An easy, almost painless thing that you can do for this baby step is to locate and purchase some organic, farm raised, free range chicken eggs(if your family eats eggs). These are the BEST eggs! They smell better, taste better and look better!
Check out Eatwild.com and/or Localharvest.org. You can search for a local grass fed farmer in your area!
Yes, they are more expensive. But, they carry a powerhouse of nutrition that your dead, white, store bought eggs do not have. Plus, you are supporting a local farmer. How cool is that? Local farmers are the heart and soul of being healthy. And, you are supporting the healthy treatment of livestock and the integrity of our food supply!
So, what makes these eggs soooooo much better and totally worth the extra cash and (probably) the drive to get them?
These eggs have 4 to 6 times more Vitamin D
These eggs have 1/2 the cholesterol
These eggs have 2 times the Vitamin E
These eggs have up to 6 times more Beta Carotene
and 4 times more Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These eggs have up to 40% more Vitamin A
They are free of arsenic(added to factory feed to reduce infections)
They are free of antibiotic residue
This is a small thing that you can do that will help your family as well as many other families.
Be daring! Try something new today!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Healthy, natural sweeteners
There are some very healthy sweeteners that most everyone in the health food arena would agree on. I am going to talk about a few of them and how they can be used with the disclaimer that easing yourself off of any sweeteners is ultimately the healthiest choice.
The most obvious two are #1 honey and #2 maple syrup. Most people automatically think of these two when they think of healthy sweetener.
Did you know that you can use both of these to replace sugar in most recipes? You do need to account for the extra liquid in the recipe and you don't use as much. but, there are websites that tell you the substitution amounts and how to do it.
Maple syrup gives a nice rich flavor to the dish and honey lightens and brightens.
Affordability? These are both fairly expensive but they do give some added nutrition to whatever they are used in.
The big draw back to both of these sweeteners is how quickly they are converted into energy and spike the blood sugar. This is measured by the glycemic index.
There are many different types of honey. Floral honey has the lowest glycemic index; like locust honey GI 32. Commercial honey like clover honey is much higher at 69.
Pure maple syrup has a GI of 54. But, make sure you read labels as most maple syrups are blended with corn syrup or other things to bring the cost down. Pancake syrup and breakfast syrup are not maple syrup at all!
Anything over a GI of 55 is considered to be not a low glycemic food. So, both of these are on the higher end and should be used in moderation.
I haven't seen a lot of store made items that are sweetened with these two things. As I said, they are fairly costly. But, read labels! I bet you can find them somewhere other than Honey Nut Cheerios or Maple shredded wheat. LOL. Look at your health food store!
Be daring! Try something new today!
The most obvious two are #1 honey and #2 maple syrup. Most people automatically think of these two when they think of healthy sweetener.
Did you know that you can use both of these to replace sugar in most recipes? You do need to account for the extra liquid in the recipe and you don't use as much. but, there are websites that tell you the substitution amounts and how to do it.
Maple syrup gives a nice rich flavor to the dish and honey lightens and brightens.
Affordability? These are both fairly expensive but they do give some added nutrition to whatever they are used in.
The big draw back to both of these sweeteners is how quickly they are converted into energy and spike the blood sugar. This is measured by the glycemic index.
There are many different types of honey. Floral honey has the lowest glycemic index; like locust honey GI 32. Commercial honey like clover honey is much higher at 69.
Pure maple syrup has a GI of 54. But, make sure you read labels as most maple syrups are blended with corn syrup or other things to bring the cost down. Pancake syrup and breakfast syrup are not maple syrup at all!
Anything over a GI of 55 is considered to be not a low glycemic food. So, both of these are on the higher end and should be used in moderation.
I haven't seen a lot of store made items that are sweetened with these two things. As I said, they are fairly costly. But, read labels! I bet you can find them somewhere other than Honey Nut Cheerios or Maple shredded wheat. LOL. Look at your health food store!
Be daring! Try something new today!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Healthy Food book recommendations?
If you have any recommendations for me on some books about healthy eating or lifestyles, please let me know. I am leading a book discussion group at a local health store and your input would be appreciated.
We are starting with the book, Clean Food by Terry Walters.
Then we will do, Nourishing Traditions, and Sugar Blues.
We are starting with the book, Clean Food by Terry Walters.
Then we will do, Nourishing Traditions, and Sugar Blues.
Sugar is not a health food
Sugar is not a health food and you should avoid it at all costs. Look at your ingredients list. Even organic foods contain sugar!
Sugar is worse for you than eating nothing. It takes away from your body vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.
Any sweetener is better than sugar.
Sugar is worse for you than eating nothing. It takes away from your body vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.
Any sweetener is better than sugar.
Change of heart
It's been a long time since I have posted anything. With the end of the school year and the fact that we got a puppy, I just haven't had the time!
I have been thinking about writing every day though. And, I have something nagging at me that I must post.
I have had a change of heart about nutrasweet/aspartame. I may delete the entire previous post. You see, I have done some research into sugar and its effects on us. Because there is so much evidence that sugar is actually worse for you than any other edible substance, I must fix what I said.
In many studies, scientists are finding that eating sugar is worse than eating nothing at all. On a deserted island, you could live for 2 months eating nothing but having water to drink. However, if all you had was sugar and water, you would be almost dead in 9 days. 9 DAYS! Sugar along with processed white flour are the great anti-nutrients. Meaning, they REMOVE nutrients FROM your body as you digest them.
True, sugar has a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners, but, at what cost?
True, aspartame has been linked to numerous health issues, but is it the lesser of two evils? I think it is.
Aspartame does not raise or spike your blood sugar, which means that your body can maintain a more even blood sugar level all day. It also means it has a low glycemic index number and it does not feed yeast/candida infections.
All of these things combined together lead me to this conclusion: Avoid sugar at all costs. Sugar is not a health food. Sugar is slowly killing you. Switch to other sweeteners that you like and that don't upset your digestive system. Aspartame may be bad for you, but sugar is the worst.
Ultimately, it would be best to wean ourselves from sweetened things so we can enjoy the natural tastes of foods, especially fruits. Limit the amount of sweets you are getting and that you are giving your family, whether they are sweetened artificially or naturally.
I have been thinking about writing every day though. And, I have something nagging at me that I must post.
I have had a change of heart about nutrasweet/aspartame. I may delete the entire previous post. You see, I have done some research into sugar and its effects on us. Because there is so much evidence that sugar is actually worse for you than any other edible substance, I must fix what I said.
In many studies, scientists are finding that eating sugar is worse than eating nothing at all. On a deserted island, you could live for 2 months eating nothing but having water to drink. However, if all you had was sugar and water, you would be almost dead in 9 days. 9 DAYS! Sugar along with processed white flour are the great anti-nutrients. Meaning, they REMOVE nutrients FROM your body as you digest them.
True, sugar has a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners, but, at what cost?
True, aspartame has been linked to numerous health issues, but is it the lesser of two evils? I think it is.
Aspartame does not raise or spike your blood sugar, which means that your body can maintain a more even blood sugar level all day. It also means it has a low glycemic index number and it does not feed yeast/candida infections.
All of these things combined together lead me to this conclusion: Avoid sugar at all costs. Sugar is not a health food. Sugar is slowly killing you. Switch to other sweeteners that you like and that don't upset your digestive system. Aspartame may be bad for you, but sugar is the worst.
Ultimately, it would be best to wean ourselves from sweetened things so we can enjoy the natural tastes of foods, especially fruits. Limit the amount of sweets you are getting and that you are giving your family, whether they are sweetened artificially or naturally.
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