural substance found in pears, melons, grapes, mushrooms, wine, and cheese. While categorized as a sugar alcohol, erythritol has no gassy side effects. Additionally, there is a very small amount of fructose found in our inulin blend for a small pop of sweetness, but it’s such a low amount, our nutrition facts still boast 0 sugar grams per serving. Lastly, citrus peel extract adds a wonderful flavor to All Natural SomerSweet.

Best of all, it tastes, bakes, and acts like sugar, measuring spoon for spoon in coffee or tea and cup for cup in your favorite recipes. You will see it called for in many of these recipes, and feel free to try it in many more of your own. It is available in cans or portable packets at
suzannesomers.com
.

THE SEXY FOREVER WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

If you’ve read
Sexy Forever,
you’re already familiar with the precepts of the eating plan within its pages. If you haven’t yet read it, please do. There are so many hidden environmental factors that could be affecting your health and waistline, and the information there is both life-saving and weight-saving. Whichever the case, I thought a brief review/refresher wouldn’t hurt to have at hand while you are planning the meals you prepare from this book. And for those of you who are simply interested in fabulous recipes, dive right in and start cooking!

THE EATING PLAN

1.
Eliminate Insulin Triggers and Bad Fats.

2.
Commit to clean, real, organic food.

3.
Choose Protein/Healthy Fats and Vegetables at most meals.

4.
Eat the right Carbohydrates.

If you are on Detox:
3 servings per day (not combined with any fats).

If you are on Level 1:
4 servings per day (1 serving per day may be combined with a Protein/Healthy Fats and Vegetables meal).

If you are on Level 2:
Eat Carbohydrates at your discretion.

5.
Eat Fruits alone, on an empty stomach.

6.
Eat three meals a day, until satisfied and comfortably full. Add snacks as needed.

7.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.

8.
Wait 2 hours between meals if switching from a Carbohydrate to a Protein/Healthy Fats meal or vice versa.

THE FOOD GROUPS

PROTEINS

Eggs

Meat

Poultry

Seafood

HEALTHY FATS

Butter

Cheese

Cream

Mayonnaise

Olive oil

Sour cream

VEGETABLES

Asparagus

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumber

Eggplant

Green beans

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Spinach

Tomato

Zucchini

CARBOHYDRATES
(½CUP = 1 SERVING)

Beans

Brown rice

Nonfat milk products

100 percent whole-grain bread, cereal, or pasta

Wild rice

FRUITS

Apples

Apricots

Berries

Cherries

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Kiwis

Mangoes

Melons

Nectarines

Oranges

Papaya

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Plums

Tangerines

ELIMINATE INSULIN TRIGGERS

Alcohol

Caffeine: allow 1 cup coffee or tea a day maximum, without other food

High-insulin fruits/vegetables: bananas; beets; carrots; corn; popcorn; potatoes; pumpkins; acorn, butternut, and winter squash; sweet potatoes

Pasta made from semolina or white flour

Sugars: white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses

White flour

White rice

ELIMINATE BAD FATS

Corn oil

Cottonseed oil

Margarine

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils

Peanut oil

Safflower oil

Shortening

Soybean oil

Sunflower oil

Vegetable oils

For complete food lists and more information on my revolutionary weight loss program read
Sexy Forever
or visit
SexyForever.com
.

breakfasts

Every day begins with a choice.
I wake each morning in my warm, safe bed next to Alan, my husband and partner of forty-three years. This is the gift in my life. How could I not choose to wake up feeling grateful? Any stage of life has its share of problems and angst, but I believe it’s easier to choose happiness each day. Look for the good. One gift of aging is the calm that comes with it—it has given me a cool, collected approach to life. When I was younger, I often chose to be stressed and overwhelmed. With the passage of time comes wisdom and a piercing awareness of how truly blessed I am.

Of course, the fact that Alan brings me incredible coffee and a fresh-fruit smoothie in the morning certainly helps set the tone each day! After a workout, maybe yoga or some weight lifting, he makes us a full breakfast with some combination of protein, healthy fats, and/or whole-grain carbs. This is how my marriage works. He makes our morning meal, and I make dinner.

In this section, you’ll find amazing recipes—many of which you can also enjoy as a lovely light lunch or dinner, like
Zucchini Pancakes with Warm Tomato Coulis
.
Since those of us on Sexy Forever avoid processed flour, you’ll find inventive ways to make pancakes with steel-cut oats or even ricotta cheese! Plus, you have a variety of delicious egg dishes from which to choose. It starts with the selection of your egg—and all eggs are
not
created equal. Fresh, organic, cage-free eggs that slip right out of the shell are another gift, like the beautiful Araucana eggs from the chickens belonging to my friends Nick and Stephanie that were photographed for this book. Of all the organic protein I recommend, eggs are the least expensive of the bunch. If you can afford it, I highly recommend selecting the best-quality eggs you can find. (Of course, now I can only dream about these amazing egg dishes, because I have developed an allergy to these beauties!)