But! I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, so the sugar is going!
I stocked up on lean protein at the store today, along with my beloved dark leafy greens.
I am freezing as we speak a buttermilk lemon sorbet made with splenda (SOOOO good). I was going to use honey, but ... that counts as sugar when we're talking glycemic index.
I enjoyed another fresh out of the garden tomato tonight with arugula, a little blue cheese, avocado and some turkey (yum!).
I imagine I'll start going bonkers for chocolate soon, but won't deprive myself of dark chocolate (it's healthy for you, right?). I particularly like a spoonful of chunky peanut butter with a sprinkle of mini semi sweet chocolate chips. Satisfies the chocolate craving!
I would love to hear your tips for reducing the sugar!!! Any favorite non-sugar treats?
Image: Brown sugar gingerspice shortbread cookies from Whimsy and Spice (the BEST shortbread cookies on the planet!)
3 comments:
hey brenda! I decided to really lower our sugar intake a few months ago after realizing that they put sugar in just about *everything* (and how much). It's harder with some things than others but I was surprised how quickly I weaned myself of it and how sweet things tasted after not eating it, like spaghetti sauce even - there is so much sugar in certain brands. Anyways, as Im sure you've seen, Ive been experimenting with some sugar free baking recipes and found that honey is a fabulous substitute in many recipes. Now I know when it comes to diabetes and the glycemic index, honey is still sugar, but, you can use much less than sugar and aside from that, its natural and unprocessed so its better for you all around. Same thing with molasses cane juice and rice syrup (which is really good baking!).
Ive read a lot about artificial sweeteners and am a little scared of them, even splenda, and I never want to touch aspartame again. But Ive been using stevia in my cooking and for drinking and I like it a lot. You can buy a liquid form or packets for sprinkling, you should try it.
And of course making things from scratch is the best way to control your sugar intake, things like sauces and soups etc, that usually have added sugar. But I know you already do a lot of cooking.
When you do need to buy packaged foods, check the sugar content on the nutrition label. The sugar should be 1/3 (or less) of the total carbs per serving. So if there are 24 carbs per serving, the sugar should be 8 grams or less. It's not a perfect science, but going by this general rule insures a more properly balanced intake of healthy nutrients to sugar that will keep your blood sugar level steady.
There is a book called "Get the Sugar Out" that you can get from the library. Some of it is a little extreme, but I found it interesting and some of it very useful, it also has lots of recipes in it.
I've been working on this too, Brenda. But, I must say, not very diligently. I do, however have found a great recipe for greens! It's here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2687
A treasure trove of info, Nicole! Thank you! Y'know, I love using stevia - don't know why I didn't think of using it with my sorbet. :| I agree on the artificial sweeteners; unfortunately, I have a stash that I either need to use up or toss. I loooove honey, both because it's healthier for you (antimicrobial!) and because it's yummy. But not good for those with insulin issues. :( I'll look up that book, thank you!
Summer, looks delish! I could lose an entire day looking at WF's recipes, Yum!
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