Probiotics are your best friend; mini-yogurt "pb" cheesecakes

Mini-yogurt "pb" cheesecakes, lactose-free

These mini-"pb" cheesecakes may not look like something that's good for your gut but they are made from probiotic-rich (lactose-free) yogurt. If you have fibromyalgia, you need to make probiotics your best friend.

Why do you need probiotics? Sixty percent of fibromyalgia sufferers have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and 70 percent have symptoms of IBS. These IBS-symptoms are usually triggered by bowel infections, such as an overgrowth of candida or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Both of these conditons result in an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut.

Studies show that SIBO occurs in 90 to 100 percent of fibromyalgia patients. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia is the result of SIBO and that treating bacterial overgrowth can significantly reduce FM symptoms.

Replenishing good bacteria in the gut by eating cultured foods, such as yogurt, is one part of a treatment plan for candida or SIBO overgrowths.

Misha says, "More yogurt, please."

Even Misha, the husky, pictured above, knows probiotics are not only good for him but can help those with fibromyalgia too.

I make my own yogurt to make sure it's lactose-free.

It's fairly simple to do. Here are the instructions http://pecanbread.com/p/tanya/yogurthowto.html

Once you have a batch made, there are all kinds of things you can make including mini-yogurt "pb" cheesecakes.

Yes, they have a little chocolate but they still are a healthy probiotic-rich treat.

Here's what you need for 5-6 mini-"pb" cheesecakes:

Optional chocolate "crust" and topping:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
stevia powder, to taste

Filling:

1 cup farmer's cheese (probiotic-rich and lactose-free0
2 cups homemade lactose-free yogurt or other plain yogurt
1/4 cup sunbutter, peanut butter or other seed/nut butter of choice
2 T. of Great Lakes grassfed gelatin (for thicker yogurts such as Greek yogurt reduce amount to 1 T.)
stevia powder or liquid stevia, alcohol-free, to taste

Here's what you do:

For the filling, process the yogurt, cheese, stevia and seed/nut butter in a food processor. Set aside while you prepare the gelatin. Place the gelatin in a small heat-proof mug or cup. Add 1 T. of water and stir until gelatin softens.

Place the cup with gelatin in a skillet, filled with 1/2-inch of water. Heat the skillet with mug on the stove on medium heat. Stir the gelatin until it dissolves. Then, turn off the stove and remove the cup of gelatin from the skillet.

Add the gelatin solution to the filling mixture in the food processor. Blend until mixed.

Ramekins with chocolate crust, filled and unfilled

Add a chocolate crust if you like before pouring in the cheesecake mixture. For the crust, mix softened coconut oil with cocoa powder and stevia. Pour a small amount into each ramekin. Place the ramekins in the freezer to harden the "crust" before pouring in the filling.

Reserve extra chocolate mixture for topping.

Pour in the filling, chill and then decorate the top with more chocolate drizzle, if desired.

Post contributed to:  http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com//