Wow!
New week, hope you all had a great weekend. I had a lot of fun in the kitchen the past few days. Made a big pot of collard greens from the garden and grilled some venison that I marinated in olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Cooked medium rare and sliced thin.
What a special treat!
I'm really getting into the balanced plate guideline and it's rewarding to match the challenge of doing it right. My sleep continues to improve and I've dropped a couple of pounds, but my recommendation is to not watch the scale as much as observe how you feel.
I want to spend a few minutes on foods that harm, or more accurately (if you consult the definition of food) non-foods that harm. First on the list is sugar. There are a lot of varieties of sugar and we are led to believe, through advertising, that some are better than others, or that "natural" sugars are not harmful. As such evaporated cane juice has snuck into use in foods that are purportedly "healthy," when that is what most table sugar could claim as a pedigree.
The fact of the matter is that sugar is sugar. It all has a similar effect on blood sugar levels in the body.
There is, however, one particular culprit that seems to be worse than the others and that is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This "liquid death" has worked its way into a lot of packaged foods including ketchup, barbecue sauce, sports drinks, soda and beer. As an example of how bad HFCS is for you, I'm reminded of a commercial I saw last year during the super bowl that touted a soft drink manufacturer that had gone back to good old reliable sugar in a move to make their product better for us!
Artificial sweeteners are no better. They are shown to "increase cravings, weight gain, type 2 diabetes and they are addictive."
The most important key for you is to read labels.
Look for hidden sugars in packaged foods and drinks. While making food at home, limit sugars and use small amounts of natural sugars sparingly. Honey and maple syrup are favorites at my house. Click the link below for other healthier sugar substitutes.
Today's bible verse
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”
-Noel