by OneMoreBite | Dec 14, 2005 | Food News
Then they go on about the smells, yummy, yummy, and finally they get to the point. Sugar! They baked something with real sugar! It’s natural, the ads say, and it’s sweet, just like nature. Okay, so what?
So I’m wondering does anyone who’s innocently driving along suddenly hear one of these ads and go, “Well, maybe I should try that sugar sometime. Think I’ll pop off to my local Safeway and grab a bag to surprise the kids.” Nah, I doubt it.
I can only assume they are trying to make up for lost sales to sweetener alternatives such as Splenda (TM), the lesser known Stevia, Lo Han (haven’t tried the latter myself as of yet), and the newly introduced ZSweet(TM), but they haven’t quite figured out how to say what they think; that sugar is better. I can’t see how they’d have anything to worry about since sugar is in everything from toothpaste to ketchup to cleaning products.
Here’s an article with the short and snappy title, “Sugar: Leaving a Legacy of Dental Decay, Obesity, and Dysfunctional Immune Systems for our Children.” I like his mention that a breakfast cereal with 50% sugar is not cereal but candy. I agree totally on that count. That’s why when I eat cake for breakfast and people look at me funny I say, “You ever eat Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks?” For the record, they changed the name to remove the word “sugar.” Wonder why they did that? Maybe one day we’ll see Sugar-Free Smacks.
Check into ZSweet(TM) when it comes to the market early 2006. It promises to really shake of the sugar industry.
by OneMoreBite | Dec 6, 2005 | Diet Products
What is Zsweet(TM)? It’s a blend of Erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol (meaning not chemically derived), and food extracts commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Zsweet™ differs from Splenda®, Equal® and Sweet ‘n’ Low® in that it contains no carbohydrate fillers and no chemically altered materials, even in trace amounts. That’s pretty cool.
What’s special about Zsweet(TM)? I have no idea. Why not just get ordinary Erythritol instead? Dunno. Sorry. I’m not the answer man. It may be marketing, but the use of Erythritol isn’t hype–it’s smart to experiment with alternative sweeteners. In fact Erythritol is synergistic with other sweeteners, so if you add a bit of Splenda and a bit of Zsweet(TM) for instance, you’ll end up with a sweeter result than if you used only one of them.
Don’t Forget the Calories in No Calorie Products
Most people don’t consider how calories add up, especially when the box doesn’t reflect the reality. For instance a label may indicate “no calorie” or “no carbs” yet if you eat five servings (yes, that teensy bag serves five), then you are getting lots of calories and carbs. Read the label, and pay close attention to serving size.
Erythritol contains about .2 calories per gram. There 28.349523128 grams in an ounce, lets round that to 28, which equals .56 calories an ounce. I don’t know how much a teaspoon of Zsweet(TM) weighs or what they consider a serving, but it’s obviously less than .50 because then the FDA allows it to be called “no calorie.” Guess the FDA figured they had to draw the line somewhere and why go all the way to zero?
If you eat tons of no calorie sweeteners, you’re eating calories. Just be sensible and you’ll have no trouble, in other words, practice a bit of portion control. I go into how to learn to eat your favorites and not go crazy in Week 5 of my 8-week Ending Emotional Eating Program.
Erythritol does not increase blood sugar levels and is healthy for diabetics. Dentists love Erythritol because it actually prevents dental cavities! Some people do experience sensitivity to sugar alcohols, meaning digestive upset, so avoid overeating foods sweetened with Zsweet(TM) (or other alternative sweeteners) and you won’t have to worry (there’s a diet idea all by itself).
A great way to start using ZSweet is simply reduce the sugar in your recipe and use ZSweet(TM), for instance if your recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, try 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cut ZSweet(TM), then write down the result. Pay attention to taste, texture, and stability too because some sweeteners affect browning, raising, and more. Baking is a science in itself.
Enjoy and if you find good recipes, send them to me! I’d love to hear your creative cooking experiences.
by OneMoreBite | Nov 15, 2005 | Book Reviews, Hunger
I recently read a book by the only man to have survived alone on a raft at sea for more than two months, Editor of Cruising World magazine, Steven Callahan. In “Adrift, Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea,” Callahan recounted how while slowly starving he dreamt of food, “My body knows what it needs. For hours on end fantasies of sweet ice cream, starchy baked bread, and vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables water the mouth in my mind.”
Reading an account of one man’s survival in the face of sure death was inspiring. My ex-husband is building Callahan’s redesign of “Solo” the very boat that capsized, so he too can take off on a singlehanded sailing adventure across the seas. He believes he could survive as Callahan did, while I’m telling myself I’ll die of starvation if I don’t eat in the next half hour. Sort of puts things in better perspective, don’t you think?
by OneMoreBite | Nov 1, 2005 | EFT Weight Loss
Instead, try something different this year and stop holiday weight gain.
1. Learn EFT. It’s easy, quick, painless and you can use it all the time for life stresses and more. It helps with eating and weight loss because it relieves stress, and we all know stress leads to weight gain (at least many times it does — some actually lose weight when under great stress). These pages explain EFT and NLP and how they can be used for weight loss, then the last page has worksheets so you can learn EFT basics for weight loss. [links open in new window].
2. Get The Daily Bites. Sent two or three times a week, short lessons in how I use EFT to maintain my 80 pound weight loss and how you can do the same. The Daily Bites – EFT for Weight Loss
3. Start to use EFT daily. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I still am at how many people learn this simple technique and then still don’t do it. That obviously suggests they aren’t really ready to lose weight at all, but hey, use EFT to get over it. Start with “Even though I don’t know if I’m ready to lose weight, I deeply and completely accept myself,” and take it from there.
4. Learn E.A.T: Eating Awareness Training. I’ve included this in Session 5 of the Ending Emotional Eating workshop, but you can adopt the principles simply by paying attention when you eat. Start with your next meal. Sit down. Look at the food. Notice the colors, texture, smells, etc. Be there.
Take a small bite and feel the food in your mouth. Move it around. Chew, suck, nibble, (eating is quite erotic). Don’t be in a big hurry to swallow, savor the brief moment of the food in your mouth, and see what you notice that you hadn’t noticed before. Do this with every single bite for an entire meal and see what happens.
One thing I can guarantee is it takes a long time to do this, so you’ll find yourself wishing you could hurry up, and that leads me to the question: Why do we think so much about eating only to rush ourselves through it? Interesting question anyway.
Take your time with your food. Eat an apple and really notice it. How does it sound when you bite in? Is it sweet? What’s the texture? Do you like that texture or would you rather it be something else? Every variety of apple is different. Get a few and have a tasting party.
When you stop to notice what you’re eating you’ll also experience the sensation of being satisfied and that’s the first step toward learning how to eat like a person without a weight problem.
Remember, it’s perfectly fine to overeat once in awhile, but change from overeating regularly to overeating on occasion, and you’ll start to lose weight. If you gobble your food, you’re likely eating far more than you need simply because you aren’t paying attention to the signals your body gives about being satisfied, content, happy. Give yourself a chance to experience this, just once this week and you’ll discover a whole new world of eating.
5. Think of the holidays as a time for lots of opportunities for your “occasional” indulgences, but the rest of the meals, eat normally (meaning like a sane person). This isn’t your last chance to eat candy, so don’t act like you have to eat it all.
by OneMoreBite | Oct 31, 2005 | Holidays
Halloween Means More Than Eating Bags of Miniature Candy Bars
Remember carving pumpkins as a kid? Mine always looked the same, but if I’d had the Pumpkin Carving Instructions found at Pumpkin-Carving.com, it could have been a different story.
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about carving pumpkins, but were afraid to ask including Pumpkin Carving History with the story of Jack O’ Lanterns; How to choose the right pumpkins; pumpkin carving tools; traditional carving and more.
Start now and just think how excellent your pumpkins for next year could be!
