Low-Carb Cheesecake from Modern Paleo

I love cheesecake. As a kid it my favorite dessert. Nothing was better to finish a meal than a deliciously creamy slice of Cheesecake. I was also spoiled rotten by my Grandpa who had an award winning recipe in West Virginia. Although, I never understood why he loved to cook it and never wanted to eat it.

Since adopting a Paleo Diet, I've avoided dairy, but every now and again I'll have some cheese with a meal and I won't feel bad about it. I saw this recipe on Modern Paleo and I knew I had to try it.

There is much debate as to whether dairy is paleo or not. But when it comes to dessert, let's face it, sometimes you just want something tasty (it is still grain and legume free though).

The Recipe - Click Here

The Good

• Quick - took me 15 minutes to prepare 
• Uses basic ingredients - nothing I had to run to the store for
• Aroma coming from the oven was intoxicating, reminded me of my childhood
• Low sugar - I used 1/4C Honey (64g of sugar for the whole pie)
• The crust is tasty! reminds me of this pumpkin pie crust
• High protein - pretty good for a dessert 

The Bad

• Took me an hour to cook at 375 (this is probably similar for most cheesecakes though)
• You can tell it's low sugar
• A little bland - could have used some spices (cinnamon ect)

Overall - 3/5 Stars
This is a solid cheesecake recipe. For those looking for a low-carb option, this is one I can recommend. It's not going to blow you away, but you won't be disappointed either. It has a solid texture and light crust. The cream cheese filling is the most dominant flavor here. But it finishes strong with the nuts from the crust (I used hazelnut). You might want to try putting in a tad more sugar than I did, and possible experimenting with some cinnamon to bring out the nuttiness of the crust.

Also, the smell of this cake was so alluring I coudn't wait for it to cool down. About 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven I was already digging in. To be fair, I did have some more today after letting the cake cool down overnight. Don't be surprised if you end up eating more than you intend to (this cake is very light).

Why Kashi isn't as "Heart-Healthy" as you Think

1-2 cups Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal
1-2 cups of Milk (usually 1%)
Handful of Walnuts
Mix and Enjoy

This is what my breakfast looked like nine times out of ten for the past decade or more. I grew up eating a lot of cereal as a kid, and I continued into adult hood. I remember having so many boxes of cereal that my brother and I would build cereal fortresses (even though we were sitting besides each other). Then we would spend the next half an hour or more reading the boxes, doing crossword puzzles and finishing mazes. We turned it cereal into an event!

For me, cereal at breakfast was as traditional as a lasagna on Thanksgiving (c'mon - were Italian). I didn't just eat it for breakfast though, because it was equally as good as a snack, post work out meal, or even dinner if I didn't feel like cooking. It's so easy to prepare, and you can feel good about eating it because it's healthy, right?

That's what I thought, until I read Robb Wolf's book "The Paleo Solution." His book is based on what our hunter/gatherer ancestors used to eat BEFORE the advent of agriculture. Numerous studies show the effect of grains, dairy, and legumes as being gut irritants, and that once these foods were adapted into our diet they had a profound effect on the health of our ancestors. I'd like to point you to a great article written by Robb who explains the idea much better than I can.

NorCal Nutrition: Are We Crazy?

All this to say that I haven't had a bowl of cereal for a month and a half (as long as I've been on the paleo diet). I don't really crave it anymore, but sometimes I do wish breakfast was easy again. No more cereal, and no more shakes. Cooking isn't hard; it's just time consuming. But, the positives definitely out way the negatives, and I know that I am putting excellent fuel into my body, so I can look, feel and perform at my best.

Also, here is a great review of Robb's book at the blog Modern Paleo.