Dr. Mercola’s Macadamia Nut Fudge Recipe

First and foremost, I would like to thank the loyal readers of Mercola.com for making the website what it is today — a trusted source of health news and information. Through the years, many readers have shared that their health has improved because of the information found on the site.

Many of you have also asked what I regularly eat  so I'd like to share with you one of my favorite healthy treats, my very own Macadamia Nut Fudge. It’s one of the recipes featured in my “A Day in the Life” video.

This snack is made of all-natural ingredients, and is loaded with healthy fats and nutrients that make it a great complement to the other foods I eat throughout the day.

If You Haven't Added Coconut Oil Into Your Diet, Now Is the Time

I've written extensively about the numerous health benefits of coconut oil, so it's no surprise that I use it a lot in my own cooking as well.

Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fats, specifically medium-chain fatty acids or triglycerides (MCTs), which are crucial for optimal health. Originally, saturated fats were vilified by the medical community because they were erroneously linked to heart disease, but recent studies have pointed out the flaws in the studies that led to this negative viewpoint.

Benefits of coconut oil include improved cardiovascular health and brain function. It's also great for weight management, as consuming high amounts may help you shed excess body fat. I recommend you to replace your regular cooking oil with coconut oil, so you and your entire family can regularly reap the benefits.

Macadamia Nuts: Another Great Source of Healthy Fats

Out of the different nuts I eat, raw macadamia nuts are a personal favorite. They taste great on their own, but I put them in recipes too. They're rich in healthy fats that provide similar health benefits to coconut oil, while simultaneously having low protein and carb content, making them a great, healthy snack for just about anyone.

Aside from healthy fats, macadamia nuts contain 58 percent of the daily recommended value of manganese, which may help treat the following conditions:¹

• Osteoporosis: when combined with other nutrients such as calcium, zinc and copper, manganese may help reduce the risk of spinal bone loss in post-menopausal women.
• Diabetes: evidence has shown that those who have higher levels of manganese in their blood had more protection from bad cholesterol than those with lower levels.
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): adding manganese to your diet may help manage the symptoms of PMS. In one study, women who regularly added 5.6 milligrams of manganese in their diet had fewer mood swings compared to women who added only 1 milligram of manganese.

When It Comes to Butter, Always Choose Raw, Organic and Grass-Fed

Butter, especially one that is raw, organic and made from grass-fed cows’ milk, is a good source of nutrients and healthy fats that provide the following benefits:²

• Immune system boost: the vitamin A found in butter, along with short and medium-chain fatty acids, helps strengthen your immune system.
• Protection against cancer: the various fats in butter are found to have strong anti-cancer properties, especially conjugated linoleic acid.
• Relief from arthritis symptoms: butter contains a unique Wulzen or “anti-stiffness” factor that helps protect against calcification of joints and hardening of the arteries.
• Improve digestive health: glycosphingolipids are a special type of butter fat that helps boost your defense against gastrointestinal infection. Raw butter contains good cholesterol that may help protect your intestinal wall and reduce your risk for colon cancer, too.
  
  Cocoa butter, which comes from the cocoa bean, contains its own powerful benefits, particularly for brain health. It contains a flavonoid called epicatechin that helps shield nerve cells from damage, thereby reducing your chances of stroke.

Sweeten Your Snack Naturally With Stevia

I’ve written a lot about the dangers of sugar to your health before. It can wreak havoc on your health, resulting in chronic inflammation, diabetes and obesity. If you value your health, cutting back on your consumption of sugar is one of the best things you can do.

According to Authority Nutrition, people who have type 2 diabetes experienced an 18 percent reduction in blood sugar by taking 1 gram of stevioside a day, a compound found in stevia leaves.³ Stevia is also rich in various antioxidants, such as flavonoids, triterpenes and tannins.

The flavonoid kaempferol in particular, has been found to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.⁴ Stevia has been found to have no effects to your blood glucose or insulin sensitivity as well, but I still encourage moderate consumption of this natural sweetener. I hope you’ll enjoy this snack as much as I do. Again, I would like to thank all the readers of Mercola.com. This website wouldn’t be where it is today without your constant support.