Never Too Old To Swap

Time and time again friends ask me how I'm able to maintain my health and the same weight without a struggle.  They suggest I have a fast metabolism or that I'm a workout fiend.  Neither of which is true.  One day, I had this epiphany.  I came to the realization  that there is no  perfect diet.  Diets are too restrictive and therefore doomed to failure.  It is far better to examine your eating habits,  the food you consume and the satisfaction you garner.  The key is flexibility.  Try to eat healthy when it is possible to offset the times when you can not.  Good eating habits is more about a balancing act.  You don't have to give up the food you love if you can be satisfied with less or if you can make a healthy swap for the foods you adore.  This allows for those times when no swap is possible or desired and you must submit.  You then appreciate that special food all the more!

 Here are some of my go-to swaps near the top of my list:

1. This one requires some advance prep.  Keep a freezer bag of individually wrapped peeled frozen bananas.  Put one in your blender when you have a craving for ice cream.  You can also add frozen berries to vary the taste.  In the summer, I like to chew on frozen grapes for a refreshing treat instead of ices.
2. Thinking about indulging in pasta?  Why not ditch the high carbs for spaghetti squash.  Just slice it in halves and put in a tray face down with one inch of water.  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.  Cool and the scrape with a fork to make strands.  Add your fav veggies, oil, garlic, sauce or whatever you desire.
3. Want a yummy side dish instead of mashed potatoes with heavy cream?  Try baked sweet potato fries or mashed cauliflower in the blender with almond milk, grass-fed butter and Himalayan sea salt.
4. Limiting your dairy because of allergies and other health concerns?  Nut milks like almond, cashew, and coconut milks are good options.  There are also soy, rice and quinoa milks available.
5. For those loving their salt fix switch to Himalayan sea salt which contains essential minerals and magnesium missing from table salt.
6. Instead of chips why not substitute mini peppers to make a tasty nacho snack.  Mix corn, black beans and salsa.  Arrange and fill each pepper half on a greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cheese of your choice.  Broil for 2-4 minutes and enjoy!  One pound of mini peppers makes 4 servings.

                                           

A sweet reward every so often will help you stay the course.

Bottom Line:  You can keep your New Year's Resolutions this and every year with a little compromise and flexibility.

Lifestyle Lament: Sugar Substitutes

     People who try to reduce their sugar intake face a dilemma.  They must choose from an ever expanding array of  of sugar substitutes.    We know that deprivation  in our diet can lead to binge eating.  The more forbidden the fruit  the greater the desire.  Sugar  is one of the most addictive substances know to man and women, too!. 

      Here is my short list of the most natural sugar stand-ins  available:

• Stevia Root is an herb that comes from central and south America.  It is 40 times sweeter than regular sugar but can possess  a bitter aftertaste.  The newer strain  seems to have solved that problem by using the  sweetest part of the plant.  However,  Stevia is not recommended for baking.  You can purchase a form of Stevia in most supermarkets and health food stores.
• Whey Low is a  sugar substitute is made of three sugars.  It contains fructose from fruit,  table sugar (I.e. sucrose)  and lactose.  When the sugars are all blended together they interact so that they aren't completely absorbed by the body.  It has one quarter of the calories of sugar and one third of the Glycemic index of sugar resulting in no sugar crash after consumption. It can be used in place of sugar in most baking recipes using the same amount.  It can be purchased online and/or at wheylow.com.wheylow.com
• Xylitol  is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in beets, berries and corn.  Sugar alcohol is not digested well in the body so they can have a laxative  affect.    That is why it does not raise sugar levels in the blood. So it's both good and bad news.   It can be used for baking.  It is recommended that you use half the amount of sugar used in recipes.  It can be purchased in health food stores or online.  
• Agave Nectar is a sugar substitute that comes from the same plant used to make tequila.  At 20 cal a teaspoon it is more caloric then sugar but because it is sweeter you can use less.  When baking it it is it is advised that you use one third the amount that you would use for sugar because of its sweetness.  It is recommended that you lower the oven temperature because of increased browning.  There has been some concern over the high fructose content  in agave similar to high fructose corn syrup.

     There are other sugar substitutes on the market but studies have shown that they have dubious  side effects on our health.  The above choices are said to be the most healthy alternatives to sugar if you're going to use a substitute at all.  Some just eliminate all sugars and substitute various foods and change their texture to appease sugar cravings and slow down blood sugar metabolism.

Bottom Line:  Let common sense prevail.  If something disagrees with you, discontinue use.

This can be made with black beans and dates instead of sugar.