What is Xylitol’s History?

Xylitol was first manufactured by a German chemist in 1891. It was further developed and purified by the 1930s. It became useful during WWII as Finland searched for an alternative to the sugar shortage. By the 1960′s Xylitol became the sweetener of choice in Germany, Switzerland, Soviet Union and Japan. Xylitol was not really known or used in the US and Australia at that time. Most likely due to the cheap and abundant supply of cane sugar making Xylitol less economically viable. But the US finally got on board. In 1963 the FDA approved Xylitol for use in unlimited quantities in food and listed it as having no known toxic levels in human consumption.

Are There Xylitol Side Effects?

The only minor concern is that sensitive people may need to start slowly. I personally didn’t have a problem, but for some people, taking in too much Xylitol too quickly can result in mild diarrhea or slight cramping. But once your enzymatic activity adjusts to the higher intake levels, the discomfort usually disappears. So just to be sure, start slowly at first.

Is Xylitol Safe?

Yes, the FDA has stated that Xylitol is safe for human consumption in unlimited quantities. The only danger is the issue of Xylitol and dogs. Don’t let your dog ingest Xylitol as it may cause a sudden and potentially fatal drop in canine blood sugar!

What are Xylitol’s Health Benefits?

• It’s naturally sweet with no strange aftertaste
• Looks & tastes like sugar
• 40% fewer calories & 75% less carbs than sugar
• Glycemic index of Xylitol is 7, sugar at 60-65
• Safe for diabetics (no negligible insulin change because it’s absorbed slowly
• Inhibits growth of bacteria that causes middle ear infections in young children
• Studies in Finland show it may help in reversing bone loss
• Reduces insulin resistance caused by over consumption of sugar (insulin resistance is a key factor in diabetes, cholesterol & triglyceride levels, hypertension and increased risk of heart disease)

Xylitol’s Oral & Dental Benefits

Xylitol inhibits the ability of bacteria to adhere to tissues in the mouth and cannot be metabolized by bacteria, so it drastically slows down the process that creates harmful, enamel-eating acids.

• non cario-genic (doesn’t cause cavities)
• Reduces cavities by 80%
• Significant long-term reduction in cavities (88-93%)
• Reduces dental plaque formation by making plaque less adhesive
• Raises pH level in mouth lower acidic pH encourages bacterial growth)
• Stimulates saliva flow
• Promotes calcium and phosphate
• Promotes enamel re-mineralization
• Reduces gum tissue inflammation
• Helps with dry mouth and bad breath

Xylitol’s Benefits for Weight Loss

Xylitol can be very effective for those wanting to lose weight. It’s a delicious, low-calorie sweetener that has all the sweetness of table sugar, yet has 40% fewer calories and 0g of sugar. Xylitol is an ideal alternative sweetener in foods prepared for weight loss or for anyone concerned about the overuse of sugar in their diet.

I put Xylitol in my sugar bowl and use it in place of sugar on food like fruit and cereal and in coffee. Since it measures and pours just like sugar, I use it in my cooking as well. It converts very well in all recipes. The only exception is that you can’t use it when making bread as it will not activate the yeast. Also, it won’t caramelize and crystallize when making candy etc.

Using Xylitol in place of sugar can be an effective way to cut calories and reduce the insulin spike when you want to enjoy something sweet. Making healthy choices like switching to Xylitol can be very helpful if you are trying to lose weight but can’t give up your occasional sweets.

We are consuming too much sugar and I believe Xylitol can be the answer to many of our country’s health problems. While it’s not very well known, it is starting to be used in gum, candy, toothpaste, mouthwash and other products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barb_Hughesian

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 5 oz onion chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz) can kidney beans — drained, rinsed, and mashed*
• 1 c water*
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 2 T chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cyenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

1. Cook the turkey until evenly browned.
2. Pour the kidney/chili beans into a crock pot and mash.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Slow cook on high for 1 hour.

Nutrition Info:

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Calories: 198
Total Fat: 7.2g
Cholesterol: 42mg
Sodium: 462mg
Total Carbs: 18.8g
Dietary Fiber: 6.4g
Protein: 16.4g

Stevia comes in a variety of forms, including whole leaves, liquid extract and stevia powder (or stevia extract powder). While many of your favorite desserts can be made using this natural sweetener over regular granulated sugar, there are a few which won’t work. This is because stevia won’t caramelize like regular sugar. So desserts such as meringues or burnt crème won’t come out very well if you try to prepare them with a stevia sweetener.

Regular sugar helps retain moisture and also creates volume in desserts. Breads and cakes which need to rise will require at least some sugar, since stevia won’t activate the yeast. Also, sugar browns foods when baked. When you bake cookies with stevia, they will not brown the same. So keep in mind that when you substitute it in these dishes, they may come out looking somewhat different that what you are used to. One option to lessen this effect is to replace only half of the sugar in the recipe with stevia. While it won’t be sugar free, it will have far fewer calories by preparing it this way.

While some people notice a faint licorice or mint aftertaste when they use stevia, this will partly depend on the quality level of the product as well as how you use it and the other ingredients you combine it with. Also, because stevia sweetleaf is nearly 300 times as sweet as granulated sugar, it takes very little to have a big impact on whatever you are preparing. To put it in perspective, only one teaspoon of stevia powder is equivalent to an entire cup of table sugar. If you are not precise when you measure, you may end up with an intensely sweet dessert! If you want the dish to be a little less sweet, you can add either lemon or vanilla flavorings.

Generally, it is the most difficult to try to create recipes which are entirely sugar free with stevia. So, one of the best things to do is use another food to make up for the bulk that regular sugar would have added to the food. Some good bulking foods include apple sauce, yogurt, egg whites, fruit puree, or fruit juice. Using a bulking food which correlates with the dish you are preparing is best. For example, if you are baking pumpkin bread, pumpkin puree would be perfect. A general rule of thumb is to add 1/3 cup of the bulking food or liquid for each cup of sugar that the original recipe called for.

If you love your desserts and want to enjoy them without all the guilt, stevia is definitely a great alternative for sugar. Just be sure you purchase a high quality brand and use it sparingly. It may take a little experimentation, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

Learn more about stevia as a natural sweetener at Stevia.com FAQ and Sweet Green Fields Stevia History.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Chambers

No, not pure sugar – known as refined sugar. Sugar only contains empty calories, calories without any nutritional value. But the body indeed needs carbohydrate, which is also sugar but in a more complex form. Potatoes, rice, bread and pasta are all pure carbohydrate but with a big nutritional value! The body breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugar and then uses it for energy.

Does sugar make you fat?

Yes, but only if you eat more than your body can handle – too much sugar will be stored as fat in the fat cells all over the body.

Are we already eating too much sugar?

Yes, way too much! There is too much “hidden” sugar in food we eat each day – over 80% of the sugar we eat is hidden in “every day foods”. Lets just take ketchup as an example. Ketchup contains far more sugar than most chocolate does! People eat in general around 100 grams of sugar every day – or 41 kilos a year!! That’s two times more than we should!

What’s the different between the sugar in fruit and refined sugar?

Sugar in fruit will be absorbed more slowly by the body than refined sugar and will keep insulin and blood sugar stabile – refined sugar will make insulin and blood sugar rise very quickly!

Can sugar be dangerous then?

Yes, because sugar is a mild form of poison – eating too much of it will affect the body in a negative way! Let me try to explain how:

• Sugar will disturb the natural bacteria flora in the stomach, which in turn can lead to candida!
• Just 100 grams of refined sugar can suppress the immune system significantly!
• Sugar slows down the absorption of calcium and magnesium!
• Refined sugar disturbs the balance of normal insulin production and a normal blood sugar level!
• It will change the metabolism so salt and water will be retained which will further lead to high blood pressure!
• Sugar affects the blood concentration of serotonin and beta-endorfin – a natural hormone in the body, which affects moods. That’s why some people crave sugar – those people get “high” on sugar and are addicted to the daily “sugar-rush”.

Another reason to cut back on sugar intake is if the food has a sugar content that is too high, it will replace the nutritional value of the food with those empty calories and a lot of important vitamins and minerals will be missing! So the bottom line is try to avoid too much refined sugar – if you want that sweet taste, then go for some of the sweet fruit out there. Just try to eat a banana, mandarin or an apricot, and your sugar craving will be gone for many hours!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

I’ve heard these for years and even believed in them because of what so many of us do. It’s not so much what we do as much as it is how we try to do it that makes these sayings true.

When starting a new plan, it seems that we all want instant results. Not only do we want to see results right away, but we want to be doing EVERYTHING right from day one. If it is an exercise program we are starting, the first week involves a trip to the gym that lasts longer and includes more exertion than we’ve had in the last year. If it is a nutrition program, we throw all our food away and replace every food item with foods that we have never eaten before in our lives.

This is a very ambitious approach. Things start out going great, but what happens? Maybe it’s a week down the road or even a month into the new routine, it all falls apart. Eventually, this happens to everyone that takes this approach. It is the “all or nothing” mentality. It is the mindset that we are going to change everything and we are going to change it now.

Although it is important to make changes, we often take an approach that sets us up for failure. By taking on too many new habits or making such drastic changes, we have trouble sticking to it. We partially accomplish many things rather than fully accomplishing a single thing.

Goals are good. We’ve talked about goals a lot. In fact, setting and reaching goals really translates into all areas of life. Let me clarify, the right goals are good. The wrong goals lead us to failure and make it more difficult to set new goals.

Think about this scenario:

Judy wants to start a new weight loss program. It has been years since she focused on her health. Over the past decade she has steadily gained weight and now wants to stop that. She is going to completely change the way she eats and get more exercise. She joins a gym, starts a new diet plan and is feeling good about her chances for success.

Getting started (first step)

The first week is a whirlwind for Judy. She is going to the gym every day, she are eating completely different foods and feeling like she is on track.

Hitting a roadblock (first challenge)

The first weekend comes along and Judy has a party at a friend’s house. When she gets there, she quickly realizes that there is no food that is “on her list” and doesn’t know what to do. She has to eat, so the food that is there will have to do.

The other side of her routine suffered early on too. Judy was also feeling sore from the first week of exercise. She hadn’t ever been to the gym every day of the week, so her body was seriously feeling the effects of the workouts she got in the week before. On Monday, she figures that she should take a day off because she is so sore. She plans on going again on Tuesday, but keeps thinking about how the diet has been difficult to get back into after the weekend problems. Judy has now missed another day at the gym.

The next week (following first step)

Judy feels guilty because she couldn’t stick with her routine. She had such a great first week, but when the weekend came along, she wasn’t able to keep things going on her diet plan. Judy was also struggling with her exercise plan by the beginning of the second week. There were some circumstances beyond her control on the diet side, but she didn’t take that into consideration. On the exercise side, she simply didn’t take the adjustment from years of inactivity into account. Overall, she didn’t give herself any slack and couldn’t live up to it. Instead, she looked only at her goal and felt like a failure.

More specifically, Judy looked at the first step as the whole routine. She tried to start her routine from day one as if she had been doing it for years. She tried to go from no activity and poor diet to exercising daily and eating a perfect diet. Not many people have success following something to a T period. Even fewer people are able to jump into a routine in one step and stick with it.

Judy was trying to change many habits that she had been forming for years in just a few days. That doesn’t sound very realistic does it? Despite this unrealistic expectation, we have all done it. I have worked with hundreds of people that have done it over and over again. Every time they get started, they try to do it all in one big step. Surprise, surprise, it doesn’t work for them. And that is why they are always trying to take that step again…and again.

When you have trouble getting started (or better yet, before you get started), stop and think about how big that first step is. Is it too big and unrealistic? The solution is to make the first step shorter and more realistic. It sounds appealing to change everything and “get healthy” as quickly as possible, but it doesn’t last. Even if you want to do something, it will be difficult to sustain without the habit being formed. The key to health is that no matter what you do to get results; the results go away as soon as you stop doing it.

In other words…

…take a small step that you can keep doing until it becomes natural. Once you get there, take another step. I like to use this analogy:

Take one step forward each week. In ten weeks we will be ten steps ahead of where we were when we started. Take ten steps forward on day one, but take a step backward each day for the next ten weeks. Where are you? Not only are you not where you want to be, but you feel frustrated and defeated because you have been taking backward steps for the past ten weeks.

Take a small step forward to get things started. Every journey begins with one step- the first step. That first step doesn’t have to be the longest or even the most difficult. As long as you are focused on taking many steps and only trying to take one at a time, you will eventually get where you want to go. So take that small step forward toward your success.

It is difficult to value health when you feel like you don’t have it. Many people I talk to feel this way and don’t see a way out. Amy’s theory can actually help you feel like you can make changes. It is not just something for those that need to find health, but also for those that need to maintain the health they already have.

It’s also difficult to value health when you refuse to focus on it. The theory that I’m talking about is about keeping health in the forefront. It is about making sure that your health is on your mind and stays part of your day to day life. When you do that, you will live a healthy life.

Picture this:

You are out at the beach with a big group of friends. The sun is shining and the weather is perfect. Maybe you are in Florida or even Hawaii. Maybe you are just at the lake during the summer time. No matter where you are, they key is that it is bathing suit season. You are in and out of the water because you need to cool off and feel comfortable in the summer heat. All of your friends are enjoying themselves as they do the same.

Now it’s lunch time…

Everyone grabs some food and sits down at a picnic table to eat lunch. As you all eat together, you remain in the sun right on the beach. What are you eating? How much of it are you eating? If you are sitting there in your bathing suit, I will guess that you don’t want to be too full. You don’t want to feel heavy and bloated as you sit there in your bathing suit.

There is now way to hide. You are forced to look at yourself. You are forced to look at each other. You are exposed to the world. Every inch and every pound is right there. It is right there for you to see and it is right there for everyone else to see.

One thing that can influence what you eat and how you think is the reality of right now. Right now, if you can see yourself for what you look like, how you feel and what your body is now, you will make decisions that will keep that on your mind.

We have all heard the phrase:

“I’m not worried about that now.” Or “Someday I will change that.” These statements of procrastination are all too common. Why are they so common? Likely because we really believe that there isn’t a problem now. When you put on your big sweater and stay inside over the winter, you don’t notice weight gain. The longer you go without looking in the mirror (really looking!) the longer you can go without seeing the weight.

For most people, it IS being added. The average person in the US gains about a pound every year. Some gain more, while others actually lose weight. Despite the national trend, I know that there are many people that are living healthy and will continue to do so.

What do these people do that others don’t? They look at their current state, compare it to their desired state and they do what it takes to bring them together. In order to look at their current state they have to take a look in the mirror. It has to be an honest look at where they are. Think about it again: you are standing in front of the mirror in your bathing suit. What do you see? Is it what you want to see? What decisions are you going to make right now to make sure that eventually, you will see what you want to see when you stand here?

These questions are not always easy to ask. But that is the point. It’s not always easy to stand in front of the mirror in your bathing suit. Easy is not always the best option. Easy does not always get you where you want to go. Health itself is not always easy. Some of the things you do to live healthy may take a little more time or effort, but they do get you where you want to go.

Remember…

…that wherever you want to go, you have to start somewhere. No matter where you want to go, you can only start where you are. In order to know where you are, you have to look in the mirror. When you sit down to eat lunch, dinner or any other meal, think about where you are and where you want to go. Is the food you are going to eat helping you get there? What choice can you make to help yourself?

Amy’s theory that we would all make better choices if we wore bathing suits every day makes sense to me. If you could see everything, wouldn’t you eat lighter? I would. In fact, I do. During my conversation with Amy, I thought back to all the times I have been to a beach, lake or pool. On those days I never over ate. Why? Because I was sitting there with my shirt off and didn’t want to feel like I was stuffed.

If we walked around like that every day, we would assess your current state. You would have to because it would be on display for you and everyone else. Next time you eat, drink or debate exercise, simply apply the bathing suit test: What would you do if you were wearing a bathing suit?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_R._Byrd

People tend to look at fatty foods as the cause of their dietary problems. I agree that if you eat plenty of fatty foods such as butter and cream, you will put on an enormous amount of weight. However we need to examine the role of carbohydrates. From our biology lessons we know that carbohydrates are responsible for energy. If you do not use the energy that you have accumulated what happens to it? The simple answer is that it is stored on your body as either fat or muscle. If you do not exercise it will be fat but if you exercise then it will be muscle.

The people who simply concentrate on the fatty foods side of things will miss out on the very important aspect of carbohydrates. The only way to avoid this situation is to think of dieting in terms of having a balanced diet. If you are always aiming for a balance diet then you cannot really go wrong. Unfortunately people do not want to do the difficult part of undergoing a balanced diet. They prefer the quick results of temporary fads and quick fix solutions.

I have to admit that there have been some interesting diets that either include carbohydrates or completely exclude them. The weirdest for me has been the Atkins diet. I never really understood what that was about! Imagine a diet where you could eat any amount of proteins that you liked as long as you did not take any carbohydrates. What seemed even more surprising is that it seemed to work for a time until the people started reporting unpleasant side effects.

Nevertheless it provide a good example of how carbohydrates can affect the dietary success of those who take them. For sports people the carbohydrate is an essential part of their preparation for a match. I would take the same approach if I was going to the gym. You should ideally take enough pure carbohydrates to give you the energy to sustain you in a long work out. If you just cut them out of your diet, you will not have the energy to finish your program and it is highly unlikely that you will lose weight effectively. Effective weight control programs require that you take the time to study your body and work out how it will react to different changes in the dietary program that you are using.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Baldwin

Carbohydrates are basically organic compounds of carbon hydrogen and oxygen. A common carbohydrate food comes from plants like wheat, which is made into flour, which in turn is made into pasta, for example. Starches and sugars are rather much the main source of carbohydrates in diets. Keep in mind that the more processing a natural carbohydrate goes through in terms of the production of food before you get it, often remove some of the valuable nutrients the plant contained in the first place.

You need carbohydrates in your diet, but it is also the element of your diet that needs moderation, especially if you are in active. People often confuse a low-carb diet, which has been popular in these past few years, with a low fat intake. That is simply not correct because fats are part of many foods that may be low in carbohydrates. In fact, you can be turned on by some snacks that actually advertise low carbs, but if it’s chocolate or ice cream for example, well you will still be digesting a lot of fact. An imbalance of fat and carbohydrates in your diet, is dangerous for your heart.

If you do have a lot of carbohydrates in your diet, you can still remain thin and fit, you simply need to burn off those carbohydrates are regular basis. It’s much harder to control fats in your body, then it is to control and reduce carbs. Refined carbohydrates, can be found in more processed foods like white bread, white pasta, potato chips and sugary treats such as cookies, snack bars and chocolate bars. If you want to improve your diet immediately and start eating healthier carbohydrates, then these are the foods you should be avoiding. These refined carbohydrates have actually been attributed to heart disease and diabetes. So really, you need to start focusing on the right kind of carbohydrates.

Here are some more healthier carbohydrates you should be adding to your diet, in order to stay balanced and ward off common diseases associated with processed foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good carbs and also provide an excellent source of natural fibers which in turn can help prevent high cholesterol. Fresh whole potatoes, carrots, celery, and tomatoes are simply packed with nutrients and moderate carbs. The next time you have to make a snack tray, surprise the family with a bunch of these vegetables and fruits. It might give you weird looks at first, but you’ll probably find they’ll be gobbled right up and you might hear a compliment or two.

You need carbohydrates to survive, they provide you energy, but you also need to be weary of the quality of carbohydrates you intake. Also, the volume of those carbohydrates depending on your exercise routines should be monitored closely as well, especially once you hit your 30s and 40s. In fact, start reducing your refined carbohydrates immediately, and replacing them with healthy carbs and you will find in a very short time you start feeling healthier and thinner, by just doing a simple thing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_R._Delaney

Ingredients

Pork Spareribs

• 2lb pork spareribs
• 3c water
• 2T mesquite grill seasoning (or your favorite rub)
• 1c barbecue sauce (low sugar, low carb)

Other sides

• 4 ears corn on the cob (5-1/2″-6-1/2″)
• 1 large Red Potato, Frenched cut or sliced into small wedges
• 1T chili powder
• 1T olive oil
• 2T butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8T barbecue sauce, for serving
• 16 Joseph’s Sugar-Free Bite Size Pecan Walnut Brownies

Method:

• For fall-off-the-bone ribs:
  1. Rub ribs with seasoning
  2. Place in a shallow roaster
  3. Add 2c water in the bottom of the pan
  4. Cover with aluminum foil
  5. Put into a 300 degree oven for 2 hours
  6. Remove the pan from the oven, carefully put ribs on a plate and set aside, pour all of the juices out of the pan, and then line the bottom of the pan with the foil that was used to cover the ribs
  7. Return the ribs to the foil lined pan and baste one side with half of the barbecue sauce
  8. Place into the oven under the broiler for 4 mins
  9. Remove and turn ribs, then baste with remaining sauce and broil again for 4 mins.
  Alternatively, steps 6-9 can be done on a barbecue grill over medium heat.
• For the corn: boil or steam, then butter.
• For the potatoes:
  1. Combine the chili powder and oil in an medium sized bowl.  Add 1tsp salt and pepper (or to taste).
  2. Add the cut potatoes to the mixture in the bowl and stir to coat evenly.
  3. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and place into a 350 degree oven for 25 mins, turning once.
  Tip: if you only have one oven (like I do) put the potatoes on the lowest rack in the oven during the last 20 minutes the ribs are cooking. Keep the potatoes in the oven to finish cooking during the boiling phase for the ribs.
  
  
  Remider: While broiling, always keep the oven door partly open.

  Broiling keeps the upper element “on” in an electric oven. If you keep the door closed then the temperature keeps rising.  If hat happens, the intense temperature may cause your food to smoke (where there’s smoke, there’s fire!).  There is a fail-safe “off” that will turn the element off at a certain temperature. By keeping the door open the internal oven temperature never hits the max temp and the element stays on for the entire cooking process.

• Eat up!
• Have some brownies!!

Makes 4 servings… but double or triple the recipe and invite your friends over to enjoy a healthy barbecue!  :-)
C/S: 2/3 (what’s this?)

Steak

Green beans

Other sides

• 2c prepared Ore-Ida Steam n’ Mash Garlic Seasoned Potatoes
• 1c Heinz Rich Mushroom HomeStyle Gravy
• 20 Joseph’s Sugar-Free Bite Size Pecan Walnut Brownies

Method:

1. For the steak: Place the eggs, flour, and panko into three separate shallow bowls.  Stir the Mrs. Dash seasoning into the flour.  Dredge each piece of steak in the flour; dip into the beaten eggs and dredge in the panko.  Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Fry the steak in batches (do not overcrowd the pan) for 4 minutes per side or until golden brown, adding more oil if necessary.
2. For the green beans: Steam the beans for 3-5 minutes; toss with butter and season as desired.
3. For the potatoes: Prepare according to the package directions.  Heat the gravy in a small saucepan.
4. Serve the steak, green beans, and potatoes with a side of gravy.  Finish with some bite-size brownies.