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5 Healthier Sugar Alternatives

LEAVE YOUR SUGAR BEHIND
Refined sugar is considered as addictive as a drug and potentially as detrimental to your health. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes anywhere between 150 to 170 pounds of refined sugars in one year! It is clear that collectively we have a serious habit to kick.  Sure, there are plenty of sugar-free sweeteners on the market, but those chemically created artificial sweeteners are more toxic than refined sugar. Ending your sugar addiction doesn't mean that you have to stop enjoying a hint of sweetness – just that you find healthier alternatives. Below are five all-natural options. Quitting sugar is the fastest way to weight loss, and a longterm solution.
	Agave Syrup This honey-like sweetener is made from the sap found in the core of the agave plant. It's sweeter than table sugar, so you can use less to get the same results, while at the same time boosting your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals: It has trace amounts of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. Agave nectar also has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, so it won't cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
	Raw Organic Local Honey There is so much to buzz about! Honey contains trace amounts of niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, free-radical fighting antioxidants and, some studies show, may help to alleviate seasonal allergies. If you're trying to lose weight, there's good news for you; honey's low glycemic index helps keep sugar levels in check – and it's 50% sweeter than refined sugar, so you'll be satisfied with less.
	Pure Maple Syrup Most people only think about using maple syrup when enjoying pancakes. But this morning staple can also be used as a sugar substitute in baking. Research shows that maple syrup also has some health benefits including promoting cardiovascular health and boosting the immune system.
	Molasses During the refining of sugar cane and sugar beets, the juice squeezed from these plants is boiled to a syrupy mixture from which sugar crystals are extracted. The remaining brownish-black liquid is molasses. Molasses is a popular sweetener in baking and can also be used as a syrup on pancakes and waffles. Its health benefits include a high iron content, as well as vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, and more antioxidants than any other natural sweetener.
	Stevia Stevia is the powdered extract of the plant, Stevia Rebaudiana, an herb indigenous to Paraguay and Brazil. While this zero-calorie sugar substitute tastes just like table sugar, it won't cause a spike in blood sugar levels. When using stevia, consumers should note that it is 200-400 times sweeter than sugar and use far less when baking or stirring into coffee or tea. Health benefits include phytochemical compounds that help control blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.  ~Thanks to Martha D'Adamo

Beware: Now you can get a green smoothie at Starbucks

First Jamba Juice brought green juice to malls everywhere, and now, your morning Starbucks run might include coffee, with a side of fruit. Last week, Starbucks, Evolution Fresh, and Dannon rolled out a line of three yogurt-and juice-based smoothies.

The launch comes on the heels of a pilot smoothie program which Starbucks debuted in a couple of cities last summer. It was so successful that the smoothies are now coming to Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and at select Starbucks shops inside grocery and Target stores.

So can a mass-produced, made-to-order green smoothie be truly healthy? Here’s what you need to know before you swap them for your morning Venti.

The ingredients. There are three flavors: Sweet Greens, Strawberry, and Mango Carrot. They’re made from a mixture of a cold-pressed, non-organic, high-pressure processing juices that are nearly identical to the Evolution blends on the shelves at Starbucks, and a non-fat (and non organic), strained Greek yogurt from Dannon. And while the juices might not be pressed with fruits and veggies right in front of you, you can opt to have them throw a handful of fresh kale into the blender as they whip them up.

Nutrition facts. The smoothies range from 170–230 calories. Each one has 7 grams of protein, a few grams of fiber, and A LOT of sugar (30 grams or more). Smarter would be to offer green drinks with a scoop of protein powder instead. There are comparable amounts of sugar in the green smoothies and a tall Frappuccino coffee drink (one cup/8 oz of coke has 44 grams).

How they taste. Sweet Greens is a gateway flavor into the world of sippable veggies. Because all of these blends are quite sweet, they’re probably for the Frappuccino buyer. You can’t beat the price—at $5.49 for a grande, they’re half the cost of some green juices. But if you’re already sipping spirulina, chard, and turmeric, you’re probably aware that these options are not so healthy due to the sugar content.

In addition to smoothies, the collaboration is yielding more fruit—some of it fresh, as Evolution Fresh and Dannon debut new yogurt parfaits.

The parfaits will debut this May in 6,000 Starbucks locations nationwide. Come July, you’ll also see Evolution Fresh and Dannon-branded yogurts in your local grocery store. 

~Thanks to Molly Gallagher

Tuna Ranked: How to Avoid Mercury in Your Fish

Tuna still is the most popular canned fish of all time, but health concerns involving the packaging is playing a part in the diminishing popularity of the food. This, as well as the poor quality and safety of the food itself, environmental concerns regarding overfishing, and unintentionally harming other aquatic life. Does your tuna measure up? 

Canned tuna seems like an inexpensive and practical food choice, having been considered a staple of the average American consumer for years. However, when concerns about mercury contaminating tuna and other seafood sources were raised, it created a stigma about seafood, bringing into question how safe it really is for consumers.

Methylmercury, found in fish and shellfish, is the type that slowly bio accumulates over time ends up on our dinner tables, and then, in our bodies. This mercury exposure is known to cause a number of health problems, including neurological damage and organ damage.

Along with health concerns, questions about whether fishing methods are sustainable and how they affect the surrounding ecology have caused many to raise awareness about how companies produce their product, and whether or not it is safe and humane. Unintentionally catching  marine life like dolphins, turtles, sharks and other species could potentially put them in endangerment status, while overfishing could destroy the natural balance of marine life in some areas.

“Unfortunately, dolphin safe does not mean ocean safe,” said Greenpeace seafood markets lead Graham Forbes. “Turtles, sharks and other vulnerable ocean life are collateral damage in tuna fisheries that supply the U.S market. The big players have a responsibility to join forward-thinking brands in building a more responsible tuna industry. As the market continues to shift, selling products that are bad for our oceans will be bad for business.”

These are just a few of the reasons that more people are turning away from tuna. 

 Greenpeace has created a comprehensive guide showing which major brands of canned tuna were able to follow sustainability guidelines, like not overfishing, eliminating by catch, treating their workers humanely, and properly labeling their products. Many of the largest named brands in their investigation were found to have the worst ratings for sources, sustainability, and overall quality of product. The environmental concerns along with the potential health risks of these products have given consumers key points to consider when they are buying their canned tuna (if they still do).

“Consumers should know that popular and trusted canned tuna brands are contributing to ocean destruction at an alarming rate,” said Forbes. “While the biggest brands have thus far refused to offer sustainable tuna, the silver lining here is that other companies are stepping up to provide ocean safe options for their customers.”

~Thanks to Samantha Hemmingway 

The Real Scoop on Alli, FDA-approved Weight Loss Supplement

Remember Alli? It’s the only FDA-approved weight loss supplement, and was  voluntarily recalled from the shelves last year due to tampering (there were mysteriously all sorts of different pills in their bottles). Now, Alli is back on the market, so they’ll be popping up again at your local pharmacy—and maybe even in the women’s locker room.

What should you know about this product—besides that it can’t compete with kale salads and regular exercise for a healthy lifestyle? 

What is it—and how does it work? The active ingredient in the supplement is orlistat, which is designed to keep your body from absorbing the fats you eat.

The theory is that without consuming the fat, you’re not consuming the calories or gaining the weight. One of the hitches, though, is that Alli doesn’t discriminate between the good and bad fats, so even if you eat healthfully and take it to speed up weight loss, as recommended, you’re not getting all of the benefits of a balanced diet. Alli stops the absorption of all fats, from French fries to wild salmon.

Healthy fats are crucial to a balanced diet (doctors have been trying to explain that for years!) The good ones actually help your immune system, nerves, heart, bones, hormones, and skin.

It’s not the best long-term solution. While clinical trials involving orlistat show it can help people lose weight, the old-fashioned method might even work just as well. While Alli might help someone who has 100 pounds to lose - in order to achieve sustainable weight loss, you need to change your behavior, and a supplement can’t help you with that.

Getting healthier should be via things you can stick with—like whipping up veggie smoothies, or meeting a friend for a spin class a few times a week. A supplement doesn’t address the emotional or behavioral aspects of eating; it’s a short term approach. 

~Thanks to Molly Gallagher 

Words of the Buddha

Wonderful it is to train the mind,

so swiftly moving, seizing whatever it wants.

Good is it to have a well-trained mind,

for a well-trained mind brings happiness.

Dhammapada 3.35

In Sanskrit:
Dunniggahassa lahuno,
yatthakāmanipātino.
Cittassa damatho sādhu,
cittaṃ dantaṃ sukhāvahaṃ.
Listen: http://host.pariyatti.org/dwob/dhammapada_3_35.mp3

A Healthy Mediterranean Diet: What it Looks Like

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*Note that all oils should be Olive or Coconut, never canola or fake butters