Tis the Season of Sugar.......

Tis the Season of Sugar……

This is my favorite time of year for so many reasons, but it’s also the season of excess sugar. 

Nancy Appleton, author of the book Suicide by Sugar, has compiled a list of 140 reasons why sugar is ruining your health.  Here are several that pertain to children: suppresses your immune system, causes hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate, crankiness, tooth decay, learning disorders, eczema, food allergies and asthma…..just to name a few.

Parents who would not give their children candy for breakfast may be unknowingly giving their children food with the sugar equivalent.  At least with candy you  know what you’re getting.  Any food company can slap the word(s) healthy and/or 100% natural on any packaging, but these words are meaningless.  The FDA and USDA don’t regulate these words on products so they can be used freely and meant to sell more products. 

Here is a look at popular breakfast/snack items that are loaded with sugar…..who knew?

Did you know that McDonald’s oatmeal (ok, oatmeal, you think healthy) has more sugar than a Snickers bar?  And it has 10 fewer calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger!  Their Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait has as much sugar as a Payday Bar.

After seeing Supersize Me, I am grossed out by McDonald's and their practices, so this doesn’t surprise me.

Highly recommend this movie. It will make your stomach turn!

Some Cliff Bars have more sugar than a Pop Tart…..

Healthy Valley Strawberry Cobbler Cereal Bars have as much sugar as a bowl of M&M’s.  

  =

You can see the list of energy “health” bars and their sugar equivalent at

 Calories, Carbs, Sugar, and Fat: 25 Energy Bars vs. 25 Candy Bars | Blisstree

A Strawberry NutriGrain bar has as much sugar as 5 packs of SweeTarts.

Frosted Mini Wheats with Skim Milk has as much sugar as 1 Nestle Crunch bar.

Banana Berry Jamba Juice has as much sugar as 4 Mounds bars. 

Blueberry Eggos with syrup has as much sugar as 2 Almond Joy bars.

Honey Smacks Cereal has as much sugar as a Dunkin Donut glazed donut.

Maple Brown Sugar Quaker Instant Oatmeal has the sugar equivalent of 

7 Pixy Sticks.

1 serving of Gatorade has as much sugar as 12 pieces of candy corn.

 

According to Dr. Sears, a well renown pediatrician, having complex carbohydrates and protein for breakfast gives our kids a good head start on the day.

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/brain-foods/10-balanced-breakfasts

Next blog topic…..nutritious breakfast ideas that you can make in advance, making the morning routine a little easier. 

On a sugar side note…..I have had something called Candida, which thrives on any kind of sugar, natural or processed.  It can cause a wide variety of symptoms and make you feel horrible.   After completing my 2^nd food bases cleanse I feel like a new person.  My Candida is almost completely gone, no fibromyalgia symptoms and 95% of my perimenopause symptoms gone….yes, gone and it was done ALL naturally (no RX's) while eating tons of nutrient dense foods. I have finally kicked sugar to the curb!

 I feel great and am telling everyone about the Love Life Method.  Please see my journey below…..it has been life changing for me!

http://lovelifemethod.blogspot.com/2011/11/ali-fights-candida-and-wins.html

A better peanut butter and jelly sandwich....

With peanuts being one of the most common food allergies and schools going peanut free, you might want to take this opportunity to experiment with other nuts.  What's really in your peanut butter anyway?  Shouldn't it just be nuts?

Take a look at the ingredients in Jiff Reduced Fat PB

JIF, PEANUT BUTTER, REDUCED FAT, CRUNCHY INGREDIENTS: Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar, and Soy Protein, Contains 2 Percent or Less of Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Fully Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil and Fully Hydrogenated Soybean Oil), Salt, Mono And Diglycerides, Molasses, Niacinamide, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Ferric Orthophosphate, and Copper Sulfate. Look for simple ingredients like nuts and salt....the more the better is not the case with nut butters. One of the easiest school lunch items is a nut butter and jelly sandwich. Three of our favorite peanut butter alternatives are walnut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter. With a little creativity you can make this easy sandwich a nutritional powerhouse. Most health food stores will have freshly ground nut butters in their bulk section.  I love shopping at my local co-op grocer, who always has raw and roasted, organic and conventional nut butters in bulk.  Bulk is a great way to try and sample different kinds of nut butters without having to buy a big jar.  Walnut butter is getting lots of attentions these days.  Walnuts are one of the most nutrient-dense food sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid. They are the only nut that contains a significant amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, 2.6 grams per ounce, almost 9 times more than the next closest nut!  You will pay for what you get,  I bought some walnut butter this weekend and it was $18.99 a pound…ouch! It’s a great nut butter to mix along with other nut butters if you want to buy just a small amount, but still get some of the wonderful nutrients. Almond butter can typically be tolerated by most people,  making it a beneficial substitute for peanut butter.  Almonds are rich in antioxidants and contain important vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, vitamin B2, magnesium and calcium. Almonds and almond butter help lower cholesterol, help with weight control, lower blood pressure, control blood sugar and are good for your heart.  Hold please, I am off to get a spoonful of almond butter. Cashew butter – there’s nothing creamier and more satiating than this rich nut butter.  Cashew butter is a great source of vegetarian protein. Cashew butter is also a source of most of the B vitamins, which are essential to red blood cell health and metabolism. Cashew butter is one of the good sources for anti-oxidants plus it also contains heart healthy fats which are the same found in olive oil.  My Mom turned me onto my new favorite nut butter, NuttZo. It's almost impossible to find after Dr. Oz recommended it on his show.  There are two varieties of nuts and seeds, one with peanuts and one without.  The NuttZo nut and seed butters range from $13.99-$16.99 a jar. Ingredients:  Raw Organic Cashews, Organic Almonds, Organic Brazil Nuts, Raw Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Hazelnuts, Raw Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Sea Salt.  I love that my "hidden" ingredients are already in this nut butter.  This is one case where more ingredients are better. As for jelly, make sure FRUIT is listed as the first ingredient.  Lots of jellies, jams and marmalade have SUGAR as the first ingredient.  I like to buy raspberry or strawberry  jelly and mash fresh raspberries or strawberries into the jelly while spreading it on the bread.  Local honey is a jelly alternative.  We love Stroope Honey Farms Texas Brand Pure Raw Unfiltered Wildflower Honey from Pearland, Texas....it taste like maple syrup....yum!   Tips: Always refrigerate your nut butters after opening Avoid any nut butters with hydrogenated oils or anything you can't pronounce Nut butters are a great way to hide flax and chia seeds and if it's a crunchy nut butter I will even add local bee pollen. Nut butters are delicious mixed/melted in a hot bowl of oatmeal, added to pancake and waffle mix, and even spread on top of pancakes or on toast in the morning. Here are all the "hidden" ingredients that I used for a cashew butter and jelly sandwich and coconut yogurt. I am no expert, just a Mom who is passionate about learning more about the relationship between food and good health.

A healthy alternative to ice cream….Banana Cream

With only 2 ingredients

1. frozen bananas

2. pitted dates

Banana cream in a vegan, gluten free, 10 calorie cone.

This has been a favorite at our house since our son, Sam, was able to eat solid food. My son and I both have dairy allergies and intolerances so this was the perfect substitute for creamy ice cream.  Banana cream is not only healthy; it’s gluten free, vegan, raw, energy boosting and a good source of fiber and potassium. 

Banana Cream:

4 Frozen overripe bananas

2 pitted dates

1 tsp of vanilla - optional 

Sprinkle of cinnamon - optional 

Add all ingredients in a high power blender or food processor and blend until creamy.

Serve immediately

Frozen bananas, 2 pitted dates, vanilla and cinnamon 

Tips:

If not using high power blender like a Vita Mix, make sure you cut up bananas in small pieces before freezing. This makes blending much easier. 

Depending on how sweet you like your banana cream you may add more or less pitted dates.

Use only overripe bananas, a little dark brown and mushy,and  make sure they are completely frozen before blending. 

Only make what you will eat immediately. It's not good as a leftover.  

Everyone loves a sweet healthy treat!

Next Month - Healthy School Lunches

I am no expert, just a Mom who is passionate about learning more about the relationship between food and good health.