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SUGAR FREE JANUARY 2007
YUMMY NORTHWEST MARY ROSEWOOD, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
LESLIE PHILLIPS, COPY EDITOR
KENT, WASHINGTON
A sweet beginning
sugar cannot be replaced willy nilly in baked
goods without some change in texture, looks,
and taste.
Welcome to the new year! No doubt you’ve Artificial sweeteners come and go, and although
made a few resolutions, at least momentarily. some may be safe to eat, why not avoid them in
After you’ve thoroughly enjoyed the holidays, favor of natural sweeteners that have been
perhaps January seems like a good time to think around for many generations?
about healthy living again.
One thing to watch for no matter which
Yummy Northwest is all about eating with sweetener you choose, is making sure you eat
joy. But sometimes that means being careful of
Sweet facts some fiber and fat with your choice. These help
what you eat. Too much sugar can cloud the slow down the process that makes insulin levels
mind and make that joy seem somewhat dim There is endless information rise. Dr. Barry Sears, in his Zone diet books,
and not really enjoyable at all. So this month, about sugar and various advises eating some protein with any
sweeteners in books, in carbohydrate to ensure the steady flow of
Yummy considers the sugar-free life.
magazines, and on the insulin.
But what is “sugar free”? An excellent question Internet.
But why should you believe all this theoretical
that, alas, cannot be entirely answered in this research? Let some gals who really gave up
small space. There should be enough A good local source for all-
things sweet (both natural sugar tell you themselves how they did it and
information, however, to get you thinking about what works for them.
what it means to you. Here’s to a happy, healthy and refined) is the Web site
new year! of PCC Natural markets.
Search for “sweeteners” and
you’ll find articles with details Reprogramming a way of thinking
about types of sugars and Here are the things I can think of to say about
What is sweet, what is not the pros and cons of using my sugar-free life, after almost a half-year of
White sugar, the top food additive in the U.S., them. living it:
always seems to head the list of no-no’s in a
healthy diet. Being ultra-refined, it sends blood www.pccnaturalmarkets.com -- To get off sugar I had to reprogram my way of
sugar levels rising quickly and then plummeting, thinking. At age 66, I'd had a lifetime of loving
causing unpleasant sensations in your body, cookies, pies, and cake with lots of icing. I
whether you are aware of them or not. Stevia is an interesting remind myself often that sugar is a poison in our
sweetener that has not yet bodies, that it provides nothing but empty
Our bodies naturally crave sweet things, been approved by the FDA calories, and that real food – and therefore real
probably meant to send us searching for fruit as a food additive, although *physical* satisfaction – consists of eating fresh
and tasty vegetables and grains. But nowadays you can buy it as a dietary fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and
there are many sweeteners available, and it is supplement. Used around seeds, with occasional eggs and cheese.
not always easy to figure out what is good for us the world for centuries, stevia
and what just makes things taste good. seems to not only sweeten -- When I find I want a bit of sweet something to
things but also be good for eat, I use stevia, either in liquid drops or finely
First decide why you want to give up sugar. If you. The Pacific Northwest powdered form, on cooked grains. With a bit of
you want sweeteners that have some nutrients, provides excellent growing vanilla, I also add stevia to a glass of plain rice
honey, molasses, maple syrup, and dehydrated conditions for the plant, so milk, or to a rice milk, yogurt, and fruit smoothie.
sugarcane juice might be OK. If you want to you can experiment with Both forms of this sweetener are derived from a
avoid a “sugar rush,” fructose or date sugar using stevia leaves – plant of the same name, are available at many
could help. If you are giving up “all” sugar, perhaps in tea. (Note that the whole foods sections in supermarkets, and
perhaps stevia is the answer. stevia plant might not survive always at whole-foods markets. It tastes great
winter here.) Find information on my morning oatmeal mixed in with rice milk
You can easily do your own research to find out about stevia and buy seeds or yogurt, or both, and with a dash of
specific information about these and other at www.mulberrycreek.com. cinnamon. Stevia adds no extra calories, it
sweeteners, but keep in mind that every Web really does sweeten, and it's not artificial, like
site and article has its own agenda. Also, if you chemically formulated sweeteners.
are cooking or baking with sweeteners new to continued next page
you, be prepared for some surprises. Plain white
It doesn't have an aftertaste and doesn't, as far lovely piece of chocolate only made me want
as I can tell from reading about it, tear up your Nutty No-Sugar more – the downfall of what sugar does to a
liver, as some of the chemical substitutes can Brownies body.
with heavy use.
These are chewy, easy-to- After my 22-week program, I had lost 35 pounds
-- I don't think about needing things to be sweet make chocolate treats. And, and had the best eating habits of my life. Fast
anymore, and actually now prefer them not to believe it or not, they will not forward to now, and I can't say I'm still as
be. I like fresh fruit and plain yogurt on waffles, give you a sugar buzz. hardcore as I was three years ago, but definitely
rather than syrups or honey. I've even started more aware of what I put in my body and,
making waffles into a savory base for roasted or 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons particularly, how addictive sugar is. I've gained
steamed veggies to which I add a generous some, not all, of the weight back, but am still
vegetable oil
spoonful or two of vegetarian gravy to help working out consistently. Once the holidays are
everything go down smoothly and to make it a
1 1/2 cups well-packed over, I'm going to go back off sugar and start
true main dish. date sugar the cycle again!
1/2 cup minus 1 1/2 J., Seattle
-- I've lost 12 lbs. at a nice, slow pace (6 teaspoons water
months), which has stayed off – just by 6 egg whites or 3 extra- Can’t have just one
eliminating sugar. I have more energy. It's funny large eggs My name is Sandy, and I am a sugarholic. I love
about food: it's what your body is begging for – 3/4 cup all-purpose flour chocolate, cookies, cakes, and Snickers. I gave
real food, with proteins, carbs, and yes, even 1/2 cup well-packed up sugar several years ago. There have been
fats. I found when I started to eat real food in times where I have fallen "off the wagon" or was
unsweetened cocoa
moderate servings, at regular times during the mistaken that I could have one candy, one
day, that a lot of compulsive eating of sugary
powder
cookie, and still be OK. I was wrong.
foods just evaporated away. There were ups 1/2 teaspoon salt
and downs emotionally the first three or four 1/2 cup chopped nuts What always proves to be correct is that sugar
weeks, as I changed my thinking and eating 3/4 teaspoon baking soda affects my mental state as well as my physical
habits, but these have leveled off. Change of all state. When I have cleared my system of sugars
kinds takes motivation, discipline, a bit of game- Preheat oven to 350 (that takes at least two weeks), I no longer have
playing, and a good dollop of stubbornness – degrees. Grease the aches in my joints and muscles, I think clearly
and it pays off handsomely when it comes to bottom of a 9-by-9-by-2- and function more calmly. There is just an
getting sugar out of one's diet. overwhelming sense of well being.
inch baking pan.
-- I still have urges to get baked goods when I'm The sugar-free life is a good life. Finding foods
in town, but I've resisted. Why did there have to In a large bowl, stir
that contain no refined sugars, or sugar
be two new coffee-and-good-pastry places open together all ingredients substitutes, allows you to really think about what
just NOW, when we've gone years and years except baking soda until you are eating. Pineapple, fresh and dried
without any place like that? well combined. Stir in (Trader Joe's has wonderful dried pineapple
baking soda quickly, and with no sugar or sulfites), grapes, and Pink Lady
-- My son told me that his family has switched to
then mix (28 to 30 beats); or Fuji apples have become my favorite snacks.
agave syrup for almost all their sugar use.
Supposedly, even diabetics can tolerate this
immediately pour mixture
into prepared baking pan. Searching for pastries that are sweetened with
form of sweetener, and it can be used in baking.
maple syrup or molasses is not easy. I have
C., Astoria, Ore.
found that the Flying Apron Bakery has
Bake 20 minutes at 350
delightful treats that are not only sugar free but
No more cravings degrees. Turn down oven also wheat free. PCC also has wonderful
Three years ago, I joined a "fitness boot camp" to 325 degrees and bake cookies, muffins, and nut bars that are sugar
in an effort to jump start my regular workouts, another 15 minutes or until free.
which had lacked consistency. I also met weekly a cake tester inserted into
with a nutritionist; what I learned about food center of brownies comes A sugar-free life seems to lead you to examine
floored me. out clean. all refined foods and their effect on your
health. It is truly amazing how once you feel
For the first two weeks, my meals consisted of Remove pan from oven healthy other changes come so easily.
protein shakes and chicken. I was more or less S., Seattle
and place on a wire rack.
weaned off sugar, which I never realized I had
consumed so much of. During the first week, my
Cool 30 minutes before
hands and feet were freezing (I'm normally a cutting brownies. To store,
human heater), and I experienced severe place cooled brownies in About Yummy Northwest
headaches. My body went into shock from lack airtight container and store Each monthly issue highlights an edible
of sugar that I consistently pumped into it. Once on countertop or freeze. delight available in the Pacific Northwest.
I got used to not having sugar, I no longer
craved that afternoon sweet snack and, instead,
gravitated toward healthier munchies, such as
Makes 9 servings. Contact the editor
baby carrots, yogurt, and fruit. I also started Comments, corrections, topic ideas, and
from “The ‘I Can’t Believe
eating more proteins, such as beef jerky, which This Has No Sugar’ submissions are all most welcome at
satisfied my cravings and kept me full for longer Cookbook” Yummy_Northwest@hotmail.com. View
periods of time. In my sugary days, eating a by Deborah E. Buhr archives at yummynorthwest.com.
