Strawberry cheesecake that's gluten and processed sugar free

This gorgeous cheesecake was made with only six ingredients, delicious and nutritious and took approximately five minutes to prepare, 8 mins to cook, 15 mins to cool.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

Base:

Handful of walnuts, pecans, cashews.

4 dates

1 tsp coconut oil

I tsp raw honey

Topping:

2 tbsp mascarpone cheese

4 strawberries

1 tsp ground, flaked almonds, or cacao nibs for top (Optional)

Method:

Blitz the walnuts, dates and coconut oil in your mini blender. Pack them into a small ramekin or chefs ring, spread the mascarpone on top, slice the strawberries and sprinkle on the almonds. Cook at 170 degrees for 8-10 mins until brown. Put in fridge for 15 mins to harden the base. Or freezer for 5 mins if you cant wait that long! Mmmm!

Nutritious and delicious...

Walnuts contain  a number of neuroprotective compounds including vitamin E, folate, melatonin and omega 3 fats (anti inflammatory), and consumption is good for brain health. They even look like a brain, how clever is nature! I always had these on my break at college to sustain my brain power.  These little darlings also contain amino acids which offer multiple vascular benefits, and of course they contain antioxidants which protect us from the free radicals that cause disease.

Dates are sweeter and pack a powerful nutritious punch compared to processed sugar in this recipe as they contain vitamin B6, niacin, calcium, iron, fibre, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. Always get organic if you can without any sulphites...We REALLY don't need sulphites!

Raw Honey Honey offers several potential health benefits thanks to the beneficial compounds it contains, such as antioxidants and propolis. It has immune protective qualities. Researchers have found that honey may increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone that reduces inflammation and improves blood sugar regulation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115915/

Coconut oil deserves a great big post of it's own but I will just summarise it here. Coconut oil is a great source of energy and contains antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. Some studies show that because of the MCT 's and the way the body metabolises them that they can have a therapeutic effect on some brain disorders, also there could be a reduction in the risk of certain other diseases. 

Mascarpone cheese...Okay so a little indulgence here with the saturated fat, but there is also some calcium, potassium, iron,  sodium, protein and vitamin A.

Strawberries contain a rich source of health promoting phytonutrients. They have fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, magnesium, folate, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc and are good for the immune system, and blood pressure.

Almonds contain the heart healthy monounsaturated fats, are a good source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12, copper, potassium and have powerful antioxidant flavonoids in their skin.