Sweeter Than Sugar
Our bodies are our gardens – our wills are our gardeners. – William Shakespeare Thrive! Presents practices that can improve life. This post explores sugar and sweet alternatives. Six thousand years ago, the sugar cane plant’s juices were first extracted in India and Southeast Asia. Four thousand years later, sugar granules were produced. In time, they were refined into crystals. Cane growth and sugar manufacture then spread throughout the early Islamic world. Later, to the West Indies and tropical Americas, along with enslaved Africans. Until the 1500s, sugar was rare and expensive. When technology allowed cheaper production, more people could buy those sweets. In 2014, JAMA Internal Medicine reported adult men eat an average, added 24 teaspoons of sugar daily. Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health continued, “Excess sugar’s impact on obesity and diabetes is well documented, but one area that may surprise many men is how their taste for sugar can [cause] a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Of non-sugar sweeteners, one concern is their potential negative impact on the gut microbiome. This is a distinct ecosystem inside intestines. Its trillions of microscopic organisms include over a thousand species of bacteria, as well as viruses, fungi and parasites that help the body. Read more. According to Dr. Axe’s “12 Best Sugar Substitutes,” side effects from artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, ace-K and saccharin have been linked to,” headaches and poor digestion to cravings and even mood disorders.” Are there healthy sugar substitutes? Dr. Axe reports, “Some experts like fruit the best because there are no empty calories involved and the sugars are naturally occurring.” Here are some popular, natural sweeteners listed by Dr. that Axe, Stevia (0 calories) Dates (1 Medjool date = 66 calories) Coconut sugar (1 tablespoon = 45 calories) Banana puree (1 cup = 200 calories) Monk fruit (0 calories) Manufacturers are now developing new ingredients that can sweeten foods and beverages without adding calories or chemicals. Sweet proteins are naturally-occurring compounds in some tropical plants and berries native to West Africa and Southeast Asia. Unlike conventional sweeteners [which are typically sugars or artificial compounds], sweet proteins are amino acids. Their names include thaumatin, brazzein, monellin, curculin, and miraculin. They are 400 to 3,000 times sweetener than sucrose [table sugar]. The better-known stevia and monkfruit are 200-300 times as sweet as sucrose. Because sweet proteins are metabolized differently from sugars, they do not raise blood sugar levels. Plus, their intense sweetness means eating fewer calories. To be used in US food products, any new ingredient must receive GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the FDA. While thaumatin has been approved, ongoing studies are testing safety and usefulness of more sweet proteins. Recipes Sugar Free Recipes 340+ trusted sugar-free recipes from appetizers to main dishes to desserts [includes cookies, cakes, cobblers]. 30 Days of Sugar-Free Recipes From enchiladas to salad dressings and more. Resources: 12 Best Sugar Substitutes Are Sweet Proteins the New Stevia? History of Sugar Sweet Danger of Sugar See These Videos Sugar Alternatives, 04:37 [Yes, sugar can cause health problems. But there’s another, hidden dietary culprit.] If You Quit Sugar for 30 Days, 6 Healthy Alternatives, 03:52 The HEALTHIEST Sugar-Free Sweeteners at the Grocery Store, 13:29, COMMENT Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. Radiant Tree Books Beyond the Sky’s Limits shares encouraging wisdom and uplifting images about going beyond boundaries and making dreams come true. Space is open for notes, sketches and journaling. Contact to arrange in-person and online Illustrated Wisdom and Writing workshops. 36-Page, 5×8 soft cover, $15 Preview or Purchase 48-Page, 8×10 soft cover, $20 Preview or Purchase, View All Books Thanks for shopping!
Spring Tune Up
Consider Your body has natural healing capacities that nobody in the field of medicine can pretend ultimately to understand. – Wayne Dyer First, definitely print this colorful, one-page “8 Easy Tips for a Healthy Spring” Part of preparing for spring can include a detox. Why? Relive Everyday says that this season of new growth can be a great time, “to reset your own microbiome,” the world of microbes in the body that fight germs, digest food, produce vitamins and more. This tune up can also, Fix urinary problems caused by eating things that strain the kidneys [especially meals with salty and processed foods] Improve focus and clear mind fog Energize the disease-fighting lympathic system Open sinuses clogged by spring-time allergies Read more [including Do’s and Don’ts] What should part of the body’s Spring Tune Up? Redbook recommends these super foods: Arugula because this peppery salad green is, “high in phytonutrients that may reduce cancer risk and lower inflammation in the body.” Artichokes because they have lots, of nutrition, including 7 grams of gut-healthy fiber, potassium, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and cell-protective phytochemicals.” Rhubarb is a good source of potassium and manganese. Rhubarb also contains vitamin K and calcium, which together are necessary for healthy bones.” [Eat the stalks; not the leaves because they contain oxalic acid which can cause breathing difficulty, kidney stones, even coma and more.] Pineapple because it lowers cholesterol, reduces free radicals and is anti-inflammatory. Pineapple can also ease sore throat, gout, and bronchitis symptoms. Here are eleven more of Redbook’s spring superfoods. Here are 16 Foods that Taste Better in Spring, including fresh berries, new potatoes, asparagus and mint. Yum! And here are some great, springtime recipes from Eating Well, like, 22 Spinach & Mushroom Recipes Perfect for Spring 16 Spring Sandwich Recipes 16 Sheet Pan Recipes for April Enjoy. Foods for Healthy Spring Refresh Click Here to View Length: 3 Minutes, 29 Seconds COMMENT Shop Beautiful, Inspiring, Succeed & Soar Posters Sizes from 8”x6.5” to the popular 30” x 23.5” Four Shape Options: Natural, Vertical, Horizontal and Square Printed on acid-free paper with archival inks Includes 1” white border to allow for future framing and mounting View All Posters Thanks for shopping!