One of those weeks

Yup. It's been one of those weeks. A very calorie heavy, rule breaking kind of week. Not good.

If you saw Monday's post you'll know that I had ice cream, thus breaking the rules. Happily that was the only time so far and before that I had gone two whole weeks (big deal for me seriously). Then Wednesday I had that smoothie - not a rule breaker but still any kind of sugar that late in the day isn't really a good thing.

Let's add that I had a 70% dark chocolate bar with caramel filling that I've been eating one square at a time on. I bought it before j really thought about the filling being bad and could not let it go to waste. But no more filling filled chocolate for awhile.

And you think that's all ? Think again. Last night was a going no away party for an artist friend. I knew there'd would be alcohol and was fine with it. What I didn't plan on was the alcoholic punch that was made with sprite , two wines and canned fruit. I had three small glasses but that was enough.  The sprite totally broke my rules even if the rest didn't.

I did go to the gym this morning and worked extra hard so I don't feel too bad. But breaking the rules multiple times in one week has me re-evaluating my pledge. If I want to get serious about less sugar and slimming down I need to learn to say no and to also not buy wine to keep in the house.

This week will be better...

~Lisa

Product Review: Smoothie King AND What exactly is Turbinado??

Happy Wednesday friends! Tonight's post is inspired by something I did today: Went through the drive-thru of Smoothie King.

Smoothie King is one of those places that I consider "Healthy" but still don't want to consume in high volume. And you definitely want to watch what you order there. The three/four times I have ever gone have always been the same - Lemon Strawberry Twist. It's basically strawberry lemonade.

Ingredient wise, it's pretty simple: Strawberries, Lemon Juice Blend, Papaya Juice Blend, Turbinado, Soy Protein. 

This is such with most of their smoothies - plain and simple ingredients with some protein and turbinado added.  You can also add extras - more protein, suppliments - for a full balanced meal.

So the question at hand is: What is Turbinado and is it really better then if they just added white sugar?

(C) Food.com

While good in a smoothie, further reading shows that you shouldn't replace table sugar with turbinado in baking - it adds extra moisture. Popular uses? Pie crusts, cinnamon cookies, and caramel cream. 

Also, it has nutrients! Wow, that was a surprise. Turns out that since it is minimally processed it is able to retain calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. 

The above facts are from Wisegeek.com

Back to Smoothie King. Further poking around their website shows that you can actually "make it skinny" which means to not have the sugar. Turns out I could have saved 100 calories on my lemon/berry smoothie by doing this. If only I had known. 

My final review? I will probably return, but it's going to be on a seldom basis. Because sugar is sugar, refined or not.

Also, check out this review from a couple years back. Wondering if they still do these things? 

~Lisa 

Quick update

sooooo.    

I think I broke my pledge. Or if not I sure feel like it.

Let me explain.  I road tripped with my roommate to Austin, Texas today to spend the day making prints (that's a different story).  After dinner (and 3 glasses of white wine ! ) we went to get ice cream.  It was a little local place - Amy's - but it was still your standard ice cream and def didn't have organic or limited sugar like the gelato I had last week.  So between the wine and chocolate ice cream I definitely feel like I broke some rules.

Buts here are my thoughts. It's been 2.5 weeks without it. I think I deserve a break once in a great while. And tomorrow I am hitting both the gym and the rules.

Now you're probably thinking that what's the point of following along with someone who can't stick to her own rules. Believe me.... My stomach is already feeling the guilt. I promise this isn't going to happen a lot.

Have a great week friends !!!

-Lisa

Stop "Wine"-ing!

Once again I let this slip away. I have a new plan though! I am going to update once a week - Either Thursday, Friday or Saturday - with a weekly update and a informational post. I really do like having this blog because it forces me to research things I didn't know too much about before. It's finding time that makes it hard.

Today's post is about wine. Which seems only natural as I had a lot this week! When I created my list, I said wine and beer were allowed in moderation, While I haven't researched beer yet, I have been avoiding it more so than wine. So that brings up the question: Is wine (and it's sugar) bad for you?

I found this blog that answered many of the questioned I had about it.

As it turns out, when the grapes (which are high in NATURAL sugar) are fermented, the sugar turns to carbs. And yes, we all know that carbs are "bad" if consumed a lot, but wine actually has less carbs than many other things, including small pieces of fruit and milk.

And of course, wines labeled "sweet" will have more sugar, so that means all the drier red wines are probably an OK choice (and what I have been consuming most of this week).

One final thought from this blogger is that the calories in wine are going to be pretty close to the calories in hard liquor.  Not that I'm counting calories, but good to know when making a decision.

I also discovered an 8-week program dedicated to quitting sugar. While I won't be starting that, I will be reading more from them. Such as this article about wine. One thing I took from it is that cheaper wine may have more sugar than the expensive stuff. Well there goes my $5 bottle....

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Update:

It's been just over 2 weeks and I have only broken the rules ONCE (and it was on a small amount of ketchup with some fries). Every other sugar I have had has been natural/fruit/organic.  No cookies. No ice cream. No mochas.  And let me tell you. I feel GREAT! But as I mentioned last week, I also think it may be the lack of dairy that is making me feel better and not necessarily the lack of sugar. Most of my "extra" sugar was coming from dairy products and since I don't drink milk, I'm willing to bet I have a small intolerance for it. Does this mean I'll go back to candy and non-dairy sugar? NO! I just wanted to point this fact out. I plan on blogging and researching this subject more soon.

Also, I will be eating some gelato tonight, as I am going to Houston and every time I go I have to get Sweetcup. But if you read my rules, I am allowed to have it. Lets see if the dairy messes me up!

~Lisa

Simple Update

Ok, so updating every night doesn't seem to be working. Maybe I should plan for every other night, or every three nights. That seems more realistic.

That being said, tonight I just have a quick update. Yesterday went well, all I had was my usual dark chocolate and breakfast honey, but I had wine again at dinner.

Tonight, well... I had two beers and ketchup on some fries. So I guess the pledge is broken. It's been over a week, so I can still be happy. Plus I have come to realize that maybe it wasn't the sugar messing me up, but the dairy that most of the sugar was in. I am going to do some research this next week about dairy and intolerance to maybe figure out that mystery.

Until then, have a good weekend my friends.

~Lisa

Product Review: bai5 drinks

So I guess this 30 day challenge isn't really a cleanse as more of an exploration of change. Changing from artificial sugars in excessive amounts to natural sugars in small amounts. If it were a full on cleanse, I would have broken the rules by now.

Today I went to my favorite coffee shop, where they use as many natural and local ingredients as possible. I knew going in I wouldn't be able to get my usual cookie and mocha, and instead was going to get Ice Tea. I discovered this in their cooler instead and decided to give it a try.

bai5 Antioxidant Infusions. Flavored water with only natural ingredients and about 15 calories per bottle. I went for the Sumatran Dragonfruit and was not too disappointed. I did discover after a little while that it did make my stomach feel the way it does when I have other sugary things (including the mocha). So I will likely stay away from this product in the future. 

I still wanted to do a bit more research though, and through their website I found out the following.

Their main source of antioxidants actually comes from the Coffeefruit, the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean. Between that and the white tea extract, each bottle delivers a nice bit of caffeine (about that of a glass of green tea). 

Also the only "Sugar" in this product is Organic Steevia and erythritol. I know a bit about organic steevia (and I approve...so far) but want to do more research on erythiritol (also known as sugar alcohol). Both have low glycimic points, thus they do not raise your blood pressure as other sugars do. But I am still a bit on the fence about it after the stomach ache.. For now I will probably stay away from this ingredient.

I would also like to note that there is very little fruit juice in this product, as with many flavored waters. I knew this going and and was ok with it, but as stated before, will probably not go for it again.  It's not that I didn't enjoy it, it's just not for me.

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Update:

Today, besides the water, I had honey at breakfast and made some homemade strawberry soft serve after dinner. I also had a glass of wine. I had a scone at the coffeeshop, but it was Cilantro/cheese so I'm hoping the sugar level was low.  Tomorrow is a new day and we will see what happens then.

~Lisa 

National Chocolate Day!

A friend pointed out that National Chocolate day was yesterday. And I was going to post this yesterday, but the motel I was staying at had no wifi. So I am posting today.

I got to thinking about dark chocolate after I caved and bough an organic bar in Tulsa. I NEEDED chocolate and the sugar content was very low, so it doesn't break my rules. But I wanted to do more research to make sure that eating dark chocolate won't be too much of a sugar high for me and my "cleanse".

I did another google search and found out a few things. First of all, QUALITY dark chocolate, in moderation, is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese as well as several antioxidants. As it turns out, it also decreases risk factors for certain diseases!  ( Curtesy Authority Nutrition)

Of course, you want to get a bar with the highest cacao content possible (I usually get between 70-80%) and with the sugar pretty low on the list. Also, looking at Nutrition facts, they usually say between a half to a full bar as the serving size, which is insane. I try to go for between 1-2 "nibs" or 1/4 bar at a time. This lowers the sugar content even more so. And if you watch out for the crazy fillings (like caramel) then you can lower the sugar content even more!

And I even found a study saying that people who eat dark chocolate tend to eat less other junk food. Count me int!

So which chocolate should you choose? Well try any of the brands on this list for starters. Lucky for me, most of the ones I buy are on this list. I have also been buying the store brand organics, such as Simple Truth at Kroger, but I may need to research a bit more before I buy again. Basically, avoid Dove, Hersheys and anything you can get in the check out line. Those are the crappy kinds for sure!

NO NO!

The list mentioned above also says to look for anything where sugar is NOT first and to go for organic, 70% or higher and not processed with Alkali. Good to know :)

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Updates.

Since I haven't updated in two days I will give you all a quick recap.

Monday I had Olive Garden with an old friend. She had cake for desert and I avoided. I did eat two of the Andi's mints they gave us though. Nothing else bad that day however! So still felt like a win.

Tuesday (yesterday) I began traveling back to Texas. I avoided sugar everywhere I stopped, but I did buy that chocolate bar. I also have a feeling there was some in the Taziki sauce at my dinner, but it was so delicious.

Wednesday (today) I had another small piece of the chocolate bar and some wine after dinner. But wine doesn't count and I now know that the chocolate is good also.

Overall, it's been a week. I think I am being successful in my endeavors. My main goal was to cut out ice cream, desart and coffee drinks and so far that is going well.

~Lisa

PS: As for "dark chocolate covered" things, I am saying NO to those, as they are probably as bad as the Hershey bars.

Added vs Natural Sugar: The great debate.

Something that has been on my mind since this all started is Natural versus Added Sugar. There are a lot of people out there who are very against added sugar - myself being one - and other who say "Sugar is sugar".

So I did some Google searches (probably not the BEST research, but it's good enough for this).

Naturally occurring sugars are generally those found in fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose). 

Added sugar is just that. It can range from white sugar to honey to high fructose corn syrup.

Adding sugar to food, while making it taste better, also adds a significant amount of calories. And while I don't approve of counting calories, I don't think we need the extra calories from sugar either.  

The most aggravating thing (to me) is that our nutrition facts labels include both added and natural sugars together, not separated.  So looking at a label for fruity yogurt, you're going to be seeing the lactose sugar, the fruit sugar and the (very likely) added sugar to the fruit. You have no way of knowing the proportions.

But reading the ingredients list can help most of the time.  If you look at the nutrition list, you will see everything that is in the product from most to least. As a part of my cleanse, I am requiring myself to only eat store bought products with sugar if sugar is at the end of the list. This is really the only way to of knowing for sure that the sugar count on my product is more natural than added. 

(c) 100daysofrealfood.com 
Proposed changes to the labels

For this pledge, the only sugar I am allowing is honey and real maple syrup, as well as small amounts if I baked it myself. In reality, honey and maple are also considered sugar and should be eaten in moderation as well. Even fruit spikes your blood sugar a bit and should be in moderation. 

But I'll take an apple over a brownie any day.

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Daily update:

We made homemade bagels today. Yes it had corn syrup in it. But that was 2 tablespoons over 6 bagels and I was aware of what I was adding, so I didn't feel guilty eating it at all. Plus they tasted SO GOOD!

I also went to my local coffee shop to see a friend, but I had iced organic green tea. And dinner tonight? I resisted the beer and margaritas! Go me!

~Lisa

4th of July and a Recipe!!

Happy American Independence Day Everyone! Today we celebrated with a concert in the park, a game of monopoly and a bar-be-que. And I celebrated four straight days of no added sugar! 

It was really tempting today though. Most of my family roasted marshmallows on the left over bbq coals and then my mom thawed out a key lime pie. I ALMOST took a sliver of pie, but then I read the box and decided that - sugar or not - there was too much artificial stuff in it. I did eat a lot of fruit today, but I think the fruit sugar isn't going to affect me as much. 

All the sugar has me thinking though, I really want to get back into making homemade healthy ice cream.

Recipe Time!

In a blender or food processor, place 2 cups of frozen strawberries, 2-3 tablespoons of coconut milk and honey/maple sugar/liquid stevia to taste (I usually do just a good squirt of honey). Blend on high and then pour into bowls. No need to freeze after because the frozen strawberries make it at a good texture. If you freeze, it will become pretty stiff like a Popsicle.

I really love making this, and usually don't measure out my ingredients. You can change out the fruits as well. Add bananas, use pineapple or peaches, who knows what you can do!

I hope everyone has a great day :) 

~Lisa . 

Pizza for Dessert?

Last night my sister - who works at Papa Murphy's Pizza - brought home a left over cinnamon bread. They baked it tonight and man the smell was heavenly. Once out of the oven, it was yet another temptation. Luckily, I was pretty full from our Japanese Hibatchi Dinner, so I was able to resist the cinnamon deliciousness with ease.

But really, what is is about dessert pizza that people (including myself) go crazy for? The crispy crust. The pie-like toppings. The ICING!!!! Ahhh!

Upon doing a Google search for "history of dessert pizza" I had almost no luck getting any information on this sweet dessert, but I'm willing to bet that a pizza restaurant created it and all the others followed suit. Same goes for the cinnamon sticks. There is just something about cinnamon that is soooo good after pizza!

But for someone like me, who is trying really hard to watch my sugar, what are the options? Well here are a few recipes for "healthier" dessert pizzas that could probably make good substitutes.

Simple Fruit Pizza
GF, Low Sugar Chocolate Pizza
Dessert Pizza
And because I can still smell cinnamon:
Healthy Cinnamon Bread Stitcks

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Daily Update:

Like I said, I resisted the cinnamon bread. I did however have another beer. That's definitely a post I want to get to soon - researching sugar in beer. I also think that the sauce I put on my rice at the Japanese place had some sugar, but sometimes you just can't win.

~Lisa

Let Them Eat Cake: Sugar and Parties

Tonight I had a reception for my art show at the Salina Library. And although it wasn't hard to resist the plate of cookies that was provided, it got me thinking about the significance of sugary items at parties and special events.

Think about it: Weddings always involve cutting the cake. Birthdays involve cake and ice cream. Kids always bring cookies to school to celebrate birthdays. We give out candy for Halloween and ice cream with kids meals. Why?

Well according to ProFlowers, Cake used to be a less sweet item and more of a meal course and once the cakes became sweeter it was only for the wealthy.  It wasn't until sugar was more readily available that cake became a regular staple.

And candy at Halloween? The trick-or-treating didn't even begin until the 1930's and 40's and even then kids would get lots of things from coins to toys to snacks. Halloween parties themselves used to use more seasonal produce and less sugary substances. As trick-or-treating became more popular in the 50's and on, candy because a easy and cheap thing to hand out.

As America changes, I can't help but wonder why we keep consuming sugar at every "Special occasion" that we can. Is it the parents, who don't know the issues affiliated with the sugar in all the sweets they serve their kids? Or the kids, who get upset when they aren't given something sugary at every opportunity?

As an adult, I know I have the same issues as some of the kids - the constant craving of sugar. But I also know that these cravings wouldn't be so high if people stopped serving so much sugar at every event I went to.

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Daily update:

As I mentioned, I resisted the cookies and juice at my reception. I did, however, eat lots of grapes there. I am starting to re-think my beer consumption as well, for I had a beer at the restaurant after the reception. I know that there is no sugar in beer, but I also know that the carbs turn to sugar. So kinda the same thing right? But one step at a time....

We had chinese take out for lunch and I was able to resist the temptation of crab-rangoon and fortune cookies. But then again, I have never really had issues with those foods.

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What's your take on sugar at events? Beer and sugar consumption? Sound off!

~Lisa

Proflowers
Halloween and Sugar

Day 2: The first official day

Normally I wish to update at night, but last night was crazy (we went to a movie and didn't get back until late). However, I am still committed and wanted to do a quickie update about yesterday.

Yesterday I decided was going to be my first "official" day of the cleanse. I had 3 different opportunities to eat sugary things and was able to avoid all.

We went to Bogies, which is a local restaurant with 101 different shakes. I reluctantly avoided them all.  I then took my sister downtown and we went into the coffee shop. She got a frozen mocha, I got nothing. And then the movie. No soda for this girl (although even before this cleanse I was avoiding soda anyway).

I did eat a few things I shouldn't have yesterday - a bit of cheese sauce at Bogies, 2 helpings of stir fry at dinner, white rice - but those aren't a part of my cleanse right now and sometimes you have to give a little.

Once I get back to Texas eating clean in general will be a lot easier.

Ok so I promise that I will start doing more informative posts in the next day or so!

~Lisa