Can You Find the Hidden Sugar?

Sugar, sugar everywhere, and there seems to be enough to share. But how many people actually understand sugar, and how many people know how much sugar they are really receiving in a day?

Last night I made homemade chili for my family (they seem to always request that every week) and my father and my sister ran out of sour cream. Now I usually use whole milk organic plain yogurt in place of sour cream, and this seemed to appeal to them when it never did before. Should they try it? My father looked at the nutrition information (which was a surprise) and exlaimed, "Wow, that sure has a lot of sugar in it." He then proceeded to smell it to make sure it wasn't a sweet tasting yogurt that would ruin his savory dish.

Now, this kind of upset me, because my family knows that I would NEVER buy something with added sugar in it, especially if it is organic, so I defended my yogurt with fervor. Yes, it does have 12 grams of sugar per cup, but this is naturally occurring in dairy products as the disaccharide lactose that is found in every dairy product.

I then told them that their sour cream had more sugar than my plain yogurt, and them, being not as adept to reading nutritional labels, told me it only had 2 grams. That's true; however, it was 2 grams per 2 tablespoons. That would make it have 4 grams more sugar than yogurt!

Now this story (real event) was told to demonstrate the delusion and confusion when it comes to nutritional labels--but mainly when it comes to sugar content. What should you be looking for when it comes to how much sugar you are ingesting in your favorite food?

I am mainly talking about processed food in this post, whether or not it is organic. Whole foods contain very little naturally occurring sugar, unless it is dairy or fruit. Even then, these sugars are metabolized in the body very differently from the foods you will find in the middle of your supermarket, laden with added sugars.

I will not go through the molecular structure of sugar in this post, as that deserves a whole other post on its own. However, I will let you know, before we delve deeper, that regular sugar is made up of two monosaccharides fructose and glucose, in equal amounts. This forms, like I just said, regular sugar, or sucrose.

If you are looking at the back of a nutrition label, and you see a word that ends with the suffix

-ose, you are guaranteed that you are consuming a product with added sugar. The main sugar that the food industry uses now days (if it isn't organic) is high fructose corn syrup. This damaging form of "sugar" is hard to consume in moderation if one is constantly consuming processed food.

Later on, I will post about the damaging effect of free fructose, as of that found in high fructose corn syrup, but for now we need to concern ourselves with identifying added sugars in our foods. Most foods that we consume on a day to day basis seem as though they wouldn't need sugar, but the industry places it in there anyway. Everything from breads (even whole wheat and grain), packaged pasta meals, frozen dinners, sausages and meats--these have all been found to have added sugar.

Walking through the grocery store is a bit fun for me, because I am an avid fan of reading nutrition labels. You wouldn't believe (or if you are reading this blog, you actually may believe) the products that contain added sugar. Every product that I mentioned in the above paragraph contained either corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup--products that naturally would have no sugar in them at all!

When buying processed food, even if it is organic, it is very valuable to your health, and to those you love, to read nutrition labels. You absolutely don't have to be insane about it, or to work yourself into a rut, just try and look for better options. Different brands of the same foods may have different sugar content, and may contain different forms of sugar. If you are going to buy something that does contain added sugar, it is best to find a brand that uses pure sugar, and not corn syrup, fructose or high fructose corn syrup.

Sometimes we need to buy these foods--for convenience, for taste or pleasure, whatever. Just always keep in mind that there are better options for the same food, and to also notice where the sugar content that is in the nutrition label is coming from. Is it coming from naturally occurring sources like those found in the whole fruit, vegetable or dairy? Or is it coming from the addition of sugar by the manufacturer?

Hopefully this post has given you some insight, advice and guidance on the sugar issue in your food. You can be sure that this won't be the last, as I have many more posts coming in the future, especially the growing concern over fructose.

Until then, this has been The Healthy Advocate.

Winter Recipe Roundup - Healthy, Gluten Free, Sugar Free and Sooo Good

Click on the picture above to see descriptions

On the last day of winter this year, I decided to squeeze in as much last minute holiday treats as I could. I love wintertime, and I wanted to get the most out of it this year, for some reason. However, when spring came, it was fantastic, because as you can see above in the middle picture (click to enlarge), the first full day of spring was filled with 3 inches of snow--in Texas!

I go to school in Houston but visit Dallas (my home) as often as I can. For spring break I went, and the last day I was there I was running and playing in the snow like a little kid again. How I wish I took more pictures! I made two snow angels, a snow man and several hundred snowballs to throw at the window to get my preteen sister and her friends to wake up (they didn't come out by the way--apparently they're too cool for that).

Anyway, back to the recipes. I made quite a bit, unintentionally, and shared them with my mom--brothers and sisters are more into the processed food, promoting its taste and "quality" while never attempting to try real food. Oh well; there is only so much you can do to try to promote health and wellness in others. However, I am "The Healthy Advocate", so I shall try more, without being too overbearing.

OK, I have strayed again, and I will stay on topic. Enter Coconut Flour Gingerbread Cookies! Sugar free, dairy free and gluten free, I might add (did I also mention they were grain free?). I have never had any luck making a recipe completely vegan when it comes to coconut flour. It seems as though the eggs are an integral part of the recipe in order to bind everything together properly. If anyone has any tips on this, please let me know.

My cookies came out thin, mainly because that was the way I wanted them. You can make them thicker by adding more batter to the cookie cutter (see recipe). Also, they are very soft, not crispy like other gingerbread cookies. I think next time I will try almond flour next winter for a crispier cookie.

The only trouble I had with the recipe was the coconut oil frosting/glaze. Sometimes a chef can't be patient--you must be when it comes to this recipe! You must first allow the cookies to completely cool before frosting, otherwise the coconut oil will soak into the warm cookie, and won't make that beautiful hard coating that you see in the picture below.

One more note: The nutrition information below is calculated based on the number of cookies I made. You may need to adjust the numbers when you actually make yours. The entire recipe comes out at 9 grams of digestible carbs! Which means if you ate one cookie, you would only get 0.6 grams of digestible carbohydrates, which is pretty cool (only if you are able to make 16 cookies, like I did). It also contains a whopping 1.5 grams of high quality protein, due to the eggs and coconut flour. What a nutritious and guilt free treat!

This recipe was adapted from SimplyCoconut.com. They have fantastic coconut flour recipes. I haven't tried them all out yet, but I'm getting there.

Coconut Flour Gingerbread Cookies

Makes about 16 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

Ingredients

1/4 + 1/8 cup Coconut Flour (6 TBSP total)

1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger

1/4 Cup Xylitol + 2 TBSP Xylitol (or favorite sugar free sweetener)

1/4 tsp. Pure Stevia Powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup dairy free milk--Coconut milk might be best

3 TBSP butter, ghee or coconut oil, melted

3 eggs OR 6 egg whites

Directions

Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

Combine the milk, melted butter or oil and the eggs in a separate bowl. Mix until blended.

Pour in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

On a greased glass baking dish, place your desired cookie cutter. Pour a couple of tablespoons worth of batter in the cookie cutter and press batter into the shape. Slowly unmold the cookie so all that is left is the batter in the desired shape. Repeat with same or different cookie cutters.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Oil Frosting/Glaze

1/4 Cup - 1/2 Cup melted coconut oil

Stevia, to taste

Directions

Pour sweetened coconut oil on top of cooled cookies one TBSP at a time and spread. Cool cookies again so the glaze will harden.

Nutrition Information

Per Cookie w/o Glaze & Made w/ Whole Eggs

Calories: 68.15

Fat: 4 g

Digestible Carb: 0.6 g

Fiber: 0.95 g

Protein: 1.5 g

Per Cookie w/o Glaze & Made w/ Egg Whites

Calories: 60.65

Fat: 2.9 g

Digestible Carb: 0.6 g

Fiber: 0.95 g

Protein: 1.5 g

Sugar: 0.19 g (naturally occurring and bound w/ fiber in the coconut flour)

********************************************************************

Now for the nut-butter cups. These "Reese's" inspired chocolate covered peanut butter cup is one of my favorite, because I combine different and healthier nuts other than peanut. Peanuts can contain a toxin around them the majority of the time, and are high in inflammatory oils and fats (omega-6's). I use a blend of organic peanut butter, walnut butter and almond butter (homemade, of course--recipe coming soon).

Homemade Reese's can take some time, but it is SO worth it, especially when you consider the health of your body. Rather than giving your body all the sugar and inflammatory fats that are found in regular candies, you know you are giving your body the anti-aging, anti-inflammatory fats from walnuts, the anti-oxidants from pure chocolate, and the metabolism boosting qualities of coconut oil. Also, you won't be bombarding your body with sugar.

This is my first shot at these healthy versions of nut butter cups and balls. I will be trying them again at Easter, and will revisit them again for you guys. You will need paper cupake/muffin liners, cutting the paper "walls" of the liner so that they only stand about 1/2 inches tall.

Homemade "Reese's" Nut Butter Cups

Makes 14-16 Chocolate Covered Nut Butter Cups

Ingredients

4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, bar

-OR- 12 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa Powder mixed with 4 TBSP melted coconut oil

1 tsp. honey, or more depending on how sweet you want your chocolate to be

1/2 cup of your favorite nut butter (I used peanut, almond, sunflower and walnut)

-Sweeten with powdered xylitol, erythritol, honey or stevia, if desired

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Using a small paintbrush or a spoon and your fingertips (like me), spread a teaspoon and a half into a paper muffin cup. Spread around to coat the entire cup (may need more than 1 1/2 tsp.). Continue to do this until about 10-12 muffin cups are all coated. Place in freezer to firm.

Meanwhile, stir the nut butter with your sweetener, if using. Take the hardened chocolate cups out of freezer and put nut butter in each cup, making sure you fill the entire cup--but not too much; you don't want to fill it up to the top.

Place the muffin cups in the freezer again. Melt chocolate while you wait about 5 minutes, if you need to, and then take out the muffin cups once again. Spread remaining melted chocolate over the nut butter inside the chocolate shells, and spread over to completely cover. Once done, place in freezer again

Wait until it is solid enough to unmold, and then store in freezer or refrigerator. It can melt fast at room temperature if you are using the coconut oil and cocoa powder mixture, so keep in the refrigerator.

With any remaining chocolate and nut butter, make chocolate covered nut butter balls, or make more chocolate covered nut butter cups. Or, use your imagination, be creative, and tell me what you do!

Nutrition Information

Per Chocolate Covered Nut Cup

Calories: 86.25

Fat: 7 g

Protein: 4.5 g

Digestible Carb: 2.7 g

Fiber: 1.75 g

Sugar: 0.8 g (natural--with 1 tsp. honey)

____________________________________________

Well there is the winter recipe round up. No savory dishes this season, but the upcoming ones you will see more healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas.

This has been The Healthy Advocate.

Probiotics: How Good Digestion Promotes a Good Figure

Hello all, this is the Healthy Advocate.

This post will not be entirely about losing weight, despite the title; however, there is a point about our digestion that I will cover here which infuses the topic of weight loss/maintenance, just so that we're clear.

Good digestion is, what I believe to be, the cornerstone of overall health. Without a proper digestion system in check, we can assimilate nutrients from the food we eat and derive energy from them, we can't eliminate wastes or harmful products from our bodies, we increase our chances of not being at the weight we want tremendously, and we can even put our immune systems and mental faculties at risk.

The Friendly Guys Inside Our Gut

Yup, that's right. There are friendly guys living inside of you. There are also some bad ones, as well. These guys are, wait for it...bacteria. You have bacteria living inside of you day in and day out. Now if you lead a normally healthy lifestyle, making sure you get plenty of raw, organic vegetables and moderate amounts of fruits (even non-organic is OK--take what you can get!), get plenty of exercise, sun exposure and are handling stress effectively (did I forget about high quality sleep?), then it is highly likely that you have more beneficial bacteria residing within you than bad bacteria.

The good bacteria inside of you are there to help facilitate proper digestion of your food, enzymes, vitamins and minerals and are also there to support your facilitation and elimination of food wastes. If you have ever taken a probiotic supplement regularly, you will know that bowel movements start to occur more frequently. This is because those good bacteria are getting the food they need--probiotics are basically the "fertilizer" for good bacteria.

Bad bacteria, on the other hand, should NOT make up the bulk of your bacteria count, for obvious reasons. Bad bacteria usually results from an excess of sugar, low to no exercise, bad sleeping habits, and an intake of processed foods devoid of any nutrition. It has also been noted in studies that those who are overweight have more bad bacteria in their colon than slim people, or people of a normal weight.

Someone, somewhere, came up with an ideal ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria that you should always maintain in your intestinal tract. This is about 85% good and 15% bad--however I find it very difficult to always know the numbers (can anybody? Perhaps there is a test...). Just know that if you are doing everything right (eating the right foods for your body type, exercising, handling stress efficiently, and even taking a probiotic supplement) then you should be in balance.

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics, like I mentioned earlier, is basically the fertilizer for the good bacteria in your system. Taking a good probiotic, such as in a good, high quality pill form or through plain, organic yogurt or kefir, promotes the good bacteria to flourish to perform their jobs.

Probiotics=Pro, meaning for, and bio, meaning life. These are the millions of microorganisms that support the life of your intestinal tract and the health of your colon (it kind of sounds a little gross, but it's quite cool when you stop to think about it - millions of different bacteria inside of you, supporting your body because YOU are so important to them!).

What Are Probiotics Good For?

So what does all of this information mean to you? What are probiotics good for, and what can all these bacteria do for you?

#1 - Probiotics can help you stay slim.

Research has shown that people who are overweight have much more bad bacteria in their intestines than slim people. In fact, the bacteria in our system weighs about eight pounds. Studies have also shown that having a high level of bad bacteria stimulates appetite and can be directly related to weight problems in some individuals. Taking a good probiotic regularly, especially when you know your diet won't be providing you with optimal nutition, will go far in helping controlling your beneficial gut microflora.

#2 - Keeps your immune system in check.

Most people don't realize that 80% of our immune system lives in our digestive system

where all these bacteria also reside. So, it makes sense that if you want to stay healthy,

especially during the cold and flu seasons, then you always want to maintain a correct

balance of good bacteria. This means avoiding things that might grow your bad bacteria--

mainly sugars and grains and everything else that will turn into sugar quickly in your body.

Bad bacteria feed and grow off sugar, which will wreak havoc on your immune system (not

to mention your digestive system).

#3 - Good emotional and mental health.

Probiotics and the good bacteria in your digestive system will help you digest and absorb

nutrients much more efficiently. There are many studies showing that depressed, angry those

with emotional disorders have an imbalance in their nutritional biochemistry, and that certain

vitamins and minerals are deficient--not because they are lacking in the diet, but because they

have a hard time absorbing the nutrients that support healthy mental agility.

#4 - Prevents Allergies.

This is something that I was not aware of until I did a little more research. In The Journal of

Allergy and Clinical Immunology, studies showed that probiotics and a healthy gut flora ratio

helped prevent eczema. According to Mercola.com, "Friendly bacteria train your immune system to distinguish between pathogens and non-harmful antigens, and to respond appropriately."

Ways to Get Probiotics into Your Diet

A good, high quality probiotic capsule is always good to have around whenever you need it, but some people tend to take them every single day. I don't have that luxury (have I mentioned I'm a college student on a budget?), but I do take a good probiotic whenever I know my diet won't be up to par, or whenever I know that I will be consuming something that isn't all that healthy (usually during the holidays--it's OK to have a treat once in a while!).

You can also take yogurt or kefir (a fermented, yogurt like beverage). Ideally you want to consume dairy products in their RAW form, as raw dairy products already contain beneficial bacteria already (pasteurized products still have all the bacteria, but their dead and swimming around--gross). This ups the ante, so to speak, and provides you with more good bacteria for your body. Plus, raw dairy products are easy on your digestive system. My favorite raw goat milk and goat's milk yogurt (I make my own whenever I can afford to pick up some raw milk). If you need help finding a certified grade A raw dairy farm near you, please visit the Real Milk website.

If you can't get raw dairy, then try and find an organic source of yogurt or kefir from your grocery store. You want to get plain, unsweetened, and preferably full fat (non-fat dairy is a no-no, which I will go into at a later moment), and always make sure to read the ingredient label to make sure that there are live active cultures present. Getting sweetened yogurt or kefir will be a problem, as the sugar will help feed the bad bacteria, which is the complete opposite of what you were going for in the first place! Try blending unsweetened yogurt or kefir with fresh or frozen (hopefully organic?) berries or fruit, with stevia or Xylitol (a low calorie, low glycemic sugar alcohol).

So why don't you go out, get some kefir or do some research on a good probiotic, and take care of your digestive system! It's time to grow the bacteria (good, that is) in your system to support your body, as it is your vehicle for your entire life. Your future self will thank you!

For now, this has been the Healthy Advocate.

_____________________________________________________________________________

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1258221/Overweight-Blame-bad-gut-bacteria-boost-appetite.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-12-20-obesity_x.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1258221/Overweight-Blame-bad-gut-bacteria-boost-appetite.html

My No-Grain Experiment

Hello all, this is the Healthy Advocate.

Back in early February I decided to go on an experiment that many before me have tried and succeeded in, with great health benefits to reap. This was a total elimination of all grains, in every form, from my diet.

I have been pretty much restrictive on my grains for almost a year already, consuming maybe a serving or two a day of whole, soaked or sprouted grains, sometimes gluten free. There has been a lot of new research coming out about the effects that grains, and in particular gluten, does to our health, which helped move me into following this no-grain 'diet'.

Many of the information I have received have obviously not been influenced by main stream health experts, but from alternative health experts well informed and motivated to educating others about the health effects of grains. Mainly those following a Paleolithic type diet have really helped show me what our bodies really are designed to eat (or what we, as humans, have been eating for the majority of our time on earth).

It was only 10,000 years ago that the cultivation of agriculture has been developed, and in this time diseases related to diet have increased and/or developed. Many of our ancestors who subsided mostly on meats, vegetables and some fruits had no problems with teeth, blood sugar or weight, and some studies suggested that they were much taller than their grain-eating descendants. Plus, grains stimulate your insulin levels, much more than vegetables, meats and moderate amounts of fruits--so, it is bizarre to me why the USDA is recommending most of our calories come from grains, even if they are low in fat.

Gluten Intolerance: A Small Minority?

I don't think so. I believe that there are MANY symptoms to gluten sensitivity and intolerance that don't seem to be connected to gluten, but really are. I have heard of those with depression and mood disorders go off gluten and grains all together, while increasing their mood and beating depression. Now these results may not be typical, but they may be, I don't know. I do believe, though, that anyone suffering from anything (depression, weight, irritable bowel syndrome, digestive disorders, acne, eczema, teeth problems, ect.) will be better by eliminating or reducing all grains.

It is estimated that one out of seven people in the US have an intolerance to gluten, but I suspect that it may be much higher as most people suffer different ailments, some of them minor, that might be related to gluten and grains. Some people can do very well on small portions of gluten, without any side effect; most people will do much better if the form of wheat they choose is in its whole grain form, rather than refined--this will add the extra fiber and minerals to slow down the blood sugar spike that happens with grains. I also believe that most people will fare even better on grains if they are soaked, sprouted and/or fermented as advocated by the Weston A. Price Foundation.

What I Have Experienced So Far

I never thought that gluten and grains would be a problem for me, because most of the time they weren't. I do not have celiac disease, and I do not suffer from any type of problems with my body after eating grains. However, for the majority of my time spent learning about nutrition, I have only consumed whole, unprocessed grains, usually in their soaked or sprouted forms. Even then I would only have about one serving per day, four to five days out of the week, something that I don't believe would cause a problem with me or anyone with no major problems with gluten and grains.

However I have noticed that the past week and two days without grains whatsoever, has given me a better digestion. I've also noticed, as I have before with eliminating grains, that I lose weight rather quickly without even trying. I absolutely don't need to lose weight, as I am already underweight, but even when I eat most of my calories from healthy fats and vegetable carbohydrates (with only a tiny amount of fruit), weight seems to come off easily than when I was eating grains. This has also happened with fermented and soaked grains, but not so dramatically.

After this experiement, which I was thinking would last for about 3 months (at least until May 2010), I might start incorporating grains back into my daily program again, although still relatively small, and still in their whole form (soaked, sprouted). I may even choose gluten free grains most of the time, in their whole form (soaked/sprouted) and as lone as they are relatively low on the glycemic index, which is rare for any grain.

I hope I have provided you a little insight on grains today, and maybe you can take this information and start studying on these issues for yourself. Who knows, maybe something that has been bothering you lately in your body will clear up after eliminating grains, sugar and dairy (at least the conventional ones you find in your local supermarket).

If you have any comments about this subject, or any questions, please post! You guys are important to me on my journey to learning more about nutrition and wellness. I don't claim to know everything, but I do know things, and I love sharing this knowledge. However, you guys also know things, and it doesn't help anyone to keep it to yourself. Let's all make a difference in the world of real health and overall wellness.

This has been the healthy advocate.

******************************************************************************

Whole Grain Hooey

My Preferred Sweeteners

OK, I said I would post the next day, but man was I wrong. Life has a pretty sneaky way of making things a bit hectic, but I was able to handle it with ease (thanks to meditation, yoga and deep breathing!). I went to a Macbeth audition (what, you didn't know I liked to act?), and was cast the part of a witch. Is it strange that I was actually wanting to get that role? I'm also playing an old man. Can't wait to get into it.

With all these interruptions (but good interruptions) I felt really bad for not blogging, because I really wanted to share with you guys and follow up on the last post about artificial sweeteners.

In this post, I told you I was going to talk about my absolute love for two sweeteners; then I'll tell you of two other sweeteners that I haven't tried but want to very soon (does anyone want to purchase them for me?? :)).

Xylitol

I absolutely LOVE this sugar alcohol and use it very regularly. **But first a caution: using it regularly in large amounts will make you very "regular", so to speak. Sugar alcohols are known to have a laxative effect when taken in excess, so when you find yourself loving this sweetener after I get done talking about it, be sure to use it with care.**

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is found in most edible plant sources, and is usually extracted from the fibers of fruits or vegetables (if anyone else knows where this is found and extracted, let me know). Some times it is called wood sugar or birch sugar, due to where it comes from.

The sweetness of xylitol is about the same as sugar, with 40% less calories per gram (about 2.5 cal./g compared to white sugar at 4 cal./gram) than white sugar.

The taste of xylitol is absolutely amazing, to me, as it is very cool and "clean", and it doesn't make you feel naughty by eating by the spoonful (actually, I don't recommend doing this!).

The glycemic index of Xylitol is 13 compared to white sugar which is around 60-65. The glycemic index is a scale from 0-100 that rates the effect of foods on blood sugar levels (0 being no effect, 100 being a big effect). I like following a low-glycemic diet most of the time, but sometimes this system isn't always accurate (I will blog more about this topic later).

So, Xylitol has very little effect on isulin levels, which is why I enjoy it so much, because I believe that keeping our insulin levels low we can achieve optimal health and wellness--anti-aging, healthy weight, healthy skin, hair and nails, improved mood and concentration, healthy leptin and grehlin signaling, etc.

Xylitol is also relatively inexpensive compared to other sugar alcohols. There is erythritol, which I haven't tried but I have heard many good things about. It isn't as sweet, and it's more expensive, but it has virtually no effect on our insulin levels which is a plus! However, I really do believe that xylitol might be the safest sugar alcohol out there. Dr. Joseph Mercola even agrees (my hero).

A couple of interesting things I learned about xylitol was that

1. Our bodies produce up to 15 grams of xylitol a day. So you know it's natural!

2. It's a sweetener used widely in Finland. Who knew? Well, I guess they do, obviously.

I like to purchase my Xylitol online, because it is less expensive than buying 1 lb at the health food store for $7. Online, I can get 3 lbs for $17.99 (these prices, or the availability sometimes change, though). This is the brand I like.

P.S. Xylitol is actually good for you teeth!

Stevia

Stevia is an amazing herb native to South America. It has been used for centuries as a natural sweetener, and is becoming more known throughout North America (see the new products that contain this sweetener mixed with sugar alcohol Erythritol: PureVia and Truvia).

This sweetener is up to 200 times sweeter than regular sugar, so if you purchase pure stevia (up to 90-90% stevosides), only about 1/2 tsp. needs to equal 1 cup of sugar! It also has no known effect on insulin levels, which is another reason why I like it.

A good source to purchase stevia is from Amazon, Vitacost.com or iHerb. Sometimes I have purchased pure stevia on eBay, but be wary because you don't always know the source of the product. Many people like the NuNaturals Stevia brand the best; I also think it's popular because the price is relatively low compared to other sweeteners. Look around until you can find the one you like.

************************************************************************************

Usually when I make/bake and have to use a sweetener, I tend to blend stevia, xylitol and small amounts of raw honey and organic Sucanat, a less refined sugar that still contains many nutrients present in the sugar cane. I also like to make sure there is enough fiber (coconut flour, anyone?) and good quality fat (there are some recipes I need to show you that use healthy fats while still lowering the calories of different foods) to slow down the absorption of the added sugars (though still very little).

For now I will leave you to your exploration of alternative sweeteners. Before I go, I would like for anyone who has every tried coconut palm sugar to please raise their hand. How do you like it? I know it has the same calories as sugar, but is much lower on the glycemic index. I shall find a good source so I can do a little experimentation.

Also, if you have any questions or comments, please post them--I'm here to help you! I love finding things out about nutrition, health and wellness, so anything will be appreciated. Tell you friends, too, by sharing this blog or this post via "Add This" at the top of this blog. I'll love you forever! (Although I already do.)

Until next time, this has been the Healthy Advocate.

********************************

1. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

2. http://www.exylitol.com/

3. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/05/26/What-is-Erythritol-Doing-in-Vitamin-Water.aspx