Food – Page 42 – Irene Pastore Fitness.com

Xylitol: A Healthy Sugar Subsitute

February 19, 2013

WHAT IS XYLITOL?

Xylitol is a nutritive sugar found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables. The most common sources of extraction are corn cobs, and trees. Since it’s plant-derived, xylitol isn’t classified as an artificial sweetener.

Xylitol looks, and tastes just like sucrose (white sugar). It’s used in baking, and cooking. You can sweeten your coffee, tea or cocoa with it. Measurement equivalent is the same as table sugar.

WHY USE XYLITOL INSTEAD OF SUCROSE?

Xylitol has health benefits. It prevents tooth decay, and nasal infections, and can be used safely by diabetics. There are about 40 percent fewer carbohydrates in xylitol, and about 75 percent fewer carbohydrates, than sucrose (white sugar). If you are a diabetic, it’s always best to check with your health care practitioner about sugar substitutes.

Xylitol is a food, not a drug. Therefore, food packaging labels carry no claims. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of xylitol, visit Xylitol.org, and WebMD. Xylitol sweetener is usually sold in bags. You can buy it at Amazon.com, at XylitolUSA.com. Xylitol.org provides many links to other product sites.

XYLITOL IS NOT SAFE FOR CATS AND DOGS

Xylitol is safe for humans, but not for cats and dogs. Never feed your cat or dog anything containing xylitol. Even in small amounts, it is toxic, and can be fatal. An article appearing in the July 2012 issue of The Seattle Times, explains why.

32 Types of Hidden Sugar In Packaged Food

February 17, 2013

Sugar is added to most packaged food. Learning the various names for natural, processed sugars, will help you know what to look for when you read food labels. The list identifies natural sugars. Natural sugars are derived from food, rather than chemicals.

32 TYPES OF ADDED NATURAL SUGAR IN PACKAGED FOOD

Agave Syrup, Beet Sugar, Brown Rice Syrup, Brown Sugar, Cane Juice, Confectioner’s Sugar, Coconut Sugar, Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup Solids, Date Sugar, Dextrose, Dehydrated Cane Juice, Evaporated Cane Juice, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Fructose, Honey, Lactose, Malted Barley Syrup, Maltose Syrup, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Palm Sugar, Raw Honey, Sorbitol, Sorghum Syrup, Stevia, Sucrose, Succanat, Turbinado Sugar (aka Raw Sugar), Xylitol.

If you think that added natural sugar makes you addicted, i.e., you can’t stop eating even if you’re full, then it might be a good idea to cut back, or cut out eating foods that contain added natural sugar. Lowering or eliminating added sugar reduces calories, and will you help you maintain a healthy weight.

Quick Snack: Rice Mochi

February 15, 2013

WHAT IS MOCHI?

Mochi is a nutritious bake and serve Japanese rice cake, made from rice paste. Mochi is made without additives, colorings, or preservatives.

WHERE CAN YOU BUY IT?

You can buy it in most health food stores, Whole Foods Market, and Asian specialties food stores.

HOW TO PREPARE MOCHI IN THE OVEN

Prepare mochi by cutting it into squares, and bake in a 450 degree oven, for 8 to 10 minutes.

TOP OF THE STOVE MOCHI

If you don’t have an oven, you can bake mochi on top of the stove in a skillet. I recommend a cast iron skillet, so that the mochi bakes slowly on a low light. If the light is too high, the mochi will burn. Add some oil to the skillet, place mochi in the skillet, cover and bake until soft. Takes about 10 minutes.

How to Buy Barley Grains

February 7, 2013

Confused about buying barley in bulk? Do you know the difference between hulled and unhulled? This post will answer your questions about the different types of barley, how to use them, and plenty of recipes for barley-lovers.

THREE TYPES OF BARLEY

Whole Unhulled Barley: The tough inedible outer hull is intact.

Uses: Sprouting, Beer making. Not for cooking.

Whole Hulled Barley: The tough inedible outer hull has been removed. Whole Hulled Barley undergoes minimum processing so that the bran isn’t lost.

Uses: Cooking. Cooking time is longer than Pearled Barley. More nutritions than the pearled variety. Soak the grains before cooking to cut down on cooking time. See Rita Romano’s book Dining In The Raw for soaking times.

Pearled Barley: Not considered a whole grain. After the hull is removed, the barley is polished to remove some or all of the bran. The more pearling, the whiter the color. Barley purchased in the supermarket is usually the pearled variety.

Uses: Cooking. Cooks faster then Whole Hulled Barley. Not as nutritious as Whole Hulled Barley.

BARLEY INFORMATION

WholeGrainsCouncil.org is a website chock full of information about barley, and all types of grains. Read more about barley here. Photographs of barley here.

PLENTY OF BARLEY RECIPES

Barley is a great winter grain. Add it to soups and stews. See lots more recipes at Barley Foods.org.

Eat Well & Stay Healthy!

Sneaking Midnight LaSagne

February 7, 2013

Late night binge eating is now considered an eating disorder by conventional medicine. If you think you’re a binge eater, here’s some advice from the New York Times about late night eating and weight gain. ABC News reports about the reasons you binge eat, and how to stop.

REASONS FOR LATE NIGHT BINGE EATING

Insomnia
Poor nutrition
Depression
Low self-esteem
Anxiety
Skipping breakfast
Eating first meal several hours after awakening.

POOR NUTRITION

If you’re diet consists of mostly processed foods, and sugars, you’re not getting optimum nutrition. Clean up your diet, by consuming whole foods. Cut down or eliminate sweets, and sweetened food. By the way, almost all food is made with added sweeteners, even vegetarian food. Read labels and find out what’s added to your food.

When you consume processed foods your body craves nurishment. You’re going to eat more to satisfy cravings. Instead fill up on whole food, such as brown rice, breads and pasta made from whole grains, not white flour. Salt can also create food cravings – so cut down.

WHAT ARE WHOLE FOODS?

Brown Rice, Whole Hulled Barley
Bread and pasta made from whole grain flour
Fresh raw fruit
Whole vegetables steamed, raw or sautéed

WHAT TO AVOID

Sugar
Foods that are sweetened with sugars
Canned food
Overly cooked food
Frozen food is overcooked. Skip it and eat fresh veggies instead.

Green Superfood Health Drinks

February 6, 2013

You’re in a rush most of the time, and can’t get all the greens you need to stay healthy. Juicing vegetables is time consuming, because you have to haul the produce home, clean the veggies, put them through the juicer, and then clean the juicer, and other utensils.

Drinking your greens in powdered form is an easy solution. Just open the jar, measure a spoonful, add water, stir, and drink.

Green drinks aren’t cheap, but medical bills can make you bankrupt. Wouldn’t you rather eat healthy than wind up sick?

At the bottom of this post is a list of several companies that produce green drinks. You don’t have to buy them because they’re listed here. Do your own research, and find a green drink to your liking. Continue reading “Green Superfood Health Drinks”

Irene Pastore Fitness.com

Live Streaming Classes & Personal Training For Active Agers 55+