Classic Food Favorites Made Healthier

What's the number one comment most people always exclaim about a makeover recipe?

Ugh! What did you do, it doesn't taste right!

Many times, a "re-do" is just not as popular as the full fat, full sugar, full flavor version, or so they say. But every once in a while, if you know the right little kitchen tricks, you can get more compliments on the re-worked version than you ever did on the original.

The important part of this trick though, absolutely never tell anyone ahead of time you have changed the recipe to make it healthier. Their subconscious mind alone will mutiny and, as my husband always says, "it doesn't taste right"... but that's before he even takes a bite.

 Just play it safe, serve tonight's dinner and sit back and reap the compliments without ever stopping to say a word to anyone. With time, all of your slimmed down versions of the family favorites will lead to a normal part of your family's healthier diet.

Five Easy Re-Do's For Classic Favorites

Your final objective is to reduce the calories, lower the saturated fats and trans fats,  reduce the sodium and the sugars, especially in high carbohydrate selections.  So slowly try incorporating a few of these into your daily cooking to help ease your family's diet into better, healthier food selections.

reduce the whole milk used to 2%, then 1% and eventually to skim milk. This reduces both the high fats and the sugar concentrations. Alternatively, change from regular milk to alternative milks like almond milk, coconut milk or hemp milk, unsweetened . Each of these alternative milks add quality fats to your diet while reducing the amount of sugars which are common in regular milk products.

never salt the cooking water before you cook any type of pasta. Many people always do this because they say it prevents the pasta from clumping. Just stir the pot a few times while the pasta is cooking and you don't need the extra salt to prevent clumping.

stop using the mild types of cheese high in saturated fats (like American cheese or Velveeta) and use a smaller quantity of sharp cheddar. Because the flavor is much stronger, you don't need as much cheese. Sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan then on the top of the casserole for an added flavor twist.

as a thickener for their casserole, remove the white flour products and use arrowroot instead. You reduce the tendency for spikes in your blood sugars and eliminate all gluten for the gluten sensitive. Some people even like to use 100% whole grain oatmeal to absorb the extra liquids which adds some vital extra special nutrients.

for all those people who refuse to eat fruits and vegetables, start small. Don't serve a dish of carrots for tonight's dinner. Grate them instead and put them in the meat loaf or the spaghetti sauce. Add onion, sweet peppers, garlic and celery to almost anything. Having a side salad can become even more special with a chopped apple, some raisins or a few slices of ripe pear. Add a few raw nuts also and enjoy a slightly different type of salad tonight.

These are some of the easiest ways to get your whole family to transition to a healthier diet. Do this every day with each meal for one or two dishes and it is easy to see how the advantages can start to stack up.

I'm Back!

Many people weren't as lucky as the area I live in so I do sympathize with them. I know exactly what they are going through.

But this time, in my location, we got off a whole lot easier than other times.

Still some water damage and a lot of wind damage. My front and back yard both look like a demolition area from the high winds. Downed and splitting trees, shrubs literally stripped of their vegetation. Our separate garage and storage shed didn't withstand much of the abuse so they need to come down now also.

But all in all, we made it out of this round very lucky. I have been through so much worse.

Now, just wait for the conveniences like electric, water, cable and telephone to all make it back and life can resume as normal.

Thanks to everyone who cared enough to write and wish me well.

"Vacation" For Awhile, Anyone?

I'm probably going to be off for a while, at the very least the weather reports seem to think so.

I happen to be one of those people which live and work right in the path of Hurricane Sandy, which is supposed to hit the East coast today. It's already starting outside now - nothing major but lots of wind and rain kicking up.

The temperatures though is what is so surprising. You can never figure out how to dress for the last 24 hours. It was so warm yesterday morning when I left to go to my store. Felt like a tropical storm coming outside. Last night, left from work and it was more like a winter storm coming. Nothing happening, understand, it's just the "feel of the air".

This morning early, while coming in, you can feel the cold air swirling all around you but it's still so humid like the tropics. It's kind of weird how you get the feel of a blast of cold air continuously but you still are sweating because of the high humidity levels.

But we will all take what we get and find a way to make it through it all.

Take care everybody and stay safe!

Make Your Own Nut Butter

Many of the children and adults which have a nut allergy don't also have difficulty with peanuts (remember, peanuts actually are not a member of the nut family at all).  This also works vice versa. Many people with a peanut allergy can actually enjoy many kinds of nuts.

But often the problem arises that many places that process nuts also process peanuts and vice versa. Because of the cross-contamination concerns, many families just avoid them all.

But if you have found a quality source of the whole nuts (or peanuts) themselves, it's actually very quick and easy to make your own nut butters. And the advantage, you know exactly what's in your final product.

So, it doesn't really matter what kind you are striving for. They all start with the same basic recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups nuts of your choice (cashews, pecans, almonds all work well) or 2 cups peanuts
few tablespoons of grapeseed oil, avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (coconut oil can also be used but it will alter the flavor just a little)      
pinch of good quality sea salt,  optional

If you prefer roasted nut butter, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Stir at least twice to prevent burning the nuts. Cool slightly before placing into a food processor.

Directions

Pour the nuts into a food processor and start it running. The nuts will pulverize into a dust. Stop the blades occasionally and scrape down the sides.

Continue letting the unit run and the nuts will eventually go to the consistency of wet clumps. Scrape again every few minutes. Sprinkle the salt in if you desire to use it. Replace the lid and run some more. The consistency eventually will start to get creamy and smoother. Start slowly adding a tablespoon or more of oil until you get the consistency you enjoy.

This whole process from start to finish usually takes about 12 to 15 minutes for your food processor running, sometimes more.

** For an interesting flavor variation, add about 1/4 cup of melted dark chocolate ( 70% cacao or more) and let the food processor blend it in for a wonderful chocolate nut butter spread.

Scoop the nut butter into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for best quality. Enjoy!

High Energy Snacks

One of the worst things you can ever do to yourself is train your body NOT to beg for foods at regular intervals.

Sounds pretty dumb, huh?

But hunger is a defense mechanism for your body. It is your body's way of telling you it is not receiving the nutrition it requires.

 Now remember, in that last statement, I did not say it is not getting enough food. I said it is not getting the  nutrition it desires. You can fill up your entire body on a continuous basis with tons of junk foods but that still means you are lacking in nutrients. Your body is trying to tell you that in its only way.

So eating three consecutive meals plus a few mini snacks may sound like just so much food to many people, but when you plan your daily foodstuffs around good solid nutrition, the act of feeding your body on a 4-6 hours daily schedule, this maintains a smooth and continuous flow of energy for both you and all of your major organ systems. Otherwise, many people get so tired and cranky. The continuous headaches, fluctuating blood sugar levels, and the muscles and joints get so tired and sore. All of this discomfort just because you couldn't take a few extra minutes to give your body the necessary fuel it so desires.

Popular Approximate 100 Calorie Snacks

Most people's concept of a snack is to hit the vending machine, a bag of chips or pretzels, cookies, crackers or pastries. But none of this is what your body is searching for. Snacks themselves can be just as good for you as the main meal with just a little bit of advance planning. What that means, pick up a few things from the house or store and bring your little doggie bag to work with you. So, some excellent ideas for a quick mid-day or mid-morning snack could include:

1. two graham cracker squares spread with peanut or almond butter
2. a piece of sliced turkey breast wrapped in lettuce with some mustard, sliced tomato and a slice of onion.
3. one cup of homemade broth-based soup like vegetable or chicken w/ brown rice
4. one oatmeal cookie with unsweetened tea and a spritz of lemon (as your sweetener)
5. cottage cheese (1/2 cup) and pear (whole pear) salad served on a bed of lettuce
6. one slice of whole wheat bread, one slice of cheese and a slice of tomato. Place in a toaster oven for several minutes till cheese is melted
7. small side salad - choose from any variety of greens (except iceberg lettuce - it has next to no nutritional value) and add an assortment of toppings from radishes, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms etc.. For the dressing use 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp. plain rice vinegar, 1/4 tsp dijon mustard and then sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley flakes with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Stir it up and enjoy.
8. 1/2 whole wheat english muffin with marinara sauce, lowfat shredded mozzarella and a few peppers, onions or mushrooms for garnish. Broil till cheese melted and browned.
9. 1/2 frozen banana (sliced lengthwise) and smeared with almond or peanut butter
10. toothpick skewers are great. Place a turkey breast cube, a chunk of lowfat cheese with a watermelon cube on a toothpick and enjoy
11. a quick and easy fruit smoothie just needs some fresh fruit chunks, a container of yogurt plus two ice cubes. Blend until smooth. For some extra nutrition, throw in a few fresh spinach leaves. Once it's blended no one is ever going to guess it is in there.
12. homemade trail mix is so easy. Choose your favorites from a variety of raw nuts and seeds, add some unsweetened shredded coconut, a few mini chocolate chips and a few pieces of your favorite dried fruit. Mix it up and enjoy.

So coming up with some high energy snacks really isn't at all difficult. The best part, feed your body some nutrient dense selections and you are going to find you don't have those constant hunger pangs and then sleepy, groggy daytime hangovers at all anymore.

What Do I Eat?

One of the first things I realized after the diagnosis was, OK I know what I've got, I kind of know why I have it and maybe I understand what I'm supposed to strive for (the correct range of numbers on that meter) ... but when is anybody going to tell me how to accomplish all of that?

Yes, I did get a visit with a nutritionist. There was 31 of us people sitting in the room that day. We were told in the very first sentence out of her mouth, "gotta cut this meeting a little short today, we have to give up the conference room by 10AM" (which was 42 minutes away).

So, let me tell you we didn't learn a whole lot, none of us in that room did actually.

And here I was sitting there the whole time just wondering, just what is it I'm supposed to be doing. I already eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I changed over to whole wheat a long time ago. I do try to control my portion sizes. But I'm still here anyway. None of what anyone has told me seems to be working right so far anyway.

Just What Should I Eat

I guess, sitting in that room that day I was hoping for a list. Tell me what you want me to eat...what you want me to stay away from. Sounds too simple to them, I guess. But to a diagnosed diabetic which has already been struggling with this disease for a decade, I wanted simple. They weren't offering it, by the way.

So, I started researching on my own. If they won't give me the answers, no matter how many times I ask and how many people I ask, I'll just get my own answers. And so I did.

Now, you must understand, this list below is no where near complete but it is a good starting point.
Also you must remember, combination foods can become tricky because often you can take a dish with a whole list of good things in it but you add just one bad thing and it can throw the whole dish off balance (a good example is a vegetable stew but then you thicken it with the gravy. Unless the gravy is done correctly also, the whole stew is now a No-No!)

So, initially it is much easier and much safer to start out eating and preparing all fast and simple, safe recipes. I promise with practice you will become very good at learning what and how you can combine foods later to prepare some more exciting but still blood sugar safe meals.

A few basic ground rules if you can adhere to them:

• try to purchase all organics as much as possible (if you lessen the ingestion of all the chemicals, herbicides and pesticides your body will thank you for it in so many other ways)
• try to purchase all cage-free and omega 3 fortified fresh eggs (and do not listen to all of those doctors still telling you  - No eggs! Purchasing eggs from a clean, reputable source (that's not usually the grocery store) is one of the best quality sources of nutrition we have access to in our daily diet. Just don't go overboard with ingestion.)
• free range, grass fed and antibiotic free meat and dairy sources are also a winner for your health. You must remember, whatever the animal was given (as medications) or was eating, these compounds are now in your system also

Foods That Raise Blood Sugars Quickly

wheat or white bread, many varieties of pasta, white potatoes, bagels, french fries, honey, molasses, maple syrup, croissants, raisins and grapes, dates, ice cream, hamburger and hot dog buns, quick-cooking oatmeal, homemade or purchased macaroni and cheese, candy, cookies, pies and pastries etc.

Foods That Raise Blood Sugars Moderately

some varieties of pasta, 70% or greater dark chocolate, green sweet peas, baked beans, yams and sweet potatoes, corn, oatmeal (not instant), kiwi, orange juice, blueberries, bran and pizza, 100% whole wheat products, kidney beans, chickpeas, dried peas and beans, tortillas (whole wheat), eggplant, winter squash, papaya, pineapple, mango

All of these, the blood sugar spurts can be blunted by adding an excellent source of protein and a quality fat to the same meal or snack. The combination of foods actually helps to keep your blood sugars down lower.

Foods That Raise Blood Sugars Slowly

unsweetened plain yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese, apple, pear, plum, apricot, orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, green or wax beans, barley, soybeans, lentils, skim milk, tomatoes, all varieties of lettuce, cucumbers, radishes,  summer squash(spaghetti squash), celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet peppers, onions, garlic, sugar snap peas or snow peas plus most every other fresh vegetable

Just remember, since fresh fruits are higher in natural sugars, always eat them moderately each day, plus if possible, combine them each time with a good source of fats and protein also to help stunt the rise in your blood sugars.

Diabetes And Fresh Fruits

This is one often mistaken subject by almost every diabetic, especially by the newly diagnosed. Almost every one of us, to some degree depending how much you like fresh fruits, are dejected when we hear that diagnosis.

Why?

Because one of the first things in your mind is there goes the fresh fruit. It's so high in natural sugars so it must now be gone off my daily diet.

But the reality, this assumption is so far from being right it's actually drastically wrong. What do I mean by that?

I mean, simply put, do not ever give up fresh fruit in your daily diet just because you are a diabetic. What you must do though is learn how to incorporate it into the foods you eat every day so it doesn't give you runaway blood sugars.

Sound stupid? If you know it might give me runaway blood sugars, why don't I just drop it?

Because fresh fruits give our body So Many other important vitamins, minerals, nutrients and a whole bunch of other long sounding, complicated saying and even harder spelling compounds, that dismissing them from your diet is a one-way ticket to far more complicated future health complications.

How Do I Fit Them In Then

Now remember, the sugar content of a fruit is just another way of explaining its carbohydrate content. We all know carbohydrates break down into our digestive system into sugars so the object is to get a combination of 2 or more low sugar (or no sugar) selections to one with higher sugars.  (Put simply don't even pretend you are going to have a bowl of fresh pineapple, a whole mango and a dish of strawberries for lunch today)

Pick and choose your assorted foods by getting a source of lean protein, any unlimited amount of good-quality carbohydrates plus your one fruit and the combination of foods together will actually stabilize your blood sugars to prevent you from driving your blood sugar sky high.

Pick and choose all your meals and snacks like this and you have just learned the value of eating all of your foods carb smart.

Another option some people prefer is to rely on portion control instead of carbohydrate control. This is another testing procedure, with the aid of that glucose meter your doctor gave you.

Start by checking your blood sugar every single time you eat something (or any combinations of foods) and log a before sugar reading, an after sugar reading and a one hour later reading. Log exactly what you ate with each of these numbers. Continue doing this every day, every meal, every snack etc..

Before long you are going to start noticing trends. An example, when you eat mashed potatoes, gravy and a dish of corn - your blood sugars will go sky high. But if you take away the corn and make that green beans, reduce the serving size of the mashed potatoes (which automatically reduces the amount of gravy since there is less potatoes), and enjoy a small side salad instead, you are going to find out your blood sugar hardly changed at all.

The portion control method is just a learning tool of finding which foods you can combine in what quantities in which combinations ... all with the ultimate goal and finding what happens to your blood sugars when you eat certain combinations together.

This method eats up a lot more time during your investigation phase. It also means you and that glucose meter will enjoy a love/hate relationship because you must use it so often. But after your investigation phase is over and you are comfortable knowing which foods your body will accept and what it has a problem with, many people get to the point, as long as they stick with their pre-learned food combinations, testing only once or twice a week is entirely possible.

So, fresh fruits do a body good (frozen or canned are not as good for you by the way. The processing deletes many of the quality available nutrients).

Another little tip mistaken by many is always eat the fresh fruit itself... not the juiced version of that fruit. A whole orange is far better for you than a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. The reason is two-fold. Number one - fiber. When eating the whole fruit you are also eating all the fiber which is contained in that fruit. Juicing that orange means you have got the juice but you are throwing all the fiber away. There is as many healthy qualities in that fruit pulp as in the juice itself.

The second reason, fruits when juiced start oxidizing immediately when in contact with air. The act of juicing, whether by hand or machine, means you are "tearing apart" the make-up of that piece of fruit. Breaking down its components, when in contact with air initiates a chemical process known as oxidation. An equivalent, it means you are watching your fresh orange "rust" right in front of your eyes. Obviously if you are breaking down your orange into "rust" compounds, the juice you are ingesting is no where near as healthy for your body.

So, being a diabetic takes a lot more time and attention to the foods you now eat, but once you learn the rules that work for your body, diabetes is no more difficult to live with than many other nuisance conditions we may have during our lifetime.

Peanut Allergy

Do you know anyone with a peanut allergy?

It could be a family member, yourself, maybe a friend at work or just an acquaintance living somewhere there in town. Every single day this person, when in the general public, usually feels ostracized, especially when it becomes common knowledge about their allergy.

So very many people are angry with any individual with an allergy to peanut butter because of the recent push to get many areas designated as peanut free zones. Whether this is at a baseball park, on an airplane, in a school or classroom, at the local amusement park or zoo... the list is almost endless where the subject does arise, should we require a peanut free zone within these boundaries?

The debate is fueled mainly because of tradition. Tradition has always been an important part of furnishing peanuts or peanut butter as a snack, as an ingredient, as a food source for the animals at the local zoo etc.. Now, the administration of each has approached the viability of removing peanuts in any of its various forms.

The common cry "Why? Why do we the majority have to suffer for only about 1 or 2% of the population which has a problem. Make the problem theirs, not ours."

But that slim 1 or 2%, translated into numbers, means approximately a million people are striving every day to stay safe from the proximity of a peanut!

People unfamiliar with this allergen have no clue what the peanut allergic must do to just navigate through a typical day - safely. For a person with a severe allergy, just the act of going from sunup to sunset is cause for celebration. They actually have managed to navigate through one more day safely.

Does that sound like an exaggeration to many of you?

Unfortunately, with a severe peanut allergy and a case of accidental exposure, without the proper medications being in close proximity AND a good samaritan being there to inject that medication, this individual could be dead in under 5 minutes.

Therefore, to all of you unfamiliar with a peanut allergy, this individual is not asking for special treatment - they are just asking for the right to stay alive. Some common troublesome areas for them could be:

• getting a kiss from anyone who had some types of peanuts earlier in the day can become a life or death situation. The allergen can still be on their lips, tongue, teeth, hands, clothing and on and on.
• cross contamination is a major concern. Touching a handle, a doorknob, a knife, fork or spoon, a shopping cart, a taxi cab door, the bathroom faucet, the toilet flusher and anywhere else peanut allergens could be are a danger zone for the peanut allergic individual
• many prepared food products contain peanuts and you do not realize it. Common to bouillon cubes, worcestershire sauce, chili soup, salad dressings, cookies and crackers plus a whole host of other varieties, any of these items can be a danger for this allergy
• airborne particulants are a problem with this allergen. When you shake cereal from a box which happened to be manufactured in  a factory which also used peanuts, this can actually lead to an allergy attack. Sounds impossible? Well, it's not. Tiny dust particles can actually lead to a deadly attack.
• did you know your french fries are probably full of peanut dust? Sounds dumb to you, huh? Many fast food and regular restaurants cook the majority of their foods in peanut oil. Flavorings in the boxed groceries you pick up at the store - yes, they all contain peanuts. So that beef and noodle dinner you just ate, it contains the peanut allergen. The store, thus your home, thus your hands are full of this allergen. Peanuts are commonly found in many products if the ingredient label states "natural flavorings".

So, yes, there is going to be times you could just "die" for that Snickers bar right about now. But to the person beside you, or behind you etc., please take the time to ask anyone around you if your ripping open and enjoying that Snickers bar could mean the actual death of them because of a peanut allergy.

Peer Pressure

The teenage years have notoriously always been known for their ability to throw a child's life into turmoil. But now, unfortunately comes the double whammy. Your child has just been diagnosed with a food allergy.

It's getting better, but many people still have the attitude a food allergy is all a bunch of fluff. So what if you can't eat bread, or drink milk or have an omelet or any of the other numerous food restrictions. The general population has no experience reading or understanding any food label, so it is really no concern of theirs why your child can no longer eat a sandwich.

If they only knew!

So, here your child has just reached their teenage years. They are starting to assert their independence away from the parental/adult community and now they feel totally ostracized from their own peer group also. A food allergy gives no visual reminders there is a problem (until there is a reaction), so often the other kids themselves can't figure out what the fuss is about.

This is the time when it is so very important, the lines of communication must be kept open between the child, their doctor and parents, and even a local support group if possible.

The Road To Recovery For The Teen

As stated, your child has slowly and steadily been pulling away, asserting their own independence and trying to make their own independent decisions.

The parent though, first reactions are to smother the child with care and concern. The result of this is only going to lead to rebellion and anger though. The child is scared, unbelieving, trying to "cut corners" to fit in with their normal crowd and angered by the new restrictions and limitations being handed down by all these adults.

A genuine concern shown through love, patience and encouragement though is the only formula for success to make your child understand the importance of the new rules for their own future health.

Some new methods are now needed which may help all parties to adjust so try implementing these into both your child's and for the adults routines on a daily basis.

• right now your child needs their own support group. As the parent, figure out who is your child's #1 go-to person in times of stress or joy. Usually at this age, your child will have one or two true best friends. Talk to this person(s) and explain the situation. See if you can recruit them to be your child's confidante, second pair of eyes, ears, learn the ropes of the allergy and all it entails. As you and your child learn the ropes of what is and what is not safe, allow the best friend the opportunity to learn right along with. The chances for safety is always better with numbers.
• have a short course in the Epipen and make sure everyone knows how to use it, when to use it and when it's necessary to repeat it again.
• explain your desire to prepare foods (or collect safe selections locally) for any kind of party, school function, a night at the friend's house etc. as long as you know in advance. Make sure your child realizes, many foods can be duplicated with just a few substitutions as long as you have advance notice.
• a very important rite of passage for the child,  start taking the time to work with your child and the friend(s) and make sure they become adept in the kitchen. Managing an allergy is so much easier if you prepare your own foods. It gives you the advantage you know exactly what is in them.
• let your child help plan and choose vacation destinations. Traveling with a food allergic child takes a lot of pre-planning and preparation. The last thing you want is to go somewhere and find out your child has no options for food for the entire time you are away.
• a local support group or summer camp is often a highlight in a teens life if you can get them to go. Relaxing and talking with an entire group of people with the same problem as them is not only educational, it is therapeutic.

So yes, peer pressure is going to rear its head, there's is no doubt about that. But by teaching your child the basic skills they need, giving them a personal confidante which can be at their side in times of trouble and joy, your child will find their way to learn to accept their restrictions and still lead a happy and healthier life.

Sugar Free Foods = Weight Loss?

Today I wish to explain a common mistake many people make daily. It seems like common sense when you hear about it, but boy, does this whole thing backfire on you. So, what is it?

Sugar Free foods are the easiest way to consistently lose weight!

Wrong!!

But how can that be? Take the sugar out, it reduces the calories so I'm not going to gain, or maybe I'll even lose some of this stubborn weight. The whole process sounds so simple.

The Troubling Paradox With Sugar Free Foods

There's several different scenarios going on here in this situation but the two most common are:

• remove the sugar  but then some companies replace it with other types of natural sweeteners like honey, high fructose corn syrup or molasses etc.
• artificial or chemical sweeteners become the new sweetener of choice.

Now, yes we've all heard raw processed honey (all the original vitamins, minerals and enzymes are still intact) is better for us than pasteurized honey ( heat processing kills off the beneficial nutrients present in honey), but this doesn't do anything to reduce the calories. Any of these types of sweetener being used as a replacement are still full of calories.

As for the chemical/artificial alternatives, they really have people confused. Zero calorie sodas or popsicles, low-calorie ice cream, candy, cookies and cakes. Sounds like a junk food addict's dream come true. Reduce all those calories to almost negligible amounts and then you get to eat all you want, right?

The answer to this puzzle is simple. Artificial and chemical sweeteners are just that - artificial!. Their original design has always been to "trick the mind" into believing you are eating something sweet. This in turn is supposed to satisfy your mind and body for its intensive need for sweets. Some people crave sweets like it is a "I've got to have it" feeling. Others, an occasional treat is all I am asking for.

But what these chemical concoctions do actually do is stimulate the brain into believing you are enjoying this current offering. Your body and mind want more. The pleasure center of your brain has been activated and demands more, usually within hours of ingestion. The problem escalates because your pleasure center never gets turned off. It always just keeps demanding more...and more.

Our body, thus the mind has triggers which flood our system with hormones to allow us to enjoy what we eat but when it has had enough, a trigger is pulled to turn this pleasure center off. Natural sugars and sweeteners allow this operation as a built-in mechanism of digestion.

Chemical sweeteners though do not switch off our pleasure center. With each bite, each drink, you are just telling the brain I want more. Your brain is never given the message you have had enough. Thus over-eating of food and drink becomes a normal routine because you are always being asked by your brain, "I need more".

Therefore, no matter how many artificially sweetened foods and drinks you consume, your mind is still always going to be begging for more within a few short hours anyway. This is the main reason most people who over-indulge say they can'r figure out why they are always hungry, always thirsty.

Yes, upfront, sugar free foods and bottles of drink seem like a packaged gift from the food Gods. But their effect on the human body, and good digestion is nothing but an eternal battle with foods upcoming in your near immediate future.

Next time: How can you stop/even prevent this battle being waged within your system.