Sugar Bowls

Complex carbohydrates are touted to protect one from a number of diseases and conditions including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. So knowing that we have these weapons to protect ourselves, why do some people not still see the light?

North Americans’ intake of refined sugar is estimated at 33 kg plus 20 kg more of syrup high in fructose per person each year. Fructose is used to sweeten syrups, low-fat food and beverages. The trouble with taking too much of this is that the liver changes too much sugar in the diet into lipid. The increased lipid closes down a gene namely, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

This shutting down of the SHBG reduces the quantity of SHBG protein in the blood. This is not good as this protein plays an important part in regulating the quantity of estrogen and testosterone. With the less amount of SHBG comes higher risk for a number of conditions like uterine cancer.

The reduced SHBG amount also affects the metabolic state of the liver. Thus SHBG levels are employed to show a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It is therefore good to follow the advice to avoid eating sugar and to eat complex carbohydrates.

This leads us to the question as to what complex carbohydrates we can eat. Basically, these are foods in the form of whole grain like brown rice, muesli, oats and wholegrain breads. These complex carbohydrates are broken down more gradually than those of their cousins, the simple carbohydrates. That is why they are able to provide a slow but steady source of energy during the day.

Some more examples of complex carbohydrates are bran, maize, peas, pasta, macaroni and spaghetti. These are really starch or sugar that are bonded together forming a chain so the digestive enzymes have a harder job of breaking them down making them longer to digest. This has also an added bonus in the sense that it restricts the quantity of sugar that is converted into fat.

Complex carbohydrates should be a main part of the diet. In fact it should form half of the calories each day like the aforementioned foods plus cereals, fruits and vegetables. Simple sugar should only form a few of the calories allotted each day.

Dr. Hammond who is scientific director of Vancouver, Canada’s Child and Family Research Institute said that SHBG can be used to monitor the functioning of the liver way before the symptoms appear. This is good news because quite a number of people who have diabetes do not even know they have it. This puts them at a disadvantage because they cannot work on strategies to beat diabetes and stop the complications.

The new findings can also be used to find out whether the drugs and dietary strategies are effective in treating the conditions. This also dismisses the assumption that SHBG is reduced by too much insulin. Insulin therefore is not to blame for the low SHBG levels but rather the sugar metabolism in the liver is what counts. So what is the moral of the story? Eat complex carbohydrates.

By: Randeg

Low Carb Diabetic Diet: Reduce Carbohydrate Intake to Achieve a

The more refined, or processed, the carbohydrate, the faster and higher the blood sugar goes up. A diabetic who eats a low carb diet, eating only complex carbohydrates, combined with fat and protein.

Natural Gout Treatment – the Rules of a Gout Diet That Had a Lot

Refined carbohydrate foods were swapped for complex carbohydrate foods. ie they ate complex carbohydrates, not refined carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates can be found in foods made from whole grains.

Nutrition Wise: Chai, “Other Carbohydrate”, Phytonutrients

If a food contains sweeteners called sugar alcohols (xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol) they are included in this group, but “other carbohydrate” refers mainly to complex carbohydrates, commonly called.

Healthy diet to Beat Anxiety

Eat complex carbohydrates, also known as carbohydrates. In the time of seeking, in turn, comforting carbohydrates. They act as a mild tranquilizer by increasing the amount of serotonin, a calming neur.

The Critical Macronutrients Of Nutrition

Carbohydrates switch to sugar in our bloodstreams, which is turn provides the energy that we require. Carbohydrates can be further broken down into simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.

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The most famous name in chocolate cakes is the German Chocolate Cake, but the interesting fact is that it was not `German’ at all. It merely used chocolate brand which was called `German’s’ because it had been developed by an Englishman named Sam German in 1852! He was working for Baker’s Chocolate Company.

The recipe for this chocolate cake was first made popular by a Dallas housewife in 1957, and probably due to the fact that German baking is one of the best in the world, the name not only stuck, but also lent the cake its squarely German touch. The result was an instantly popular cake which carried up the sales of the chocolate too. Actually the popularity of the cake can be attributed to the fact that in The Southern US, buttermilk chocolate cakes have been a hit for decades, and the fact that German’s chocolate is sweater than regular baking chocolate, also helped. Coconuts and pecans which are available in the area too, only added to the tast

with layers of apricot jam. The whole cake is then thickly iced with velvety chocolate. The result was probably why chocolate is synonymous with sinful! It took its name from its creator, Chef Franz Sacher, who created it in 1832 for the Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich of Austria. Sacher was then an apprentice cook, all of 16 years old, and the Prince’s demand was met with a cake that used only the available ingredients, nothing more. The recipe made him so prosperous that he went on to open several Cafs and restaurants.

Whatever the origins, the chocolate cake has always been one of the most irresistible temptations钅after all how many other desserts you know have been named `Death by Chocolate??’
Chocolate Cake Recipe
2 cups flour
125 grams chocolate (squares)
3 eggs
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease two cake tins of 7 inch diameter.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a deep pan of boiling water.
Cream together butter and sugar and add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Add the melted chocolate and beat till well combined.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the chocolate-egg-sugar-butter mix. Don’t beat too much. After the mixture is blended well, pour into the baking tin . Bake for about 45 minutes, or till well risen.

For the sandwich icing :
100 grams unsalted butter
1 and a ½ cup icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla essence
Beat together all these ingredients to form a light chocolate cream. Use to sandwich the two cakes together.
The top layer can be either dusted with castor sugar or cocoa powder, or both, Stencils may be used for decorating further.

For a different look, and in a bid to be creative as Chef Sacher, try using apricot or raspberry jam to sandwich layers, alternating with chocolate cream, white cream or plain chocolate layers, before closing with the second cake layer. Icing can also be made to have a royal touch if chocolate cream is poured over this whole cake sandwich.

And if you think you can’t take the pain of making a chocolate cake yourself, you can simply order a chocolate birthday cake online.

By: Andrew Mark

A Great Tasting Chocolate Wedding Cake | Homemade Chocolate - The

A memorable cake can be something beautiful or something beyond incredible to eat, rarely are they perfectly both. When choosing your wedding cake what side are you on?

Owl Wedding Cake Topper on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Little over 2 inches tall. Brown bodies, turquoise chest for the groom, cherry red for the bride. Black top hat and bow tie on the groom, silver tiara and tulle veil on the bride.

French Kiss: 2 year old wedding cake… yummm!

2 year old wedding cake… yummm! it’s tradition! to taste a little piece of the top of your wedding cake. a year after the actual date. but what happens when it’s two years? we’re brave.

Technorati Tags: chocolate wedding cake, wedding cake bakery

Lowering your blood sugar level will help you gain control over your diabetes and reduce the chances of complications such as stroke, heart attack, cancer, blindness and amputation.

Certain foods, eaten in moderation, will help you lower blood sugar and help you to better manage your weight.

Here are 8 foods for your diabetic diet to help you drop blood sugar points:

#1 Sweet Potatoes
Low glycemic foods will help you reduce points. Sweet potatoes contain higher fiber than regular potatoes, making them a healthier, lower glycemic alternative. In addition, sweet potatoes contain high levels of anti-oxidants, believed to have a positive effect on insulin resistance. The high Vitamin B6 component found in sweet potatoes also help reduce the risk of diabetic heart disease.

#2 Cinnamon
Researchers have evaluated commonly used spices and found some that help lower blood sugar readings. Cinnamon is one of the highest rated for lowering blood levels. Cassia cinnamon

#3 Avacado
The healthy fats in this fruit have shown to raise your insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. Avacados are high in fat however, and should be eaten in moderation.

#4 Nuts
Like avacados, nuts are high in fat, but also help lower insulin resistance. Examples of healthy nuts are pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts and peanuts.

#5 Vinegar
Studies conducted at Arizona State University show that vinegar’s active ingredient acetic acid, decreases both fasting and after-meal glucose levels. Two to three tablespoons per day of apple cider vinegar is the recommended effective dosage.

#6 Cherries
Cherries are an ideal food for Type 2 diabetics. They contain high levels of anti-oxidants and fiber that help you raise your insulin output and lower your cholesterol. They’re also low in calories.

#7 Lemons
Lemons are high in Vitamin C and low on the glycemic scale. The acidity in this fruit helps to prevent blood sugar spikes and lower the glycemic level. In addition, some research suggests that lemons and lemon juice helps in weight reduction.

#8 Garlic
Garlic has long been known to raise insulin sensitivity and provide strong anti-oxidant protection.

Please remember that these foods will not only help you to better control your blood sugar level.

In particular, high fiber foods, such as the fruits and vegetables mentioned, will help you stop blood sugar spikes. Every one with Type 2 diabetes should eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit daily. Still the American diet with processed foods could us a careful addition of natural supplements to round out the diabetic diet.

If you are a woman, you should try to stay within 1,200 to 2,000 calories a day. These calories should come from 6-8 starch foods, 2 milks, 3-4 vegetables, 2-3 fruits and 3-4 fats.

If you are a man, your caloric consumption should be in the 2,000-2,400 range, coming from 10 starches, 2 milks, 4 vegetables, 5-7 ounces of meat, 4 fruits and 4-5 fats.

A lot of people are unsure about what a starch is. Starches are potatoes, pasta, cereal, grains, pretzels, rice, crackers, beans, tortillas, yams, lentils and corn.

It’s recommended that you seek out complex carbohydrates like whole grains starches - they have more fiber, minerals and vitamins than short grain starches.

Examples of vegetables include lettuce, vegetable juice, spinach, peppers, carrots, green beans, tomatoes and cabbage. It’s best if you eat as many vegetables raw and uncooked.

While making the transition from high fat, high sugar rich foods to healthier foods such as these, it helps to drink 10 glasses of water a day to reduce hunger pangs.

Also, please keep in mind that these foods will not only lower your blood sugar levels, but will help your general, overall health as well. Anti-oxidants are needed by everyone, particularly diabetics who are more prone to cancer risk than non-diabetics.

By: Dave Perry

What are Normal Blood Glucose Levels? Fasting blood glucose test

Even though millions of people in the world have diabetes and thousands more are diagnosed with diabetes every year, most people know very little about the.

Tips To Monitor Blood Glucose Levels Effectively

Living with diabetes is not easy. It is necessary for you to make certain changes in your daily life. Managing diabetes is easy if you know how to effectively.

Effectively Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels

Living with diabetes is not easy. You have to change your way of living. Managing diabetes is easy if you know how to effectively monitor your blood glucose.

Technorati Tags: blood sugar levels, diabetes sugar levels, sugar levels

First is a review of some research done to determine what advantages exist, real or assumed, in how tight a control should be kept on the diabetic condition as well as the effectiveness of diabetic medications on the condition.

Below this is a recent patient study done on tight control.

“Tight control is defined as keeping the fasting [after waking but before eating] blood sugar as close as possible to the levels found in non diabetic people — generally in the 80 to 130 range. Loose control allows the blood sugar levels to drift higher, to the 150 to 200 range.”

“Several large-scale studies comparing ‘tight control’ of the blood sugar in diabetics [insulin dependent] with more loose control have shown that retinopathy is increased in the tight-control group.”

“Though type 2 patients do have diabetes, their main problems are the complications of this condition. The most serious of these is accelerated atherosclerosis (plugging of the arteries with fat and cholesterol) that leads to heart attacks and poor circulation in the legs.”

“The incidence of heart attacks and death from heart disease among diabetics is about twice that of non diabetics.”

“What continues to plague those of us who treat diabetic patients is that the complications of this disease have never been shown to be significantly reduced by improved control of the glucose either with insulin or with the oral drugs.”
excerpted from Reversing Diabetes by Julian M. Whitaker, M.D.

Tight Blood Sugar Control Increases Diabetic Death Rate

A long-term 10,000 diabetic patient study was recently halted 18 months early, due to an unexpected increase in deaths.

The US Government’s National Institutes of Health was running this study to answer the key question:

“Could pushing blood sugar to near-normal levels of an average of 100 help protect high-risk patients’ hearts?”

(This is below today’s recommended blood sugar target of an average of 170 for diabetics.)

In the group pushing for near normal levels, many patients took multiple drugs and insulin shots, adhered to strict diets and regularly met with counselors and doctors who monitored them.

The reason the study was ended early was that the number of deaths from heart attacks and unexpected sudden deaths was 25% higher in the group that was pushing for normal or close to normal blood sugar levels as compared to those looking to maintain the existing recommended blood sugar target of 170.

The use of diabetic oral drugs and insulin does not address the root cause of the diabetic problem.

A proper diet with reduced carbs, effective nutritional supplementation and adding just a bit of regular exercise is a very effective and natural way of reversing the diabetic condition, as can be seen in the success below:

By: Bob Held

Tips on How to Control Your Blood Sugar Level

Understanding how to control your blood sugar levels can save your life if you suffer from certain medical conditions, like diabetes Some.

Eating For Blood Sugar Control May Be Your Best Health Tip Ever

In this video, Avoid The Blood Sugar Roller Coaster, you discover why not eating for blood sugar control can lead to massive health problems and why eating for blood sugar control may be the best weight.

Controlling Diabetes with Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Type 2 diabetics are able to control their diabetes with drugs and dieting. However they too need to be monitoring their blood sugar levels a few times a week. This should be done immediately after eating.

Technorati Tags: blood sugar, diabetes tests, high glucose levels

On average, people eat more than the recommended daily amount of sugar, even though the majority knows that sugar intake should be controlled in order to sustain a healthy weight and diet. In addition, research has shown that sugar intake can also cause the development of wrinkles. Scientific data shows that processes within the body correlated with sugar consumption can hasten the skin’s aging process and cause the emergence of fine lines and wrinkles.

This can be attributed to the natural glycation process. During this reaction, sugar in your bloodstream affixes to proteins that develop detrimental new molecules called advanced glycation end products, or more simply known as AGE’s. The more sugar you take in, the more AGE’s are formed.
As your body creates more AGE’s, they begin to damage adjacent cells. The most susceptible cells are collagen and elastin, the same proteins that preserve skin firmness and elasticity. Once harmed, the more widespread collagen changes from being bouncy and resilient to dry and fragile, leading to wrinkles and sagging. The aging process typically begins at about age 35 and then amplifies rapidly from then on.

Besides damaging collagen, a high-sugar diet also affects what type of collagen your body contains. This is another issue that creates wrinkles. The most plentiful types of collagen are types I, II, and III. Type III is the steadiest and enduring of the three. Glycation changes type III into type I, which is more fragile. When that takes place it causes the skin to look and feel less supple. AGE’s also immobilize the body’s natural antioxidants, which leave you more vulnerable to sun damage - the most common cause of skin aging.

Preventing Skin Aging Process
You can reverse skin damage and help in wrinkle reduction by reinforcing your collagen levels with products that have retinoids. You can also curb sugar intake and heighten intake of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables. This helps to rejuvenate free radical contestants, which help in preventing the sugar from joining to proteins. Also, diets should be improved with the intake of vitamins B1 and B6 to slow down premature aging. Principally, you should make sure to wear sun screen on a daily basis.
In conclusion, limiting sugar intake is critical to preserving strong bodies and skin. Proteins are an elemental component of life. They are present in more than just are skin. So, an existence of eating sugar could maybe be causing us to age much more rapidly than we can even imagine.

By: Linda Gladhill

Avandamet hcl metformin

Metformin works by helping to restore your body’s response to insulin, Metformin may decrease the risk of lactic acidosis while you are taking this medicine.

Oregon Natural Resources Report » Estimates for wheat, rice, sugar

SUGAR: Projected 2009/10 U.S. sugar supply is decreased 100000 short tons, raw value, from last month. Beginning stocks are lowered 100000 tons.

Healthy. Happy. Life.: Agave Syrup 101: Why it’s a Healthy Sugar

you say to use 2/3 cup of agave per 1 cup of white sugar and then to also decrease other liquids. whereas, in baking recipes, sugar is actually considered a liquid ingredient.

Technorati Tags: Decrease Wrinkles, Decreasing Sugar

Australian wine has dominated the UK supermarket shelves and restaurant tables for at least twenty years. In fact Australia is now responsible for the most wines sales by volume to the UK than any other country in the world. However despite it being a big seller when it comes to the UK it is only in the top 10 when it comes to overall wine production statistics.

Initially Australia was known primarily for its Chardonnay. It was this oaky white wine which really bought it to the forefront of the British market. Because of the Australian climate the grapes tended to mature more than the same grapes would in Europe – producing a wine with a higher sugar and in some cases higher alcohol content than its European counterpart. The climate has also led to Australia being able to produce fewer weak wines and therefore the wine produced is more consistent than that produced in Europe which is more at the mercy of changeable weather. However as tastes change and time has moved on the wine industry has too and Australia now produces a wide range of wines.

There is a vast amount of wine produced in Australia and we are now going to take a whistlestop tour around some of the wine regions concentrating on those which produce red wine.

In New South Wales the best known region is Hunter Valley, here you will find some excellent Shiraz. Wines can be labelled as being form the upper or lower valley but both areas concentrate on Shiraz for their red wine.

Also in New South Wales is Mudgee and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. This area was previously responsible for some of the cheaper lower quality wines but this has changed over the last few years and there are some really good Shiraz wines now coming out of this region.

For great Pinot Noir wines head to Victoria, The Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Valley are both producers of some fine varieties of this type of wine. In fact Victoria is singlehandedly responsible for a great deal of red wines that end up on tables across the UK with Goulburn Valley, Great Western, Rutherglen, King valley and Milawa all producing some fantastic wine.

South Australia is where many of the wines produced for mass consumption come from. Coonawarra is seen as one of the finest wine regions of the area producing rich Cabernet Sauvignon and fiery Shiraz. Also notable in this area is the wine region of Barossa Valley which is one of the oldest and best known places for viticulture in Australia. Shiraz is what the region made its name from so it is definitely worth checking it out!

For a great range of Australian red wines, or just to browse wine in general, it is a good idea to consult an independent online wine retailer. You can browse wines in your chosen price range, and you can research before you buy.

By: Fiona Muller

Australian Red Wines | GrapeVine Trail

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Australian Wines « Hudson Valley Life Magazine’s Blog

Shiraz is Australia’s most popular red wine. It’s a full bodied, deep red wine that has a peppery aroma and spicy flavor. Enjoy Shiraz with grilled red meats, roast lamb or specialties seasoned with spices, garlic and lots of herbs.

San Antonio Winery: ‘Wines from Down Under’ Australia & New

The Australian “Hermit Crab” was a standout. I also sampled my first sparkling red wine, the “Bin 555,” which was full-bodied and strong. The Astronomer thought that the “Phoenix” Cabernet Sauvignon had essence of stinky tofu.

A Guide To Australian Red Wine

Fiona Muller asked: Australian wine has dominated the UK supermarket shelves and restaurant tables for at least twenty years. In fact Australia is now responsible for the most wines sales by volume to the UK than any other country.

Technorati Tags: australian wine, red wine, wine merchants, wine regions

Easter is just knocking at door.A few days are left.If you want to please your near and dear ones you should start making plans right now.Going out or inviting friends and relatives is a very common phenomena.Surprise them with something special this Easter.

You know a lot about how to decorate your home or how to prepare tasty Easter dinner recipes.You can find a number of Easter gift ideas in websites,magazines etc.Easter crafts have also become very common.So let’s discuss something new that most of the people don’t do.Doing these simple things can win the heart of your loved ones.

Handmade Easter Card:

Giving Easter cards will please the people you have invited. How about home made card with a personal touch? You need a few things like thin sheet of cards,color,glue and scissor.Now start making the card.

First cut one of the thin sheets of card into a number of strips.Remember that you need to cut only the halfway down the thin sheet.Now cut out a few flowers from another card and paint them in different color.With the help of the glue fix the flowers on the end of each strip of the thin sheet of card.

The next step is to curl the card and join the two ends of the card with glue.This will give the card a cylindrical shape. While doing this you should see that the flowers are facing inwards.Now very gently curl down the strips with the flowers attached on top of them.When the flowers droop outwards the whole thing will look like a flower pot.

Candy Strawberries:

Just as you greet them with your hand made card don’t you want to surprise them with a unique sweet dish before they leave.Here it is.Candy Strawberries are very easy to prepare.But it is a rare recipe.They look pretty and they are very tasty.Children are very fond of them.Nevertheless the adults will surely like them as well.Just gather a few ingredients and you can make them in no time.

The ingredients you need to prepare one of this fantastic Easter Dessert Recipes include:

Gelatin,strawberry flavored - 2 packages
sweetened condensed milk - 3/4 cup
vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
sliced almonds - 1/4 cup
ground pecans - 1 cup
flaked coconut - 1 cup
green food coloring - 5 drops
red decorator sugar - 1 jar

Preparing this Easter Dessert is easy enough. Mix gelatin,coconut and pecans in a bowl.Add milk and vanilla to it and stir the mixture well.Keep the bowl in a fridge for an hour to chill the mixture.

Now give the mixture the shape of strawberries.Roll the “strawberries” in red sugar.Use green food coloring to color the sliced almonds.You can insert the almonds on top of the “strawberries” to make them look like leaves.

Go by these ideas and have a great time.Happy EasterŅ…

By: Emily S. Johnson

Telling the Tales from the Far East: Do they celebrate Easter in

Do they celebrate Easter in Taiwan? In Kindergarten they do! In order to make a little extra cash, and to get myself out of the habit of waking up at 2 pm everyday, I picked up a kindergarten class in.

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The most important way to celebrate Easter is to be kind to others and to be happy with what you have. If you are religious then you should celebrate Easter without believing in the Easter bunny.

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The most important way to celebrate Easter is to be kind to others and to be happy with what you have. The Easter bunny is not important for someone who is religious and wants to celebrate Easter.

Technorati Tags: celebrate easter, easter holiday, easter monday, greetings

Many natural foods have some form of sugar in them, almost all plant-based foods have at least a little sugar, and fruits, of course, have quite a bit. While it may be virtually impossible completely eliminate sugar from your diet there are many ways to marginalize your sugar intake and significantly reduce the amount of sugar you use when cooking.

However, it is definitely possible, and tasty, to eliminate added sugar. This is very much a health advantage, because reducing your overall sugar intake is not only an excellent way of markedly reducing your risk of diabetes, stabilizing your blood sugar, and managing your weight. It is also a good way of reducing the amount of processed food you eat.

Many processed foods contain added sugar, simply because adding sugar makes food taste sweeter and more palatable. However, many so-called diet foods have added sugar to mask the fact that eliminating fat from food reduces its appeal. Many “diet” foods have reduced fat, but are high in sugar and that is definitely not healthy.

Health Benefits of Sugar-Free Cooking

Cooking sugar-free has a number of health benefits, all of which are excellent reasons to start cutting the added sugar out of your life. If you reduce your sugar consumption, and in particular cut out foods with added sugar, you can look forward to some of the following health improvements:

• Stabilization of blood sugar levels

When you routinely eat lots of added sugar (particularly as part of a low-fiber diet that includes lots of processed food), your blood sugar levels are constantly up and down, peaking right after you eat, and then quickly dipping to low levels as insulin floods your system to prompt your body to store the excess sugar. This is why you typically feel hungry soon after eating a high-sugar meal, insulin has cleared the sugar from your system, leaving your blood sugar levels very low.

The problem is, over time this constant peaking and dipping of blood sugar levels leads to insulin resistance and eventually, the development of diabetes. Eliminating excess sugar helps stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce insulin resistance, and prevent or delay the onset of this chronic disease.

• Weight management benefits

With excess sugar gone from your diet, improved blood sugar control can help stabilize your weight, too. Insulin helps your body store blood sugar as fat, and when you eat a high-sugar meal, the excess sugar is converted into fat quickly, due to the spike in insulin levels. In addition, those constant blood sugar highs and lows actually mean you end up eating more overall, because low blood sugar promotes binging. This means eliminating added sugar can actually help you reduce your weight (but remember that added sugar is not the only factor contributing to being overweight, so it is important to examine other factors of your diet too, such as lack of exercise, etc.).

• Nutrition benefits

If you eliminate from your diet the foods that contain added sugar, it is likely that you are eliminating processed foods that do not contain much in the way of essential nutrients. Replace those foods with high-fiber fruits and vegetables, and healthy complex carbohydrates, and you will find that you not only improve your health by eliminating sugar, but also because your diet now includes lots of tasty, nutritious natural foods.

• Oral health

Oral health is a benefit of a sugar-free diet that is often overlooked. A diet high in sugar promotes tooth decay by providing oral bacteria with plenty of the food they need to grow on teeth and gums. Tooth decay, gum disease, and cavities are problems that can arise very quickly on a sugar-rich diet, even with regular tooth-brushing. Eliminate the added sugar, keep up with a good oral care regime, and you will definitely benefit.

How to Cook Delicious Sugar-Free Food

Successfully cooking sugar-free, especially baking, simply was not possible two or three decades ago, but with the advent of products such as Splenda, it can be a breeze. The following are some quick tips for cooking with artificial sweeteners.

• Don’t fully replace sugar with artificial sweetener in recipes that use a large amount of sugar. In these recipes, using 100% artificial sweetener can be problematic, as the sugar is not only providing sweetness; it’s also helping improve the texture of the food. In recipes such as fudge and angel food cake, for example, replace no more than half the sugar with artificial sweetener.

• If you’re adding yeast, you need to add sugar. The yeast will not activate unless you add sugar, so yeast breads will not work unless you add some sugar. A good way of achieving this is to activate the yeast with sugar before adding it to the recipe. Up to half the remaining sugar in the recipe can be replaced with artificial sweetener.

• Using artificial sweetener can affect baking times, so check your baked goods at least fifteen minutes early, and check cookies about five minutes early.

By: JenniferBailey

Gluten Free Soft Pretzels « The Gluten Free Cooking Expo’s Blog

Whisk together 1-1/4 cups warm water, brown sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Allow to sit for a few minutes until bubbles begin to show yeast activity.

Cooking Without Sugar: Sugar-Free Alternatives | Suite101.com

Reducing sugar is good for teeth, skin and helps weight loss. Too much sugar causes weight gain and affects blood sugar levels, increasing the risk for diabetes.

Gluten Free Philly - “Eat Without Wheat”: Gluten Freedom

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Technorati Tags: diabetic recipes, sugar free cooking

I admit it - I’m a total sucker for sugar and spice baby girl clothing. Give me lace and roses, hand-crocheted pinafores, add hand-smocked bodices and I’m in heaven. I’ve raised two little girls and had a hand in half a dozen nieces, and I’m here to warn you, ladies. If you love dressing up your little girl in ribbons and lace, indulge yourself as much as you can when she’s a baby - because it won’t be long before she’s choosing her own clothes. And honestly, the frilly styles I love just don’t suit the average active toddler.

So — get it out of your system when she’s a baby - and take lots and lots of pictures.Just for mothers like me, here are five classic looks for smartly dressed baby girls that will ensure that your little angel will never be mistaken for a boy - till she starts dressing herself, at least.Hand-Smocked Polly Flinders Dresses. There is nothing in this world that says ‘little girl’ quite like a hand-smocked Polly Flinders dress. I was lucky enough when my youngest was an infant to find an entire box full of vintage 1950s Polly Flinders dresses, and buy them for a dollar apiece. If you’re not familiar with hand-smocked clothing or Polly Flinders, let me give you an idea of what a bargain this is: a search for Polly Flinders dresses this morning turned up a few dozen dresses, including several vintage dresses from the 50s and 60s. The prices ranged from $45 to $175.

The Sailor SuitWhat do you get when you cross red satin ribbons, navy blue pin-dotsand a white embroidered collar? Add a pint-size sailor’s cap embellished with a satin ribbon and you have one of the most popular little girl baby dresses ever made - a very feminine twist on a little boy’s sailor suit. It was one of the classic styles of the 1940s, and never goes out of style.Ruffled PinaforesIt’s a classic Alice in Wonderland little girl pretty - a gingham checked dress with puffed shoulders and a ruffled hem peeking out from beneath a starched pinafore. Pinafores started out as ‘aprons’ to help save the fancy dress beneath, but soon took on a style of their own. They slip on from the front, and button or tie at the back, and are meant to be worn over an under dress. Ruffled hems and shoulders and dainty embroidery are just a few of the things that make this classic baby clothing style special.Ruffled PantiesVery little in this life is more adorable than rows of ruffled lace peeking out from beneath the hem of a smocked baby dress.

Ruffle-bottomed diaper covers and fancy little embroidered bottoms that are meant to peek out beneath a dress are another of those classic baby girl looks that never age.Velvet and Taffeta RosesWhat’s the well-dressed baby girl wear on Christmas? Taffeta and velvet, with lace and roses at the waist of course. Be traditional with a red velvet bodice and ruffled plaid taffeta skirt, complete with a tiny satin rose at the lace-trimmed collar - or let your bolder side out and dress your little darling in black velvet and pink satin. My own favorite of all time was a pearl gray velvet dress with a white taffeta skirt accented with a full-blown satin bow in baby-soft pink.

By: Kirsten Hawkins

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Some of you (especially baby boomers) might remember The Dirty Dozen, a blockbuster war movie from 1967 featuring an incredible cast that included Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, George Kennedy, and Telly Savalas.

Well, this article is NOT about that Dirty Dozen. It’s about a dozen foods that are downright bad & dirty for you if you’re someone dealing with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. The characters in the movie were bad dudes, the foods on this list are bad foods. All twelve of them. Avoid them as much as possible.

Bad food #12-White rice:
All foods sit on a continuum that relates their sugar content to how fast they are used in your body. This is called the glycemic index.

In order to keep your blood sugar level constant with as few peaks and valleys as possible, you need to slow the rate at which your body converts your food to the various kinds of sugar used and stored in your body. The best way to do this is to eat foods that, in addition to supplying all the right components of nutrition, burn very slowly.

Since the goal is to slow the rate at which your food is broken down, it is important for an hypoglycemic to avoid fast burning, high glycemic foods starting with sugar, but also including refined foods. This includes white flour, white rice, and other refined and polished grains.

Bad food #11-White bread:
Yes, this is a junk food for an hypoglycemic. Every time you look at a slice of white bread you are seeing a slice of sugar – it acts in the body the same way.

Bad food #10-Donuts:
Think of it as white bread dipped in sugar. What could be worse? No wonder there’s a big hole in the middle – it’s a nutritional zero. What was just said pretty much applies to cookies and cakes in general. Anything that’s made with white flour and lots of sugar, not to mention shortening, coloring and preservatives, is BAD for you!

Bad food #9-Alcohol:
Alcohol, like sugar, contains nothing but calories. It has no nutritive value at all and moves very quickly into your blood stream. This affects your blood sugar very suddenly, and there is a corresponding drop in blood sugar as the alcohol leaves your system.

In diabetes, you can control your sugar level with injected insulin. In hypoglycemia this is not possible, and if you eat and drink foods that play havoc with your blood sugar level, you just have to live with the symptoms. It’s much better then, to avoid the booze and the feeling rotten that comes with it.

An extra caution: Read the labels on all your medications; many include alcohol. You need to find alternatives if at all possible. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have prescription medication containing alcohol, and ask for help finding an alcohol-free alternative. Some allergy shots also contain alcohol, so check with your doctor.

Alcohol, particularly when consumed with carbohydrate, can cause an excessive release of insulin and lead to episodes of hypoglycemia. The most common scenario is when you consume alcohol and carbohydrate alone, as with a gin (alcohol) and tonic (pure carbohydrate) and a small cracker or cookie. This is a recipe for disaster, and can cause low blood sugar and its accompanying symptoms even if you never have symptoms otherwise. The occasional occurrence of alcohol-induced hypoglycemia is not necessarily an indication that you are, or will become, a chronic hypoglycemic, but whether chronic or not, hypoglycemia is hard on your body and should always be avoided if possible.
There are fairly strong links between hypoglycemia and alcohol related problems, and more than one study suggests that alcoholism can result from unchecked hypoglycemia.

Bad food #8-Fruit drinks:
Not to be confused with fruit juices, fruit drinks are 10 per cent or less real fruit with lots of sugar. They’re loaded with artificial coloring and sucrose. Definitely teeth rotters. A better choice? Fruit juice (in very small amounts). Even better? Whole fruit – since you’ll benefit from the fiber!

Bad food #7-Decaffeinated coffee:
This is bad for everybody, not just hypoglycemic. The reason is that to remove the caffeine, they add chemical solvent right into your favorite beverage.

Bad food #6-Soft drinks / pop:
Let’s see now, how do you spell increased bone breakage? P-O-P. Pop is nothing more than water, colorant, artificial flavor and SUGAR? It’s absolutely DREADFUL for anyone dealing with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia!

Bad food #5. Diet pop:
You get all the dandy benefits of pop (!?!?), plus artificial sweetener, which has been shown in studies to actually increase your sugar cravings and alter your brain chemistry.

Bad food #4-Sugary breakfast cereals:
Now here’s a guarantee: If you want to start your day in a low life-force mode, then this is the junk breakfast for you – even more so if you add to those cereals a couple toasted pieces of white bread.

Bad food #3-Deep-dish pizza:
This is an excellent way to stack, jack and pack your glycemic index tract with one big dollop of sodium, dough (white flour) and fat – an overnight weight-gain wonder.

Bad food #2-Ice cream:
Here’s a beauty, high in sugar and high in fat, for another whack attack on your pancreas and your arteries.

Alright, this is it! The number 1 in our top 12 list of really bad foods for hypoglycemics…
Bad food #1-French fries (and their cousin potato chips):
Here’s why: Both of these are unparalleled sodium-loading enzyme-dead food. And new information now shows that they’re high in acrylimide, a known cancer-causing agent. In fact, the amount of acrylimide in a serving of fast-food French fries is 300 times above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s limit set for one glass of water.

Bon appétit!

Eat well, be well, live well!

Daniel G. St-Jean
Editor of Help For Hypoglycemia

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