the best blood sugar friendly and microbiome supportive salted caramel ‘magnums’

This is hands down the best recipe I’ve ever made.

Creamy, sweet, salty caramel ice cream enrobed in dark chocolate, with a chewy caramel centre. I think about these lollies for days after I’ve eaten one (I’m serious!) and I would take my version over the store bought Salted Caramel Magnum every time (again, I’m serious!).

One of the best things I did for my endo management was learn to balance my blood sugar and curb my intake of sugar in general. It was the pivotal change that kept my period pain consistently low and most of the time, non existent.

But of course, avoiding or minimising sugar in the summer can be really difficult, especially when we’re sweltering in the heat and everyone around us is tucking into ice creams. And I get it - ice cream is up there as one of my favourite foods. In fact, it’s one of the main things I started making when I got into recipes for endo all those years ago. So I am absolutely not going to deprive myself, but I do want to give us options for more endo friendly alternatives, should we want them.

So, be prepared to have your ice cream world rocked.

These Salted Caramel Magnums are…

• Blood sugar balancing to keep inflammation, pain and PMS at bay.

The majority of store bought ice creams, including Magnums, are very high in sugar and are typically classified as ultra processed. Both high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS and endo pain.

In contrast, this recipe is sweetened only with dates, and uses a high percentage dark chocolate for the coating, which is low in sugar (I like to use 90%, which is about 7g sugar per 100g). Dates have a low to moderate glycemic index, which means they shouldn’t cause a dramatic or quick rise in blood sugar, especially in contrast to a simple sugar that’s lacking in fibre, such as caramelised sugar syrup, glucose syrup or glucose-fructose syrup, which are all used to sweetened the Salted Caramel Magnums we can buy in store.

However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person, and if you eat a lot of even a low glycemic index food, it may have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels because you’re eating more in one sitting. You can learn about this here.

Therefore, I’ve kept the amounts of dates per lolly to low-moderate levels (one to two) and have added extra support of fat, fibre and protein, to further reduce the blood sugar impact. Which leads me to the benefits of the cashew butter and yoghurt…

Nuts have been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar, and whilst less attention has been focused on cashews in the research, they are rich in healthy fats, fibre and protein, which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose from our food (dates and chocolate, in this case) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.

In fact, one study found that consuming mixed nuts, including cashews, improved post-prandial glucose and insulin levels (this means how high glucose and insulin rose after a meal) and a meta-analysis found that 3 weeks of mixed nuts, again, including cashews, reduced fasting glucose levels and HbA1c levels (fasting glucose levels). Finally, cashews have also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which can help those of us struggling with insulin resistance.

I’ve also included yoghurt, not just for it’s creamy and probiotic benefits, but the additional fat and protein can help to make this recipe both blood sugar stabilising and satisfying, curbing those luteal phase cravings. Additionally, fermented dairy, like yoghurt, has been associated with lower rates of type 2 diabetes and insulin levels, as well as lower glucose and insulin levels.

Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.

To add to that, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely.

Additionally, these magnums can help us out with luteal phase cravings. When we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This lolly, being low in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain triggering spikes.

Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health!

If you can’t tolerate cashews or dairy, I have some other options for you below.

• Rich in polyphenols to help heal the endo belly.

Polyphenols are types of antioxidants found in certain plant foods that not only reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health, but they are also an absolute favourite food for our gut microbiome, which means that can support our good gut bugs to thrive. Polyphenols can be found in various plant foods, including cashews, cacao, vanilla and dates, all featured in this recipe.

Why does this matter? Research is finding a strong correlation between microbiome disturbances and endometriosis development, such as reduced levels and variety of good gut bugs and higher levels of pathogenic (bad, infectious), opportunistic (in high numbers, can cause problems like inflammation) gut bugs, as well as gut bugs linked to elevated oestrogen levels. These microbiome differences have also been associated with higher IL-8 levels, a type of inflammatory cytokine shown to be involved in the development of endometriosis.

Polyphenols are like gut bug boosters - the more we provide to our good gut bugs, the more they grow and outnumber the bad guys. This helps to bring the gut back into harmony, which can improve gut symptoms and intestinal inflammation and whilst we need to do more research, could even help us fight endo.

• Rich in probiotics from the yoghurt to feed the good microbiome.

As we’ve been exploring, people with endo have been shown to have microbiome dysbiosis, with lower levels of some beneficial bacteria and higher levels of pathogenic (bad) or opportunistic bacteria, which can not only fuel IBS symptoms like bloating (a.k.a. the endo belly), but also inflammation.

The yoghurt in this recipe (providing you buy one with live cultures) offers probiotic benefits, even when frozen. Probiotic foods provide us with more beneficial bacteria, to help top up and diversify our own. Given the strong connection between endo and the microbiome, it’s important for us to introduce new and varied bacteria through various probiotic sources, so that we can build up our healthier bacteria, but also outcompete the pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria (such as e.coli and klebsiella).

• High in hormone and endometriosis supportive nutrients

According the AI, each lolly offers around 50% of your magnesium and zinc RDA, 35% of your iron RDA, 25% of your vitamin B6 RDA and 15% of your calcium RDA.

Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half!  In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo. Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS.

Low levels of zinc have been linked to endo, and research has shown it can significantly reduce period pain thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It additionally supports follicle development and ovulation, while deficiency has been linked to infertility.

Iron deficiency is extremely common in general, but even more so in people with heavy menstrual bleeding. Iron plays a major role in preventing fatigue, and yet many of the clients who I work with, come to me with significantly low levels due to having SIBO, avoiding red meat, heavy periods or other reasons. Supporting healthy iron absorption and intake is a key part of beating endo fatigue and recovering from heavy blood loss, and low levels can cause brain fog, extreme tiredness, heart palpitations, dizziness, muscle weakness and depression to name a few.

Low levels of calcium have been repeatedly associated with increased PMS symptoms and research has shown that treatment with calcium supplements can reduce the syndrome and even period pain because low levels of calcium can cause more contractions. Calcium may also be a supportive option for PMDD.

B6 is one of the most important B vitamins for balanced hormones as it supports progesterone production and oestrogen metabolism. Additionally, research has shown that B6 treatment can help reduce PMS, especially the mood challenges that can come with the syndrome.

• A good protein booster thanks to the yoghurt and cashew butter.

Protein is an essential macro for helping to us balance blood sugar, as well as keeping us full and satisfied. Often when we reach for a Magnum, it’s not exactly something that fills us up and satisfies us for a few hours - in fact, the blood sugar rollercoaster it can put us on, can often drive us to crave more sugary delights.

Most Magnums contain 1-2g of protein in them, these lollies contain around 12-15g of protein, so can help us fill full, manage cravings and blood sugar, and can also help us to reach a healthy amount of protein for the day.

Protein, especially as age and for cyclical bodies, becomes even more important during menopausal years, when bone density can decline. Building muscle is one of the key ways to keep our bones healthy, but we need adequate protein to build muscle - and who wouldn’t want to get there with a little sweet treat?

Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)

Blood sugar and dates per lolly

The extra date in the middle is an additional option for those special occasions, but if you’re being careful with blood sugar at present, or your period is due and you’re trying to keep sugar to a lower amount to keep inflammation at bay, you may want to skip the extra date in the middle, as it tips this recipe into the higher end of a moderate glycemic load.

Again, this is not a high glycemic recipe, and it’s bulked out with fat, fibre and protein, so that extra date is unlikely to be an issue - but I always want what’s best for my readers, so if you’re prone to blood sugar swings or find you flare more around your period with a higher sugar intake, you can take that extra precaution here and skip the date in the middle. To be honest, the ice cream is so creamy, I prefer it without the date because I get to enjoy more of it without the date getting in the way!

Remember, dates aren’t ‘bad’ because they’re a fruit or have sugar - they’re loaded with hormone supportive minerals and nutrients, fibre and polyphenols, I am just being extra mindful here for those who are sensitive.

How to make these lollies low FODMAP

These lollies are not low FODMAP mainly due to the cashew butter, but also due to the chocolate and potentially, the type of yoghurt you use and the amount of dates you choose to use.

If you find this recipe bloats you, you can make some tweaks to reduce the level of FODMAPS.

Swap the cashew butter for a lower FODMAP option, such as almond or sunflower seed butter, which are low FODMAP at 20g per serve. It may change the flavour slightly, but will still be delicious.

Using just one date vs two per lolly will also keep you within low FODMAP ranges.

You can also get hold of mini magnum lolly moulds, and make half portion sizes, so you have 8 instead of 4, this will make the dark choc well within low FODMAP ranges (20g), as well as the almond or sunflower seed butter.

Finally, Greek yoghurt is only low FODMAP at serves of 23g, so you may do better with the smaller lolly moulds, or lactose free (170g is low FODMAP) or coconut yoghurt (149g).

Making these dairy free

Research shows that about half of people with endo may experience improvements in pain and symptoms with the removal of dairy.

If this is you, look for a good quality Greek yoghurt alternative that has live cultures in it and minimal ingredients, as many dairy free alternatives are ultra processed or do not have beneficial bacteria in them, which doesn’t benefit gut health!

Good brands in the UK are Nush and Coyo, you could also look for lactose free options, which may be better tolerated.

Keep in mind if you opt for a coconut based cream cheese, the protein levels will be lower. Additionally, the nut based yoghurts may be higher in FODMAPS (see above for low FODMAP versions).

Further resources

If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on gut health and blood sugar.  

To understand more about the low FODMAP diet, start here.

the best blood sugar friendly and microbiome supportive salted caramel ‘magnums’

Method:

• Blend the dates, cashew butter, yoghurt and vanilla (scrape out the seeds if using the pod) in a food processor until smooth. Add salt to taste and blend again to incorporate. Add more vanilla or salt as desired.

• Arrange your lolly moulds according to the instructions. If wanting to have the date centre, slice each date lengthways so there is a split down the middle, but the dates are not cut into halves. Remove the stones, and wrap one date around each lolly stick (so the stick is inside the date where the stone was) - towards the end of the stick/centre of the lolly, so that there is a caramel centre.

• Pour the ice cream into each mould, and freeze overnight.

• The next day, gently melt the chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler and cover a chopping board with baking paper. Use more chocolate (200g) for a thicker shell, just be aware the sugar and FODMAPS will be higher.

• Decant into a narrow drinking glass (but wide enough to dip the lolly in) and one by one, dip the lollies. You may need a spoon to fill in some gaps. Hold the lolly over the chocolate for a few seconds, to allow the excess to drip off.

• Alternatively, hold the lollies over the melted chocolate, in the bowl it was melted in, and with a spoon or silicone spatula, coat the lollies, whilst rotating them, to ensure even coverage.

• The chocolate should harden as it hits the lollies, once it’s fairly set (as in, no longer dripping), place each one down onto the chopping board, and return to the freezer for an hour or so to firm up.

• Enjoy!