Many of us can relate to the struggle of having a sweet tooth while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We’ve all been at that crossroads: Do I give in to that chocolate bar, or do I munch on those carrot sticks? It’s a balancing act between treating ourselves and staying disciplined, and today, we’re delving into finding that perfect balance.
In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bonnie, the founder of Blissfully Better chocolates. Her faith-led journey to create health-conscious chocolates was sparked by her daughter’s health challenges.
Determined to find a healthier alternative to artificial sweeteners, Bonnie’s journey to creating Blissfully Better is a testament to her resilience and dedication.
Tune in and get ready to be inspired, motivated, and maybe even crave some guilt-free chocolate!
Kelsey
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The information contained herein is for informational and educational purposes only, and should not, and in no way should, be perceived as or relied upon in any way as medical, mental health, health care or nutritional advice. Such information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment that can be provided by your own physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, therapist, counselor, mental health practitioner, licensed dietitian or nutritionist, or any other licensed or registered health care professional. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking professional advice because of information you have read in our materials.
About Blissfully Better:
Blissfully Better is a woman owned business founded by Bonnie Boroian after her daughter was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. After discovering coconut nectar in Bali, she knew it would be the way she could create premium-tasting chocolate confections with a nutrient-rich, and low-glycemic sweetener, combined with whole-food organic ingredients to deliver a rich, delicious, indulgence!
Website: https://www.blissfullybetter.com/
Shopify link click here. Use DISCOUNT CODE: CWPB20 for 20% off (expires 12/31/23)
Listen to the full episode here:
What we cover in this Episode
[00:02:27] Balancing Blood Sugar
[00:04:46] Low Glycemic Index Foods
[00:08:38] Bonnie’s Journey and Blissfully Better Chocolates
[00:12:24] The search for a healthier alternative
[00:13:36] Bonnie talks about starting with one product and now having eight varieties, with a focus on clean and wholesome ingredients.
[00:15:44] The benefits of low glycemic products
[00:24:27] The mission to go above and beyond
Read the full transcript here:
Kelsey Bryant 00:00
Health is deeper than just physical appearance. When you bring your entire cell, body, soul and spirit in alignment with God’s will. There’s nothing you can’t do. If you’re searching to create a manageable blueprint for long lasting health that is fun, inspirational and transformative, where you can combine the science of today with biblical truth to develop a plan that you can feel good about, look no further. Welcome to the Fit Christian Woman podcast. I’m your host, Kelsey Bryant. I’m a wife, mom, daughter of the King and clinical exercise physiologist. I’m also the owner of Tampa Florida’s most convenient mobile personal training services. Atmos Effect Fitness. Not only do we bring the fitness to you, but we create an atmosphere where you can feel confident, focused and able to crush your goals on your terms. In this podcast we’ll journey through fitness using my approach to health that combines First Corinthians 6:19 through 20 with modern science, because God made you one of a kind. So you would glorify Him by treating your body and your house like a temple. So if you’re ready to align your body, soul and spirit with God through a health and fitness routine that meets your lifestyle, then you’re in the right place. Welcome to your new favorite podcast sweet friend. Fill up your water jug put on your yoga pants, it’s time to get fit.
Kelsey Bryant 01:29
Hey Fit Christian fam. Thanks for tuning in. Today is going to be a fun interview with Bonnie from Blissfully Better, a chocolate company. And I’m always looking for products and solutions for my life and I want to be able to pass them on to you. Today, we’ll talk with Bonnie the creator of Blissfully Better, which is a guilt free dark chocolate that keeps your health in mind. There’s no refined sugar, it’s organic, and it’s naturally gluten free. She offers these thins and bonbons in many flavors that are all plant based. My favorite are the caramel thins. But you’ll hear Bonnie share how her daughter’s health concerns kind of helped her develop this product, Bonnie shares that her daughter was at an increased rate risk of developing diabetes. And Bonnie needed a low glycemic treat option.
Kelsey Bryant 02:27
And before we jump into the interview, I want to talk with you about this topic and shed a little light on balancing your blood sugar and helping you balance your energy throughout the day. Blood sugar does have a direct relationship to your energy throughout the day. So I want to give you some context on how it works and give you some practical ways of keeping your blood sugar balanced. This is just one more tool in your toolbox for health, or something else you might be interested in starting to kind of explore and think about as you’re just on your health journey.
Kelsey Bryant 03:03
So when you consume food, it’s absorbed into the body and it gives you energy and food is broken down and carbohydrates are turned into sugars, or glucose in the stomach and the intestines and are absorbed in that glucose is then released into the bloodstream. And then our blood sugar levels they rise. And the pancreas produces insulin, which is a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or to store it. And when this system is out of balance, diabetes can develop. And there’s more details. But we’re not going to go into all of that in this episode, I just want you to understand the idea that when you’re eating and carbohydrates will produce these spikes in your blood sugar. And I’m gonna give you some practical tips here in just a minute on how to keep your body and your blood sugar balance. So you just have a steady state of energy throughout the day.
Kelsey Bryant 04:05
So you feel your best when your blood sugar levels stay pretty stable throughout the day. And this avoids blood sugar spikes and crashes. And we’ve all had this happen to us. If you think about eating a bowl of ice cream, a candy bar or even like a pasta dinner something high in either sugar or carbohydrates. We usually feel that burst of energy, and that’s because our body is quickly absorbing these foods. Same with fast foods, things that are high in carbohydrates, but low in nutritional value. Our body absorbs very quickly to get that burst of energy, and then we feel the crash when our blood sugar drops.
Kelsey Bryant 04:46
And in healthy individuals, you’re fasting blood sugar is usually monitored once a year by your blood work and then it’s monitored more often if there are concerns by your doctor, but I want to give you some tips and foods suggestions for balancing your blood sugar. So you can have that stable energy throughout the day.
Kelsey Bryant 05:07
So blood sugar levels or food is measured on a glycemic index. And it rates carbohydrates on a scale from zero meaning low glycemic to 100. And it’s really based on how quickly or how much the foods raise your blood sugar levels after eating them. So food with a high glycemic index would be things like white bread or white rice that are rapidly digested and cause a large fluctuation in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats or berries, different fruits, such as berries have low glycemic index, and they’re digested more slowly, and they prompt a more gradual rise in blood sugar, and that an extreme spike.
Kelsey Bryant 05:57
So eating many high glycemic foods, which can cause those powerful spikes in blood sugar can lead to an increased risk for type two diabetes, heart disease and obesity. And foods with low glycemic index have been shown to help control type two diabetes and improve weight loss and also may offer anti inflammatory benefits. So I want to give you some practical ideas because I do recommend eating carbohydrates, we need carbohydrates for energy, carbs are not bad. But I want you to focus on carbohydrates that are grown, that are minimally processed, and ones that include fiber, because these are going to help stabilize your blood sugars. And if big changes in blood sugar affect you then start to review your foods that you commonly eat on the glycemic index and see if there are foods that either you need to consume less of, or skip altogether if you’re noticing these big swings, and you’re trying to balance your blood sugar.
Kelsey Bryant 07:01
Another tip that I give my clients is to not eat carbohydrates alone. So let’s take an apple for example. That would be considered a carbohydrate, it is a low glycemic carbohydrate. But I tried to recommend my clients to pair carbohydrates, either with a fat or a protein. So instead of just having an apple by itself, I would add peanut butter to the Apple they have both fat and a little bit of protein. And this will help as your body absorbs your meal absorbs the apple and peanut butter to help lessen the spikes in your blood sugar. So having a balanced snack with protein, fat and carbohydrates will lessen the spikes in your blood sugar. So I tried to recommend that to my clients as well not to eat carbohydrates by themselves.
Kelsey Bryant 07:56
So with that being said, you may desire treats, and Bonnie with Blissfully Better has created a dark chocolate tree that keeps your health in mind. And I’d love it for you to listen until the end. So you can hear about Bonnie’s story and her product. But also so you can hear how to order these delicious chocolates where you can find them. And she’s graciously provided a coupon code for you to receive 20% off your first order. So with that, I hope you enjoy this interview.
Kelsey Bryant 08:28
I am so excited to introduce my guest today. And I have Bonnie here. And she is a creator of a chocolate company, Blissfully Better chocolate. And I am honored to just spend some time talking to Bonnie hearing about her product, hearing about her mission and just bringing you another healthy option for you to use in your arsenal and in your pantry. And ladies, let me tell you that I’ve tried these products. They’re fantastic. So why don’t you enjoy the conversation. Welcome, Bonnie. I’m so glad that you’re here. Why don’t you jump right in and give the listeners a little idea about who you are and how you’ve just kind of started this company and taking it to where it is now.
Bonnie Boroian 09:16
Sure, I’d be happy to. Well, some of our stories start way back and for me before being a mother and focusing on my children. I was a professional dancer, did some Broadway shows and touring shows. And during that journey, you had to make sure you had plenty of energy to keep going and I unfortunately, had a sweet tooth which sometimes got the better of me and then I’d crash and burn kind of you know when I had reasons that I really needed a lot of energy and I kept searching for something at that time that was going to satisfy I have my sweet tooth that tasted delicious. And that wasn’t going to have that effect on me. And I really wasn’t successful in in finding something then. And then fast forward, I left that career behind, I became a mother, I have five children. So that was a whole career in itself for me. And I continued to dance and become a yoga teacher and my kids were very active. And I really wanted to feed us all nutritionally well. And so we accomplished a good diet, and I was happy with that progress. But then one of my daughters got diagnosed with pre diabetes. And I was just concerned that she wouldn’t go down that path and life, I didn’t want her to live a life having to deal with that. And I also didn’t want her to have to turn to artificial sweeteners, which I knew were really bad for your health. So I started searching for a sweetener that I could feel really good about that was on the low glycemic index. And in my search, I found a sweetener, coconut sugar, it comes from the flower in the coconut tree, it comes out as a nectar. And it’s naturally low glycemic, it’s high in antioxidants, 16 amino acids, and I just couldn’t believe that like this sounded too good to be true. But it did taste delicious. And it was a one to one ratio with regular sugar. So I started experimenting with that and making things for my daughter so that when she would go to birthday parties, and soccer matches where people were bringing doughnuts, and she would have an alternative. So anyway, it was a great alternative. And I decided that it needed to be out there in the world, in products, so that people could go to the store and find things on the shelf that were better for their health, that we’re not going to spike their blood sugar levels. And so I developed Blissfully Better and started with my first product, which was an almond toffee surrounded with 72% dark chocolate. And that was the beginning of my journey for my company,
Kelsey Bryant 12:24
I think that you’re speaking to a lot of my listeners, when you first mentioned about you know, having a sweet tooth wanting to have something that satisfies and then getting that little bit of energy from it, and then your blood sugar would crash. Those are all probably journeys that we’ve been on are continue to go on time and time again. So I think that that’s very relatable. And as a lot of my listeners, they are working on changing their lifestyle getting healthy. So having something that satisfies that sweet tooth because it’s not necessarily going away. And is not necessarily a bad thing. But we want something that we have a product that we can have that is on the healthier side. And I love that you went searching since you couldn’t find anything and you didn’t just turn to alternative sweeteners or processed sweeteners and that you went searching for something that’s grown something that’s organic, something that is not processed and just went from there and continued with those benefits. I think that that is really needed. And how long ago was it when you started this.
Bonnie Boroian 13:36
I started it seven years ago with just that one product, as I was saying and we now have eight in our line of varieties, so you know and continuing on. So it’s been a great journey. It was a fun journey as well. Because the sweetener is made in Bali, Indonesia. So I went there to just see how it was harvested make sure that it was as good as it sounded on paper. And it’s been a great journey all of our ingredients are as you say are get neck. There are whole foods with no soy, no fillers, very few ingredients. One of our products has three ingredients. The most ingredients in our products are six. So we keep it as clean as we possibly can affect we won a Clean Choice Award. We won good food awards, we’ve you know, very proud to say we’ve won a number of awards with our chocolates that say they taste great but also that are clean and wholesome for you.
Kelsey Bryant 14:46
Yes, I love that. I’m always looking for products with least ingredients, you know, some that can still be put together and plant. This is also plant based, which is beautiful, and it’s just like you said as clean as you can get, but while still enjoying and being flavorful. And the part that really stands out to to your story is that you went searching not only for yourself, but also for your daughter, who was starting to have health struggles in wanting to keep her as healthy as possible. I think a lot of my audience can relate as they’re not only on their own health journey, but they want it to extend to their family, and they want their family to be on board to support the changes that they’re making. So talk a little bit too about how the these products are low glycemic and really kind of what that means. And then I can help add in as well. so my listeners can understand that.
Bonnie Boroian 15:44
Absolutely. Well, they’re low glycemic, based on the sweetener, which has some nutrients in it so that it has some inulin fiber. So those nutrients and fiber below the process into the bloodstream, which makes a lot of sense, you know, you think about if you’re receiving nutrients while you’re eating food, it’s not fast food, quote, unquote, it’s going in slowly, your body has time to absorb it. But if there’s very little nutritional value, it moves into your body much faster and fast. In fact, part of why fast food is called fast food is because it’s low in antioxidants, fiber, many other nutrients. And so it’s not giving you much, though, of course, if you don’t eat other food with it, if you’re having a sugary drink while you’re eating blissfully better, or any other food that’s low on the glycemic index is going to be counterproductive to what you’re eating.
Kelsey Bryant 16:53
Recently, or in kind of like the health sector, I’ve been seeing a lot about balancing your blood sugar lately, and that it really is a portion or subject in a topic that we want to look at just to feel overall better throughout the entire day if we’re looking for a stable energy, but to increase our energy as well. And then to have it stabilize, balancing our blood sugars and making sure we’re not eating processed food or getting that quick fix of in the afternoon, when we’re feeling a little low, that we can grab something like this instead of the cookie from the break room and have more of a stabilized energy, plus getting better nutrients. I think that it’s really an important part of just an overall healthy lifestyle is understanding that the way food does affect our energy and affects our blood sugar. And just like you mentioned fast food is that, it’s that fast hit processed foods are the same way. They’re just lacking all that nutrients. And here you are developing a beautiful product that can still be fun and delicious and get some of those cravings less than the craving of our sweet tooth while providing us nutrients. So we’re not having that blood sugar spike, we get to enjoy ourselves. And finding some of these foods like yourself like Blissfully Better, are perfect alternatives to our diet to where it may be was when we were less healthy to where we want it to be. And we never have to feel like we’re missing out. We just are making better choices for ourselves and for our family. So I really appreciate that. And appreciate how you’re able to bring such a great product and explain it in such a way where hey, it’s not going to affect you drastically. It’s going to keep you balanced and add. You mentioned fiber and antioxidants and just nutrients to our bodies that we might be lacking.
Bonnie Boroian 18:50
Yes. And it’s also that late afternoon dip that most of us feel, chocolate, especially chocolate that’s high in antioxidants from being dark chocolate can help us have that little lift of a mood. And so it’s a great way to have a cup of tea and a little bit of chocolate that’s not going to make you crash. It’s actually lift your mood and stabilize, stabilize you in that way. Always bring my bonbons, which is one line of our product, a plant base line that’s little snackable poppable round nuggets that I bring them. If I’m going to the movies, I’ll bring a bunch to share with my friends because everybody has those places where they’re used to having a treat. And it’s nice to be able to have a treat that you can feel good about because there’s always those places where things are available to you and you want to grab them and they’re not really within the lifestyle plan you’re trying to have and part of the joy of creating this company is being able to say you can have your cake and eat it too. In moderation. You know, we’re not about eating a lot, because it’s a treat, but a treat you can feel good about.
Kelsey Bryant 20:18
I think so too, Bonnie, I loved how you how their portion controlled almost automatically. And like you said, even the bonbons, you know, you could pop one or two and feel completely satisfied. I know the pack isn’t many calories or overdone. But even just opening that up and having a few out of that I thought was very satisfying. And my favorites were the caramels as well. And then my husband liked is more of like the toffee, like you mentioned earlier. So your products really are a game changer, they’re easy to take with you, like you mentioned, they’re easy to share, too. Because I know that as my audience tries these, they’re going to want to share them as well with their families and friends that are around and that are curious and also kind of living this healthy lifestyle and making some of these changes. So tell us a little bit about where we can find your products and a little bit more about them.
Bonnie Boroian 21:15
Sure, well, you can find our products in a lot of specialty shops throughout the country, and also on our website, on Amazon, on QVC that you can buy them on our Instagram, Facebook, website. In fact, we have a special code today for your listeners so that they can get a 20% discount for our product to begin with. And yeah, that’s, yeah, that’s where we are.
Kelsey Bryant 21:47
Thank you. So ladies, you’re looking for Blissfully Better. Like she mentioned QVC, specialty shops, if you’re out, you know, supporting that locally, if you’re in some of those shops is so important, because then if you know you can get it there and you buy it from them, they’ll keep ordering it, which is great. So then it’s always stacked for you. But if you haven’t found it, please please please check out the show notes, you’ll be able to find a Bonnie and Blissfully Better Instagram, their website and their Facebook as well. We’ll keep that in the show notes. And then she did they were so gracious to provide us with a one time use of 20% off. So make sure if a few of your products sound interesting that you put them on your cart and order them up. And the code will be in the show notes as well. But I’ll share here verbally as well, it’s going to be c w p b 20, that CWPB20 And you can get 20% off at ordering from Blissfully Better. So I’ve enjoyed this, Bonnie, I think it’s just it’s so great to just support one women, my audience is women based. So I love being able to support other women that are just going out there and sharing how they’re changing the world sharing things that are beneficial to them and beneficial to others. And I feel like you’ve really captured that it’s been a lot of fun just listening to your story and getting to know your heart and your mission. And I just thank you so much. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Bonnie Boroian 23:22
Well, talking about mission, I will add something about Blissfully Better’s mission that you can learn about on our website and on the back of our packaging. And that’s that we’re a sponsor of a charity called Place of Hope, particularly shedding a light on our Human Trafficking Prevention and Education program. Because that is something that really needs to be brought out into the open in a way where people can understand what it is they will see how they can help stop the process of what what is happening and Place of Hope is been number one on Charity Navigator for many years. And it’s just a wonderful faith based charity that I spend a lot of time volunteering at and being a part of so it’s nice to be able to to use my chocolates as a platform to also educate people on things that are going around in our world that need some light shed on them.
Kelsey Bryant 24:27
I’m so glad you brought that up Bonnie because it’s just I think that a company with a mission and a heart to go above and beyond right and that’s exactly what I hear from you saying and helping those that are just stuck in a pattern of a struggle and hard and to come alongside and to partner with a charity like that is just it’s amazing. So ladies, if you haven’t already loved Bonnie and just the idea of her products, listen to how well she has just kind of taken this company and just continued to give back and give back and partnered with these charities to just go above and beyond. So by supporting Bonnie, you’re really supporting and reaching further than just the product. And I think that that’s so great. I appreciate you sharing that.
Bonnie Boroian 25:18
Thank you.
Kelsey Bryant 25:19
Well, thank you so much for being with us. I cannot wait to just continue to watch you grow and succeed and hear about how the new products are developing and being able to join in and try some of those and just support you as well. I appreciate you taking time to just come on and talk about Blissfully Better, their mission, your product, and how we as women can use your product to stay healthy.
Bonnie Boroian 25:46
Thank you, Kelsey, and thank you for what you’re doing to encourage women and be a supportive place and a learning vehicle for making everybody’s life possibilities better.
Kelsey Bryant 26:02
Thank you. That’s so kind. I appreciate it. Until next time.
Kelsey Bryant 26:06
Thank you so much for listening. I hope this episode has really blessed you and if it has, please tell a friend and leave a review. I appreciate it so much. Plus it helps to grow the reach of this podcast so more Christian women can find true health too.
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