Don't Fall For A Bunch Of Advertising Gimmicks

Take a walk down the beverage aisle in a grocery store and if you haven't been in it recently, boy are you in for an eyeful. Shelves upon shelves, all of liquid beverages, all claiming to be low fat, all natural, low sugar, low calorie, low cholesterol and on and on.

Most people fall for all this information they read on the front label. An example, low cholesterol - there is no cholesterol in a liquid drink such as soda or juice so sure it's low - it's actually none.

Then low sugar is another good example. Yes, it might be low in sugar but check the label - how much high fructose corn syrup is in it?

Or another often used scenario, instead of using sugar, break the type of sweeteners up into 3, 4, or 5 different sweeteners in one product and then list them all on the label. But since you don't read the labels, how are you ever going to know they used 3 or 4 other sweeteners instead of just sugar? After all, the only thing printed on the front label is "Low In Sugar".

Here listed below is some other common scenes played out every day in the food manufacturing industry. Watch out for these traps and steer clear by making some other healthier choices.

• Don't end up paying for "alternative juice". How does this happen? Every beverage company knows apple juice and white grape juice are the cheapest kind of juices you can get. So, it is common practice to take one of these lower quality juices, add some flavoring oils and then market it as blueberry, pomegranate, strawberry kiwi etc.
• Using chemical fertilizers and pesticides has become such common practices in many countries, most fresh fruits and vegetables are already contaminated before they even make it to processing at the factory. Alleviate this, just buy the fruit itself, organic of course, and peel it (if necessary) and eat it right out of the skin itself.
• Starting to hit the shelves more and more is the claim "with Fiber". Since many people know the best source of fiber is in the unpeeled fruit, the skins of fruit or in the pulp in an orange or grapefruit they assume this means they are getting a minimally processed glass of juice. Check that label again and see just what you are getting. It is usually called maltodextrin, a man-made carbohydrate which your body is unable to digest thus blood sugar spikes is the undesirable final result.
• Fruit juice, health drinks, sports drinks, "straight from the field" labels and many like this all have one thing in common. Manufacturing knows people love the taste of sugar - it actually brings you back for more. So many of those healthy for you versions are so high in sugar, if you actually knew how to break those numbers down into the equivalent in your sugar bowl, you'd probably drink nothing but water ever again in your life.
• Food dyes and chemical colorings might be pretty but what are they made of? How about some crushed beetles (for red) while almost all the other FD&C colorings is a combination cocktail of industrial chemicals and flavorings.

So yes, the manufacturing community is often looking out for your interests. Unfortunately, that includes your interest in overspending and over-indulging on products which could never be considered good for anyone's health. Take some time and learn how you can help yourself and the family by making some of your own versions of a healthier for you beverage.

Cacao Content

If you happen to mention to someone the grocery list contains some kind of chocolate, usually the first thing that gets mentioned (especially if you are a diabetic), is find a variety with a high cacao content.

But to the normal everyday shopping consumer, what exactly does this mean?

All finished chocolates are a combination of several ingredients in different percentages. A finished piece will include a combination of:

• cacao content (this is the percentage of the chocolates weight that is actually from the cocoa bean itself)
• milk or milk products (could be fresh milk, cream, dried milk powders, whey etc)
• some type of sugar or sweetener
• vanillin, vanilla or another flavoring agent
• lecithin, an emulsifier which helps to "hold all the other ingredients together" in the finished product

So when a chocolate bar states a 70% cacao content, that means 70% of the ingredients of that finished bar is from the cocoa bean itself. The other 30% of the ingredients is a combination of the other four ingredients that are shown above.

A good quality dark chocolate, lower in sugar and with a strong chocolate flavor therefore usually ranges from the 70 to 80 and even up to 99% cacao. As an example, rarely does any milk chocolate piece ever exceed a 30 to 40% cacao content.

So, obviously, to receive the most beneficial cross of health-giving plant compounds, by finding and cultivating a relationship with a good quality dark chocolate, for the diabetic - and anyone else for that matter -  this leads to an increased resistance to future medical complications.

So the secrets to a dark chocolates health benefits is nothing more than finding a large percentage of deep, dark rich aroma and taste from a good quality cacao bean, actually on its shortest road straight from the plant. When you purchase or prepare your own sweet treats right from your own home with some great recipes,  maintaining health benefits becomes second nature right along with its many health benefits.

Can't you just smell...and taste that pure perfection on the tip of your tongue right now?

Doctor's Orders: Raise Your Fiber Intake

Your last appointment seems to have come down to nothing more than bad news. The doctor is telling you a whole list of lifestyle changes which will aid you in the future. But for now - the main concern is get more fiber in your diet.

Healthy servings of fiber will reduce your body's internal inflammation and also keep your digestive system running smoothly. Now that's preventative maintenance worth thinking about.

But most people immediately think this news means go home and start hitting the whole wheat and whole grain products. But this can be a very big mistake, especially for the diabetic. Even whole wheat bread, pasta, cereal and every other whole grain product, if eaten over recommended serving sizes, these products will drive your blood sugars sky high. (And who among us actually eats only 1/2 cup spaghetti and meatballs on spaghetti dinner night?)

So a few simple additions which are much better for your digestive health can be found in these:

• Organic berries, especially raspberries and blackberries, these boost your daily fiber intake by a whopping 8 grams/one cup serving size. Choose only organic berries though because all fruits are notoriously high in pesticides and chemicals during the growing season.



• Avocados are a package of nutrition all in its own skin. With 5 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup serving and they are full of monounsaturated fats (the good kind for our body), this small fruit is one delicious step to better health. Avocados also have the advantage they are so neutral in flavor, blend them into almost anything, cold or warm, and the avocado picks up the flavor of the surrounding dish itself. The advantage you get, it makes your finished dish nice and smooth and creamy.



• Beans and lentils are both demonized by so many nutritionists and doctors because of their higher carb counts but actually, when served simultaneously with a quality protein source, fresh beans/protein not only control the sharp blood sugar spikes, they have also served up to seven grams of fiber in only a 1/2 cup serving.



• Brussel sprouts aren't many people's favorites but that's because you always cook them the wrong way. Who wants soggy mushy vegetables?
  
  Try this instead, cut each globe in half and place them all in a bowl. Pour a little olive oil in and sprinkle with garlic powder (or your favorite seasoning), stir them up until every one is well coated and then dump this on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven and let them roast for about 20 minutes. Stir them well and then roast another 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.
  
  They are absolutely delicious this way and you have just received up to 4 grams of fiber in just one healthy treat!



• Many people are familiar with the name flaxseed but how about chia (salba) seed? Flaxseed offers a respectable 2 grams per tablespoon but chia seeds come in at 11 grams in only a one ounce serving. Sprinkle finely ground flaxseeds or chia seeds (chia does not need to be ground before use) onto your salad, vegetables, in a smoothie, on a meat or egg salad, in your Jello, in some meatballs or in your baked goods. (When using chia though, raise your liquids intake tremendously to prevent  constipation.) As you can see, they can go everywhere and they do not affect the flavor of your meal.

Use caution though and gradually increase your fiber contents PLUS your liquids everyday if your body is not accustomed to increased levels of fiber. Fiber speeds the rate of elimination through your digestive system but it must have increased liquids to perform its duties properly.