I am the biggest sweet tooth ever, so much so id rather have 3 desserts than breakfast, lunch and dinner….not joking!

In order to be healthy and not deprive myself and end up crazy around food I had to search for healthy recipes that still satisfied my cravings when I had them.

My ongoing gut health issues have been on and off causing me issues my entire life and of course none of the doctors can track down the cause. Over the past 18 months I knew if I didnt take my health into my own hands I would end up getting really sick and possibly with an auto immune disease. My ongoing gut health was getting worse and worse I had tried everything, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and I was still having inflammatory issues that were causing me so much pain it even hurt to drink water some mornings.

If someone told me 18 months ago to quit sugar I probably would have laughed and asked them had they been smoking crack?

I started by switching refined sugar with natural alternatives like honey, dates, fruit and rice malt syrup. Now if your cutting sugar out for weightloss be really careful with the replacements they will absolutely be better for your health but they still have a high sugar content and should be used in moderation.

After replacing with healthy alternatives I then focused on cutting down on my intake (even of the healthy version and yes even fruit). 18 months later and I rarely eat refined sugar and if I do its usually at a social event or out as I still have zero willpower so when its put in front of me I struggle saying no 100% of the time. If your on a path to cut down the amount of sugars you have in your diet be gentle with yourself and know that its a process, you will lapse you will probably even have a day when you eat an entire block of chocolate… so what! Its better eating that once in 4 months than once a week. Trust yourself that you are doing the best you can in this moment and that every step is a small improvement.

This journey led me to find amazing recipes that were sugar free so I could still enjoy chocolatey treats. Deprivation is a sure way to insanity so make sure you arm yourself with healthy alternatives so that when the urge comes and you feel like you need something sweet or you may hurt someone you are prepared and can whip up an amazing guilt free treat in less than 20 minutes… and yes thats less time than it will take to get your clothes on drive down to the local grocery store and buy the artificial crap you will find there!

Remember raw and paleo recipes are still nutrient dense and often high in calories so if weightloss is your goal dont go crazy with these just because they are sugarfree. Often many of the recipes are high in nuts so enjoy in moderation. xx

RAW CHOC-MINT SLICE INGREDIENTS: BASE 1 1/2 cups of shredded coconut 4 dates

1 tsp of coconut oil

1 tbp of cacao

1 tsp of vanilla bean (optional) FILLING 1 1/2 cups of raw cashews (pre soak for 4-8hrs in water then drain) 1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 pinch of himalayan salt

4 drops of peppermint oil (I use doterra)

2 tbp of organic rice malt syrup TOPPING 2 tbp of rice malt syrup 3 tbp of cacao

4 tbp of coconut oil *Always use organic ingredients where possible, all of the ingredients above are available from your local health food store. Soaking the nuts is optional but activating your nuts will enable better digestion. Rice malt syrup can be substituted for raw honey if you would like it to be sweeter and are transitioning from refined sugar. Taste each layer before setting it and add more sweetener as desired. METHOD: I use a rectangle bread tin and line it with baking paper to start. Blend all base ingredients in a food processor (I use my thermomix on 8 for around 20-30 seconds or until blended). Consistency should be crumbly and stick together when you press between your fingers. Press base mixture into pan ensuring you have 1/2 centimetre thickness thats evenly covering the pan, i smooth surface with the back of a spoon or my hands. Place in freezer to set whilst making the filling. Blend all filling ingredients in food processor again until you get a smooth consistency, (ingredients will remain lumpy this is fine). Take base from freezer and layer over filling to create the second layer, this is usually 2-3 times the thickness of your base dependent on your preference. Smooth filling and pop back in the freezer. Combine all topping ingredients in food processor until it resembles a smooth chocolate consistency (try not to pre-melt the coconut oil as it will become too runny for you to spoon onto your slice and get an even layer). Once combined and your consistency is spreadable (can add small amounts of water to get consistency correct) pour over the top of your slice and either smooth with a spoon or shake pan to create an even top layer. Put back in the freezer and allow to set completely, usually 30 minutes is plenty of time. Remove cut into squares and you can keep in the fridge or freezer for at least a week although usually it will never last longer than a few days. Enjoy xx