Everyone that knows me, knows I love my treats. Ever since I can remember, I have loved to bake. I remember being 12, and would make cookies for our family every Sunday. The problem is I will make cookies and eat the whole dozen:) Well since going to the dentist in October and not hearing great news, I decided it may be time to start eating healthier and less sugar and desserts. I honestly had a headache for the first few weeks every single day. Which meant I must of eaten way too much sugar, but I am still going strong. (Only cheated a few times:) Now with the holidays here, this makes it a lot harder to not eat treats. But let me tell you there are options, and great ones! I found this amazing blog www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com that has amazing healthier dessert options.This has been my go to blog if I ever get a treat craving. Today I am going to share a favorite from her blog, Chocolate pie! This pie is so yummy! My sister in law even brought it to Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. This would be perfect if you want to have a healthier pie for Christmas dinner. I love that I can make delicious healthy recipes without being packed with so much added sugar. I have noticed a HUGE difference since eating less sugar. Now don’t get me wrong I will still have some cheats now and then, life is too short to not eat a sugary treat every once in awhile, moderation is key right?!
According to an article I came across on Newsmax.com Here are just a few benefits of eating less sugar: Via www.newsmax.com
1. ” Increase in energy levels and productivity: Avoiding intake of carbohydrates increases energy, allowing you to do more productive things. Although sugar is highly essential for the body, processed sugar is harmful to the body’s digestive system because it forces the body to spend most of its energy digesting it. The energy gained by eating sugar is short lived. Eating large amounts of sugar can cause our body to become used to it, which increases our insulin levels. This can be quite dangerous, as the body gets used to excess sugar and is not able to survive on lower levels of sugar. Excess sugar consumption can also lead to conditions such as diabetes.
2. Weight loss: Reducing your sugar intake generally leads to weight loss due to the decrease in overall calorie consumption. Since sugar is mostly carbohydrates, the decrease in carbohydrates can ensure that you burn off excess calories. However, to effectively burn calories, you need to do physical exercise.
3. Lowers risk of heart disease: Replacing the sugar in your diet with other alternatives can actually reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 25%. It also lowers the triglyceride level by as much as 50% and increases the level of artery-clearing HDL cholesterol.
4.Better Dental Care: The first sign of excess sugar intake, especially among children, is deteriorating dental hygiene. Increased intake of sugar causes a lot of problems, especially related to the teeth and gums, and may lead to easy infection by tartar”.
Eating lesser sugar has benefited people in different ways and can be an important step towards leading a healthier life. I love that I have found healthier alternatives that are still just as delicious!
Enjoy!! http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/06/the-ultimate-chocolate-fudge-pie/ 
Hope On. Journey On.
Stephanie