Gluten free cheesecake yuminess

I adapted this to be gluten free. I found it in the Sunday paper prior to the holidays and decided I HAD to make it. While grocery shopping for Christmas dinner this was the main priority. So much so, that I forgot half of what I needed, but by gosh we were gonna have some cheesecake! Good thing the husband is not afraid of running to the store to fetch the forgotten items. We managed to have a balanced dinner afterall, despite my temporary cheesecake obsession. In my defense, I have not had cheesecake in over a year. It has been just a little over a year living the gluten free lifestyle. So hopefully you can understand my over excitement here! Hope it brings as much eating pleasure to others.

The original recipe called for Oreo cookies for the crust. I used Kinnikinnick - KinniToos Choc. Cream Sandwich Cookies. One little substitution and there's my adaptation :o) Check 'em out here or if you are one of the lucky ones who can partake in the gluten of the world just use Oreos...much easier to come by.

Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients
20 Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed (about 2 cups)
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
4 pkg (8 oz ea) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Sour cream
4 eggs
6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled

Preheat oven to 325. Line 13x9 inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup of the batter; set aside. Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter in large bowl; pour over crust. Top with spoonfuls of remaining 1 cup plain batter; cut through batters with knife several times for swirled effect.

Bake 40 min or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Use foil handles to left cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Store in refrigerator.

Health

I think my idea of health is very different from most people I know. I have a very high standard for my health. I think I should feel good all the time without any help from a pain reliever, antihistamine, decongestant, antidepressant or any drug for that matter. Most of the people I am around are happy to make it through a day. Usually making it through the day also involves at least one or two of the above mentioned pills. This high standard for my own health has led me down a path of much resistance. I have also come to learn that our health care industry is not really interested in us being well. If we were well that would negatively affect their pocketbooks. The pharmaceutical industries pocketbooks would be similarly affected.

After the birth of my second son I found myself with a low functioning thyroid. I went to several doctors. Each one tried to prescribe me some type of antidepressant. I just had a baby so I had to be suffering from postpartum depression. No I was depressed because I gained 20 lbs in a very short period of time, my damn hair was falling out and I had the energy level of a sloth. Hello?? I don't need antidepressants. I did finally find a doctor who recognized that my thyroid was not functioning normally. My numbers were not dramatically low, but they were low for me. I believe there is a time and a place for medicine. For me, now was the time and the place. I began taking Armour thyroid which was supposed to be the most natural way to go pharmaceutically. My thyroid remained balanced according to my doctor with this medication for 7 years. But, I still never felt really well. I went to my doctor many times and I was the healthiest sick feeling person ever. She never found anything from a medical test that would point to my ill feelings: extreme fatigue, numbness in my hands, stiff neck, ringing in my ears, inability to lose weight (the same 20lbs I gained after the birth of my second son). After much experimenting and researching I learned of gluten and it's impact on most peoples health. I learned that mercury in amalgam (silver) fillings negatively affect your health. I also found a doctor that looked at thyroid testing differently. He looked at my numbers and decided that I needed T4 supplementation. The Armour thyroid I had been taking only provided T3. I have eaten a gluten free diet for over a year now. I've been taking the additional T4 supplementation for 3 months. I also had my amalgam (silver) fillings removed. I went through 2 IV chelation treatments to remove heavy metals from my body. I now have energy, my hands no longer go numb, I still have some ringing in my ears, but it has gotten much better and I'm losing weight. Why did it take me so long to put all these pieces of the puzzle together?

There is a lot of talk of health care reform. I believe our health care should be reformed to really focus on health and preventative care. Patients need guidance to maintain health. If they do become ill they need guidance in getting their bodies back in balance. They don't always need a prescription to throw their bodies further out of balance. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I would love to figure out how to make a difference in this area. I struggled for so long to just feel well. I wish all doctors would think of all possibilities. Doctor's should teach the importance of nutrition. Most medical doctors are so reluctant to think of alternative treatments. In my case, these 'alternative' treatments are what made the big difference. But, it's a 2 way street. A patient has to truly want to be healthy. They can't just be in the market for another quick fix. It has taken discipline and determination on my part to reach this level of health. I continue to pursue 100% health.