Day 157- Nutrition Bite

Eat kale to protect your health! Kale is member of the brassica family with organosulfur compounds that have been the main subject of phytonutrient research. Researchers are currently studying the glucosinolates and the methyl cysteine sulfoxides. Although there are over 100 different glucosinolates in plants, only 10-15 are present in kale and other brassicas. Yet these 10-15 glucosinolates appear to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers including breast and ovarian cancers. Prevent cancer by eating kale!

Sugar Preacher's Experience
While visiting Seattle last year, I saw a group of people wearing t-shirts printed with "Eat More Kale". At the time, I wasn't familiar with kale, but studied about its properties. I began implementing kale into my diet. Kale provides over 80 nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc..). This cruciferous vegetable has amazing health benefits. Happiness is eating kale!

Day 155- Nutrition Bite

Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients which provide essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber. One serving provides a low glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day. Blueberries contain anthocyanins, other antioxidant pigments and various phytochemicals possibly having a role in reducing risks of some diseases, including inflammation and different cancers. 

Sugar Preacher's Experience
The other day a blueberry and pear fruit dish was served at a potluck dinner. It was so tasty! I'm off to Costco to buy a carton of blueberries so I can make this fruit salad. We have pears growing in the backyard, and I'm excited to pick them! Natural sugars are the best!!!

Day 130- Nutrition Bite

Sugar is found in almost everything we eat. Common types of sugars include: glucose(fruits & vegetables), sucrose (sugar cane, sugar beets, & honey), lactose (milk, yogurt, & other dairy products), and fructose (fruit). Of these three sugars, fructose is better for you and found mostly in fruits. And at Jamba Juice, we don't add any processed sugars or artificial sweeteners to our fruits and fruit juices.

-from the Jamba Juice website

Sugar Preacher's Experience

This week, I have become a big fan of Jamba Juice. I started with the $2.95 Orange Refresher Special and now have branched to other flavors such as the Strawberry Whirl. When I read on the Jamba Juice menu "all fruit smoothie", I was sold. The 16 oz. smoothie is a good choice if you are concerned with lower caloric intake!

Day 128- Nutrition Bite

Connie Bennet, author of "Sugar Shock", mentions there are plenty of ways to naturally sweeten our foods without the use of artificial sweeteners. She suggests adding juice from oranges, grapes, plums, pears, peaches, or other fruits. Toss on some grated or shredded raw or dried apples, raisins, dates, or coconuts. Use mashed sweet potatoes or yams. Try sprinkling your foods with spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, fennel, or pumpkin spice.

Sugar Preacher Experience

Lately, I have been dreaming about carmel and mint brownies. I could possibly be craving sweets subconsciously and should start sprinkling more spices on my foods...

Day 108- Nutrition Bite

Refined sugar has had all of the impurities removed and has been separated from its molasses. Molasses is residue consisting of sticky syrup produced during the initial sugar extraction process. All white sugar is refined and no difference exists between the taste of beet or cane sugar. Unrefined sugar is only partly purified and contains some molasses which affects color, texture, and taste. As beet molasses is inedible, all unrefined sugars come from cane. Unrefined sugar does may have a label saying "raw" or "unrefined." Unrefined sugars have the best flavor and aroma.
http://www.monkeydish.com/2006051513318/20-minute-university/sugars-101.html

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Last week, I was visiting Irvine, California and dined at the Veggie Grill for lunch! I found a slice of Carrot Cake made with unrefined sugar and whole wheat flour. The cake was good but didn't compare to the fatty slice from the local bakery. However, I really enjoyed the Veggie Grill's menu, which offered Steamin' Kale, Sweet potato fries, etc... Who serves Kale as a side dish? This restaurant was healthy, and I was loving it!

Day 104- Nutrition Bite

Ice cream has the following composition:

• greater than 10% milkfat by legal definition, and between 10% and as high as 16% fat in some premium ice creams
  
• 9 to 12% milk solids-not-fat--this component, also known as the serum solids, contains the proteins (caseins and whey proteins) and carbohydrates (lactose) found in milk
  
• 12 to 16% sweeteners--usually a combination of sucrose and glucose-based corn syrup sweeteners
  
• 0.2 to 0.5% stabilizers and emulsifiers
  
• 55% to 64% water which comes from the milk or other ingredients
  

These percentages are by weight, either in the mix or in the frozen ice cream. Please remember, when ice cream is frozen about one half of the ice cream volume is air. Thus, by ice cream volume, these numbers can be reduced by approximately one-half, depending on the actual air content. However, since air does not contribute to weight, we usually talk about the composition of ice cream on a weight basis, bearing in mind this important distinction. All ice cream flavors, with the possible exception of chocolate, are made from a basic white mix.

- University of Guelph, Science of Dairy and Technology

Sugar Preacher's Experience

On my return trip from St. George, Utah, I visited a health food store in Cedar City. The store had a soft ice cream machine that was so good!! The sweetener was fructose instead of sucrose. The feel, texture, and temperature were delightful especially in 105 degree weather. I love to find healthy sugar substitutes!

Day 103- Nutrition Bite

"Nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. The high beta-carotene and lycopene activity of apricots makes them important heart health foods. Both beta-carotene and lycopene protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.

Apricots contain nutrients such as vitamin A that promote good vision. Vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant, quenches free radical damage to cells and tissues. Free radical damage can injure the eyes' lenses.

The degenerative effect of free radicals, or oxidative stress, may lead to cataracts or damage the blood supply to the eyes and cause macular degeneration. Researchers who studied over 50,000 registered nurses found women who had the highest vitamin A intake reduced the risk of developing cataracts nearly 40%.

Apricots are a good source of fiber, which has a wealth of benefits including preventing constipation and digestive conditions such as diverticulosis. Most Americans consume less than 10 grams of fiber per day. A healthy, whole foods diet should include apricots as a delicious way to increase your fiber intake."

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I love seasonal fruit!! Summer months are the best time to add seasonal fruit to your diet, such as berries, nectarines, and melons. Eat up and enjoy an abundance of fruits!

Day 97- Nutrition Bite

Watermelon is a great substitute for refined sugars or chemical sweeteners. Watermelon has a cool thermal nature and sweet flavor. It also influences the heart, bladder, and stomach; builds body fluids; acts as a diuretic; and moistens the intestines. Watermelon is used to treat thirst, urinary problems, edema, canker sores, depression, and kidneys and urinary tract inflammations such as nephritis and urethritis. The rind is rich in silicon and the outer green skin is rich in chlorophyll. The seeds benefit the kidneys and act as a general diuretic.

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I hope you bypassed the goodies on the 4th and enjoyed watermelon. The health benefits are vast... I love watermelon!!

Day 67- Nutrition Bite

Brown rice syrup is a sweetener derived by culturing cooked rice with enzymes (usually from dried barley sprouts) to break down the starches. The liquid is then strained off and cooked until the desired consistency is reached. The final product is roughly 50% soluble complex carbohydrates, 45% maltose, and 3% glucose. The glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream immediately, while the maltose takes up to one and one half hours to be digested (see glycemic index). The complex carbohydrates take from two to three hours to be digested providing a steady supply of energy. Rice syrup has a shelf life of about one year, and once opened, should be stored in a cool, dry place. Brown rice syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. It is produced from a whole food source and is made up of simple sugars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rice_syrup

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I occasionally have sugar cravings for something sweet. A health store in NYC on 72nd Street had just the ticket--a "Sweet Nothings" Fudge Bar which satisfied my craving. This tasty bar was made of filtered water, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, mixed fruit concentrate, carob bean gum, guar gum, and carrageenan. (FYI--the last three ingredients are food emulsifiers and stabilizers). After the first month of consuming refined sugar, my cravings have been reduced dramatically. Sugar is no longer an addiction for me, thus I expanded my blog with other nutritional subjects. Also, much more nutritional information is available to be learned.

Day 58-Nutritional Bite

Evaporated Cane Juice

Evaporated cane juice refers to the boiled and extracted liquid of sugar cane stalks which is dried and crystallized naturally. This involves a chemical-free process comprising fewer steps than white cane sugar, allowing more of the sugar canes' natural ingredients to remain. Lime (calcium phosphate) is used as a catalyst to separate impurities in the freshly squeezed cane juice. The fine, golden crystals have a faint molasses flavor, dissolve well, and resemble the taste and delicate texture of white table sugar. 

- Neal Barnard, M.D. written in Breaking the Food Seduction

Sugar Preacher's Experience

The other day, I tried some ice cream with evaporated cane juice which is a white sugar substitute. The vanilla soy ice cream was tasty, especially with the addition of strawberries and bananas.  

Day 36-Nutritional Bite

Eat a banana today! Paul Pitchord wrote in Healing with Whole Foods that bananas detoxify the body. Bananas are rich in potassium and used to treat hypertension. They can reduce blood pressure, are easy to digest, and will lubricate the intestines and lungs.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I love to eat yogurt and bananas for breakfast! So good... The sweet flavor of bananas usually satisfies my sugar cravings. In addition, bananas have many preventative properties as mentioned above.

Day 33-Nutritional Bite

Daily consumption of honey raises blood levels of antioxidant compounds in humans, according to research presented at the 227th meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, California on March 28, 2004. Biochemist Heidrun Gross and colleagues from the University of California gave 25 participants four tablespoons of buckwheat honey daily for 29 days. Blood samples were collected and a direct link was found between the subject's honey consumption and the level of polyphenolic antioxidants in their blood.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
When I was a child, my father raised honey bees in the backyard which created plenty of bee stories. As a child, I remember walking down the street with a red wagon selling and delivering honey to the neighbors. Honey has been one of my favorite natural sweeteners since my childhood

Day 32-Nutritional Bite

Fruits are a good choice for any healthy diet. Fruits are high in vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, B Vitamins and are also an excellent source of fiber. The fiber content in fruit will make you feel full longer than the empty calories of junk food. When you are craving something sweet, instead of reaching for cookies or any other junk food, have some fruit instead. Fruits are one of the best selection for a healthy snack!

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I'm celebrating the one month mark of my diet of unrefined sugar! Yipee!! I am less addicted and have less sugar cravings. I love the green carts in NYC and the convenience of picking up fresh fruit on a daily basis! I bought strawberries and bananas yesterday and ate them sliced with a little honey. This fresh fruit satisfied my sweet tooth. I actually preferred fruit over a candy bar! I am on the road to becoming a health food junkie.