FitSugar

A Reader Recipe: Grain- and Sugar-Free Cocoa Cakes

Fit Community — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:13:50 PST

Whether you're following the Paleo diet or just looking for a treat that is grain- and sugar-free, you'll love this cocoa cake recipe from reader pure2raw. They posted it in the Healthy Recipes community group.

Looking for the easiest cake ever to make? Check out our grain- and sugar-free cocoa cherry cakes! It only requires a few ingredients, too. It will become your new favorite cake recipe! Enjoy!

Check out pure2raw's blog pure2raw for the full recipe and don't forget to share your own recipe ideas in our Healthy Recipe group in the Fit Community!

Researchers Call For a Tax on Sugar

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:37:19 PST

According to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, sugar is as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco. And just like other legal vices, they think regulators should put restrictions on its sale and availability by taxing any processed foods that have added sugar, including soda, some juices, chocolate milk, and sugared cereal, as well as proposing age limits when it comes to buying sugary foods.

In an article published today in the journal Nature, UCSF doctors feel the rise in obesity, diabetes, and other diseases has gone too far, and it's time for the government to get involved. The research team also feels sugar should be removed from the FDA's Generally Regarded as Safe list.

The idea of restricting sugar isn't a new thing. The debate on issuing a soda tax has been discussed for years, as well as limiting sugary foods when it comes to food stamp programs and availability of chocolate milk and sodas in schools. But a tax on sugar in general? Not everyone is in agreement. Since there's no evidence that such health issues as obesity and diabetes are caused by a single food or nutrient, some nutritionists don't believe taxing sugar will even be effective. Instead of focusing solely on sugar, cofounder of the Yale Prevention Center says, "The focus should be on the overall nutritional quality of foods, not just one nutrient." What do you think?

Simple Tips For Staving Off Holiday Sugar Cravings

Heather Dale — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:29:20 PST

You know you're getting into the holiday spirit when the movie Elf is on repeat in your DVD player. If this is the case, let's just hope you aren't influenced by Will Ferrell's bad dietary habits, which include copious amounts of candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup! We may not be guzzling down bottles of syrup, but when confronted with tables full of cookies, candies, chocolates, and cake, what's a girl to do? Other than exercising some restrain, here are some helpful tips that will help curb your sweet tooth during the holiday season.

Sweet and Satisfying Desserts Under 20 Grams of Sugar

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:12:36 PST

From sodas to breakfast cereals loaded with more sugar than a Twinkie, sugar - and large amounts of it - can be found in almost every element of the American diet. Sugary foods raise blood sugar levels, but the levels quickly drop, signaling our brains to crave more sugar. Naturally occurring sugars are much healthier choices since they are found in fruit and dairy products, which also contain filling fiber and energizing protein.

You don't have to deprive yourself of the sweet goodness of sugar. Here are some low-sugar dessert ideas that are sure to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.

What Part of Your Diet Do You Watch the Most?

Leta Shy — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:44:00 PST

It's not exactly easy to eat healthy - conscientious eating requires a lot of knowledge about what's in your food, not to mention the need to read labels more carefully than most people do.

We should all be mindful of how much fat, salt, sugar, and calories we take in, but it's important to weigh these with your own history and nutrition goals (a recent study, for example, found that too much salt may not be so bad after all, for certain people). And that can mean that you may watch your salt intake but not care about eating that second piece of bread at dinner.

When it comes to your diet, what aspect do you watch the most?

Are You Addicted to Sugar?

Health — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 04:29:16 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Julie Upton, RD

I've been reading a lot from both popular press and scientific publications about how certain craveable foods, such as those that include sugar, fat, or a combination of both (e.g. ice cream, chocolate, and most desserts) may cause druglike responses in our brain.

Animal-model research shows that when animals are given all-you-can-eat access to junk food, they can't seem to get enough of it - and they'll forgo normal activities such as exercise and sex to eat the sugar- and fat-rich foods.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, say repeated exposure to junk foods led to diminished feel-good responses, so the animals needed more of their "food fix" to get the same response.

Sound a bit like cocaine, alcohol, or nicotine? Some say it is.

Health.com: 50 Holiday Foods You Shouldn't Eat

Although food addictions are much more difficult to diagnose - and there could be more emotional and behavioral issues to blame - some of us may be more susceptible to addictive-type feelings around food. Just as those with an alcohol dependency crave a change in blood alcohol level, some nutrition researchers suggest that these people may crave the changes in blood sugar that occur from eating sugary foods.

I've met many clients who claim to be seriously addicted to sweets. They feel they cannot cope on any given day without their candy, soda, or other sweet treat. According to these women, their cravings for sweets are overwhelming.

Health.com: Can You Get Hooked on Diet Soda?

I often feel like I have issues with sweets because I can barely get down the candy aisle of my supermarket without "sampling" the gummy peaches or Jelly Bellies. If you can relate to the notion of being "addicted" to sweets or a particular trigger food or beverage, you're not alone. Here are three ways to deal with it.

Fruits With the Highest and Lowest Sugar Content

Heather Dale — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:42:31 PDT

A healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth is to enjoy a piece of fresh fruit - either by itself, with yogurt, or added to a smoothie or shake. While some fruit can be high in sugar, if you are active and healthy, having too much fructose (the sugar from fruit) doesn't need to be a concern of yours. However, if you have (or are at risk of getting) diabetes, your fruit intake should be monitored since too much fruit may lead to high blood sugar.

Looking to reduce your overall sugar consumption or are just curious how much sugar is in your favorite fruits? Read on to see how your favorite fruit ranks.

Nutritional Comparison: 5 Sugar-Free, All-Natural Sodas

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:21:06 PDT

It's tempting to go for a diet soda when you're craving something sweet and don't want to consume extra calories, but with research linking diet soda to weight gain, it might be time to reach for an alternative. We looked at five popular beverages that claim their sodas are pure, "sugar-free," and natural. Here's what we found, so you can make a better choice the next time you are cracking one open.

How to Reduce Your Sugar and Salt Cravings

Leta Shy — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:57:03 PDT

It's an endless cycle: satiating your salt and sugar cravings can end up with you just wanting more. Once our taste buds get used to sugary or salty foods, it's hard to cut back. Since most of us are eating way more than the recommended daily values for sugar (six teaspoons of added sugar a day) and salt (1500 to 2300 mg a day) - not to mention the sugar and salt levels hiding in processed foods - cutting back on these addictive ingredients is important.

You can put me in the over-salter group. Whether it's a stir-fry or chips and salsa, I find myself craving salty foods all the time. Lately, however, I've been trying to cut back on my sodium intake, and I've been realizing just how hard it can be.

Are you also a big fan of salt or sugar? Read on for some tips that have helped me cut my cravings.

What Do You Know About Hidden Sugars?

Leta Shy — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:14:24 PDT

We know that too much sugar can increase our risk of obesity and diabetes, but while you may have stopped adding that teaspoon of sugar to your coffee and cut back on your afternoon candy run, many not-so-obvious foods are chock-full of hidden sugars. Anything from bagels to flavored yogurt can contain a high amount of added sugars. What do you know about these empty calories? Take this quiz to test your knowledge!

Source: Flickr User Silly Jilly

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