Next Ingredient to Dissect!

Ok, one addendum to add to my last post...Spelt Puffed Cakes - Agave Sweetened. As I mentioned earlier spelt is naturally higher in vitamins, minerals and amino acids than commercial wheat - another great product are these puffed cakes - they're like the good ole rice cakes except they are spelt and are sweetened with Agave Nectar or Agave Syrup which is a great natural sweetener. It most often comes from the Blue Agave plant but comes from lots of other types of Agave plants as well, which is like a cactus and is in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico - same plant tequila comes from - bonus! It is like honey, a little less thick. There are lighter and darker varieties of agave nectar from the same plant. The sap from the plant is heated at low temperature so most raw food enthusiasts consider it a raw food. It has a really nice sweet taste. I actually used it in my coffee this morning because I threw out all of my Splenda packets (God only knows what's in that little packet) and was very happy with the taste! My next step will be to order organic coffee for my Keurig - but that's a whole other conversation! We will talk more about sweeteners and natural alternatives later as well - just check out the Spelt Puffed Cakes - you'll like them!

Ok- next ingredient on my box of Wegmans brand Seasoned Bread Crumbs is High Fructose Corn Syrup - we all have heard of it and see it in soft drinks, fruit juices, jams, cereals, Manwhich sauces, breads, bacon, beer, pasta, protein bars and so many other processed foods. Basically fruit has a ration of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Fruit contains fiber that slows down the metabolism of fructose and other sugars. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is made from corn and is made my changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose - another type of sugar. It is soluble, mixes easily into foods and is very cheap to make. Natural sugar has sucrose and fructose binding together to be better digested. Because of the added HFCS to products that already have sugar or fruit juices more fructose is added to our diets. We are eating more fructose today than ever before. Pure fructose has no enzymes, no vitamins and minerals and can actually deplete the body of its micronutrients. It can effect the way our heart uses important minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium. HFCS can also raise blood cholesterol levels and cause blood clots. It can also effect the body's immune system effecting the natural job of white blood cells so it cannot fight infections. I read so many other ill effects high levels of fructose can cause to the body such as diarrhea, interfering with oral contraceptives, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, particularly in children ....But the one fact is it may be one of the leading causes of obesity today! A lot of companies are going back to using beet and cane sugar which was mainly used as a sweetener before HFCS was introduced in the 80s. But whether it's beet and cane sugar or HFCS it is high, empty calories with little or no nutritional value. If I had to choose one over the other - beet and cane sugar for sure.

Take Away:

Try to cut out the added sugars, go for the natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and Veggies have vitamins and minerals, not empty calories!

Look at labels - if it says "glucose, maltose, sorbitol and mannitol - that food has added sugar. Move on, don't buy it!

Try to not use a lot of sugar in your coffee or tea - we'll talk about maple sugar, honey....later

Add your own fruit to your yogurt, instead of buying yogurt with fruit added. Buy low fat or fat free organic yogurt and add honey, or pure organic maple syrup (it digests better than sugar) and tastes great mixed in yogurt..."SEVEN STARS FARM" makes the best organic yogurt, it's a biodynamic dairy. They also make Maple Yogurt - yum!

Stay away from sodas or juices with all that sugar - make a non-fat fruit smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit. If you did want to buy your kids soda for an occasional treat try "Jones Pure Cane Soda" and no GMOs (genetically modified organisms) - their website http://www.jonessoda.com/files/pure-cane-sugar.php - but still has lots of sugar....

Bake your own sweets - there are so many great recipes that call for really healthy flours like Quiona, barley and use maple sugar or maple syrup as the sweetener with dried cranberries or cherries to add more natural sweetness - I have so many recipes...will share....

your homework is to look up biodynamic....