Six ways to cut back on sugar

Americans are overloaded with added sugars which can be found in regular soft drinks, fruit drinks, cakes, cookies, pies and candy. The first step to making wise food purchases is to understand the terminology used on food labels. A food labeled as “sugar free” must contain less than 0.5grams of sugar per serving. For those with diabetes, remember that “sugar free” doesn’t mean “carbohydrate free.” Below are some tips to cut back on the sweet stuff:

Six ways to cut back on sugar:

Drink fewer sweetened soft drinks.

Soft drinks are the number-one source of added sugars in Americans’ diets. First, think about why you are drinking soft drinks. Do you like the fizz? Or the sweet taste? If you just like the carbonation, try club soda mixed with fresh lemon or lime. If you like the sweetness, try mixing 100% fruit juice with diluted water or club soda.

Buy only 100% fruit juice that is not sweetened

Some beverages claim to be fruit juice when it’s really just a sugary fruit drink. Read the label to make sure it says 100% fruit. Limit juice to ½ cup per day.

Look for natural sugar instead of added sugars

Choosing yogurt without a lot of sugar can be frustrating but keep in mind that the sugar in milk, yogurt and ice cream contain lactase, a naturally occurring sugar in milk. Of course, extra sugar can be added so be sure to read the label. Fresh fruit is also contains a natural sugar, fructose.

Satisfy your sweet tooth naturally with fresh fruit.

Fruit is better than juice because it also contains fiber, vitamins and nutrients. Fruit juice loses all the fiber and vitamins during processing. Fiber takes longer to digest so it keeps you fuller longer and blood sugar levels will be more stable. Think colors of the rainbow when choosing fruits since each color provides different nutrients and antioxidants. Look for local fruits that are in season and freeze them to enjoy year round. 

Choose unsweetened, whole-grain cereals and cereal bars.

Ignore those catchy claims on the front of the box. Go straight to the nutrition facts label. Remember the "Rule of Fives": Choose cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and less than 5 grams of sugar.
 

Experiment with sugar substitutes

 Are sugar substitutes safe? Many of us worry about artificial sweeteners. However, they have been more thoroughly researched than some drugs or food additives currently on the market. Studies have concluded that aspartame is not associated with adverse effects in the general population.

Artificial sweeteners include Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One), Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin), Stevia (PureVia, Truvia), and Sucralose (Splenda). They are heat stable and suitable for baking/cooking except for Aspartame. It is unknown whether Stevia is suitable for baking and cooking.  

How do I stop sweet Cravings?

You can learn to “retrain” your tastebuds so you will eventually lose the taste for sweets and soon you won’t miss them.  You don’t even have to give them up completely, it’s a matter of how much and when. Do you crave sweets during certain times? After dinner? When you are stressed? Bored?

Research shows that cravings only last about 10-12 minutes. So try to ride it out like a wave and it should pass. Find an activity for those 10 minutes such as go for a quick walk or some other form of exercise, read a book or think about why are you having these cravings.

If you need something to get you through those critical ten minutes, try a spoonful of applesauce, bite of dark chocolate. For better blood sugar control, sweets are best eaten immediately after a meal, since the stomach is full and digesting. It won’t cause the rapid rise in blood sugar as it would if eating the sweets on an empty stomach. 

Luckily, cutting back on sugar doesn’t have to mean cutting back on flavor. With a little knowledge and creativity, you can still have those sweets without feeling deprived.

Measure of success

The scale isn't the only way to measure your success. Besides weight, what others measures are important to you? For example, smaller dress size, more energy, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, etc? Please post your responses here:

Cooking Healthful Foods: How much do you Know?

Test yourself...try not to peek at the answers till you're done:

1. Which fat is the healthiest to cook with?

a.    Canola oil

b.   Vegetable oil

c.    Margarine

2. Which cheese has the least fat per ounce?

a.    Part-skim mozzarella cheese

b.   Cheddar cheese

c.    Provolone cheese

3. Do not use which of the following to replace margarine in recipes:

a.    Applesauce

b.   Prune baby food

c.    Marshmallow fluff

4. Which of the following has the least fat per ounce?

a.    Regular pork bacon

b.   Canadian bacon

c.    Turkey bacon

5. To make leaner cuts of meat more tender, either:

a.    Braise or stew them

b.   Roast or bake them

c.    Fry them

6. To thicken soup without using cream, add:

a.    Skim milk

b.   Egg whites

c.    Pureed potato

7. You can replace 1 ounce (oz) of baking chocolate with:

a.    1 oz of chocolate syrup

b.   3 tablespoons (Tbsp) of unsweetened cocoa mixed with 1 Tbsp of soy oil

c.    1 Tbsp melted chocolate chips mixed with 1 Tbsp of melted margarine

8. How much of the sugar in most recipes can you replace with powdered milk?

a.    One eighth to one fourth

b.   One fourth to one third

c.    One half to three fourths

9. When using dried herbs in place of fresh:

a.    You should use an equal amount of dried herbs as you would fresh

b.   You should use two times the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh

c.    You should use one third of the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh

10. In which of the following recipes should you never try to reduce the amount of salt that is called for?

a.    Soup

b.   Cake batter

c.    Yeast bread

Answers

1. a.  Canola oil
2. a.  Part-skim mozzarella cheese
3. c.  Marshmallow fluff
4. b.  Canadian bacon
5. a.  Braise or stew them
6. c.  Pureed potato
7. b.  3 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa mixed with 1 Tbsp of soy oil 
8. b.  one fourth to one third
9. c.  You should use one third of the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh
10. c.  Yeast bread

Barriers

We all have things that stop us from reaching goals from time to time. It's good to be aware of those barriers and develop a plan to overcome them.

What is your barrier to weight loss or reaching another health goal?

Kitchen Tools for Making Healthier Meals

Healthy cooking requires the right tools. Does your kitchen include the tools you need to make healthful foods?

Citrus zester

Adding lemon, lime, or orange zest is an excellent way to add flavor to many dishes—from meat and poultry to steamed vegetables and low-fat desserts, such as angel food cake.

Wok

A stir-fry is one of the fastest, healthiest dishes to create, and a wok makes it even easier and tastier. Choose your favorite vegetables and a source of protein, use low-sodium soy sauce, make some rice, and relax—dinner is done!

 

Oil mister

Pour your favorite oil into the canister. Spritz your food to add a touch of flavor without all of the added calories and fat that you would get from adding oil by another method.

Crock-Pot^®

A Crock-Pot provides an excellent way to prepare your own soups and stews, and to cook lean meat so it is tender and juicy. It also is good for making low-fat puddings, and casseroles. Many Crock-Pot cookbooks are available. A quick browse on the Internet will yield dozens of recipes as well. 

 

Immersion blender

Getting out the traditional blender, assembling it, and then taking it apart and cleaning it can seem like too much work for making a simple smoothie or a chilled soup. You will save time and space by using an immersion blender for these small jobs.

Garlic press

Full of antioxidants and flavor, garlic is excellent when added to poultry, sauces, soups, and vegetables, such as spinach or tomatoes. 

Salad spinner

A salad spinner makes cleaning your lettuce a snap, which makes eating a salad seem like a much more appealing idea.

 

Food processor

A good food processor makes almost every meal easier to prepare. It chops vegetables and fruits, shreds cheese, and mixes ingredients. You will find many uses for this tool.

 

Food scale and measuring cups/spoons

Learning to recognize appropriate portion sizes is one of the most important steps to eating a healthful, well-balanced, diet. 

 

Thermometer

You can not tell by looking at a food whether it is cooked well enough. Some dishes look underdone when they are actually done, and others appear cooked through when they are really not. The only way to know for sure is to use a reliable thermometer. 

Grill basket

A grill basket is useful for making grilled vegetables or even fruit, especially if you are tired of watching your meal literally fall through the cracks. This device will hold all of your food together, so that none is lost during the grilling process.

Kitchen scissors

Many herbs contain as many or more antioxidants than fresh produce. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to easily snip fresh herbs into your dish. These scissors are useful for many kitchen chores besides chopping herbs. Just make sure you sterilize this tool after every use to avoid cross-contamination. 

How healthy is your kitchen?

What are the first three things you see when you open your refrigerator?

Weekends/Holidays

This week we discussed weekends and holidays. We tend to eat different during these times. Share your tips or post additional questions:

How do you keep yourself from overeating at family functions?


Do you have people who try to sabotage your efforts? How do you handle that?