Welcome Crazy Sexy Life-ers!

A warm welcome to those of you new to my blog!

I woke up this morning and was excited to see that CrazySexyLife had posted an article I wrote for them. It's a brief overview of going without sugar...

So now that you're here, (and some of you are working on a New Year's resolution to give up sugar) I've dedicated this post to help you find what you need, quickly.


This Table of Contents should help. (I gathered a few of my favorite posts...):

FAVORITE RECIPES: World's Best Gingersnaps, Mounds Bars, Peanut Butter Rice Crispie Treats, Pear Tart, Nori Roll, Easy Tabouli, and more..... See the list to the right.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: Random Info, Mayo Clinic, Splenda, Truvia, Sucralose-Splenda, Artificial Sweeteners, Aspartame, Mannitol, Maltitol

HOW TO'S & TIPS: Tips for Sugar Addicts, How To Quit, How To Pass on Dessert, How & Why to Cut Sugar, Get Through the Holidays, Hide Your Twinkies!, Your Kitchen

INTERESTING FACTS: Coca-Cola, A Word on Sweetness, Harvard's Food Pyramid, USDA Food Pyramid, More Pyramid Facts, Definitions, Alcohol, Cereal, Center for Consumer Deceit

MOTIVATIONAL MATERIAL: Don't Eat This Book, List of Books, Sugarettes, Mindless Eating, Sugar Addiction, The End of Overeating, Psychology of Sugar, Video: Sugar & Disease, Video: Sugar Addiction

STORIES: Chocolate Cake, Inspirational, Down with Cool Whip, The Great Debate, Carbs, Honey & The Difficulty of Being Sugar-Free

I hope you've enjoyed this site. I would love to hear from you and what your goals are!

Breakfast Recipes

Every once in a while when I'm in a panic for a good, sweet recipe, I'll pull this book off the bookshelf: "Get the Sugar Out, 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet". The content of the book is true to the title. It's a great book with pointers and recipes throughout.

Recently, I had a humongous craving for sugar in the morning. I don't get humongous cravings often at all anymore, so I'm not sure why I was hit with one. Anyway, I made my all-time favorite breakfast food: French Toast. I was out of farm fresh eggs so I made my once-favorite vegan recipe for French Toast, which is just as good. While I was throwing the ingredients together, I grabbed my Get the Sugar Out book just to see what hidden breakfast recipes lurked. There are some great ones, one of which I am currently baking in my oven: Peanut Butter Muffins. I halved the recipe, which called for oil, and used oil in one bowl and coconut oil in another. We'll see how these two ingredients compare in this quick and simple recipe.

In the meantime, here is a recipe for my vegan French Toast. I have no idea where I got it....I've been making it for years. I rarely measure, so sorry!

French Toast

Batter:
dairy-free milk
nutritional yeast
pepper
cinnamon (lots)

Soak your sprouted wheat bread (or whatever healthy bread you currently have) in the batter and throw it on your lightly oiled griddle. I cover generously with Earth Balance and then a quick pour of maple syrup. This is how I get my sugar fix. It's so amazing with a mug of hot joe. If you want to use eggs, just add them to this batter.

Here are the recipes from Get the Sugar Out:

Banana French Toast

2 eggs
2 large ripe bananas
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1/2 C water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
6 slices spelt bread

Blend the eggs, bananas, whey protein, water, cinnamon, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Place the bread in the banana mixture and let soak until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes, turning the bread occasionally. Lightly coat a large heavy skillet with olive oil spray; heat over medium heat. Add the bread and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Freezes well. Serves 6.

This next recipe I am going to try tomorrow morning.....I like using leftover ingredients like canned pumpkin (which I used to treat my dog's digestive system) when I don't have enough to make an entire dessert.....

Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 egg (or 1 and a half tsps Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed in two tablespoons water)
1 4-ounce jar sweet potato baby food (I'm going to use left-over canned pumpkin.....)
1 and a half tablespoons oil
1/4 C water
3/4 C brown rice flour

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Beat the egg lightly and add sweet potato and oil. Add water to the emptied sweet potato can, shake it a couple of times, and empty its contents into the liquid ingredients to get all the sweet potato. Add brown rice flour and mix again. Drop batter into 2-inch-round pancakes and cook until brown on one side. Flip over, push the pancakes down, and cook until done.

The muffins just finished baking. In the book, they are called Peanut Butter Muffins, but I used almond butter instead of peanut butter. I made two batches, one with canola oil and one with coconut oil.

[Almond Butter] Muffins

2 C whole wheat pastry flour (I used white whole wheat flour from TJ's)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt (optional)
1/4 C almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/3 C oil or coconut oil
1/4 C honey or molasses (I used molasses--love the flavor and how it moisturizes any recipe)
1 and a half C rice or almond milk

Stir flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix almond butter, oil, molasses and rice milk in a separate large bowl until smooth. Add dry mixture to liquid mixture and mix with minimal strokes. Do not beat. Fill 12 oiled muffin tins two-thirds full. [Or use baking cups.] Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven 25 minutes or until done. (Mine took 15 minutes).

These renegade muffins jumped out of the tray and tried escaping me, but they got what was coming for them anyway.

These turned out fabulous.

The coconut oil muffins weren't amazing, but they were okay. I forgot how much coconut oil takes over the flavor in a recipe. I could taste the molasses a lot better in the recipe with oil.

Easy Tabouli Recipe

Tabouli....Mmmmmm. Crunchy, fresh, raw, tart salad that fills. Eat parsley--it's wonderful for your health. Since I quit eating sugar, I coincidentally began making tabouli--lots of it. I'm excited for you to try this easy, delicious, super-healthy recipe.


Easy Tabouli

1 bunch of parsley chopped finely (if I had a food processor, I'd use it)
2 tomatoes cut into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, chopped
juice of 2 fresh-squeezed lemons
olive oil (I don't measure! Just coat the ingredients....1/4-1/2 C., maybe?)
1 cup bulgar
1/4-1/2 tsp. sumac
pinch sea salt
(You can add finely chopped cucumbers, and most recipes call for chopped fresh mint. I don't care for the taste of mint in my tabouli, which is why it is not listed. Experiment!)

Soak one cup bulgar in one cup water for approximately 30-60 minutes. Transfer to bigger bowl and mix in parsley, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with sumac and salt.

Combine well so the olive oil and lemon juice coat all the ingredients.

Enjoy!

One reason I love this recipe so much is that my meat-eating, sugar-consuming, fruit-and-vegetable-negligent-husband happens to love it and devour it. We eat it several times a week.

I learned from a Lebanese friend that you can use sumac in this Middle Eastern salad, although typically sumac is used in recipes like spinach pie... You can find this wonderfully tart ingredient at international grocery stores.

Bulgar is a whole grain packed with protein and iron. It's delicious in all sorts of recipes after soaking in water. Try using it in place of white rice or pasta, or add it to salads of all types.

Parsley is an amazing herb. When I worked at a health food grocery store 10 years ago, I learned a lot about this plant. Though I worked in the vitamin and mineral section of the store, and customers came in looking for a magic pill for all types of maladies, I constantly brought the sick and weary over to the produce and explained the benefits of parsley. One bunch of parsley is so much cheaper, fresher and more natural than a bottle of this or that. Fighting fatigue? Eat parsley. Gassy? Halitosis? High blood pressure? Parsley is indicated for these and many other problems.

According to Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James and Phyllis Balch (excellent comprehensive guide to drug-free remedies) the actions and uses of parsley are as follows:

"Contains a substance that prevents the multiplication of tumor cells. Expels worms, relieves gas, stimulates normal activity of the digestive system, and freshens breath. Helps bladder, kidney, liver, lung, stomach, and thyroid function. Good for bed-wetting, fluid retention, gas, halitosis, high blood pressure, indigestion, kidney disease, obesity, and prostrate disorders. Contains more vitamin C than oranges, by weight."

I don't love the flavor of parsley, in fact it's a little bitter for me, but in Tabouli I could eat bunches and bunches...

Is Sugar Addictive?

(picture: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/471510638_94acf2e71f.jpg)

"IS SUGAR ADDICTIVE?" is the title of Marion Nestle's blog post dated January 7, 2010, on her wonderful, most informative blog, Food Politics.

Either way you flip it, both sides of the coin are extremely interesting here:

Say there is such a thing as sugar addiction (I know most of you reading this believe there is, and that is why you are here). What is going to happen to the multitudes of people with this addiction?! How are food suppliers/manufacturer's/FDA/USDA going to respond, not to mention nutritionists, dietitians, naturopath doctors and M.D.'s? Not only do we have a national eating disorder (preoccupation with food, food used as entertainment, overeating, etc.) but a possible national sugar addiction?

What is at stake? Health, money and politics, in my opinion.

1. HEALTH: Being addicted to a non-nutritive substance related to diabetes, heart disease, overweight, and other health issues. What are the national and individual implications?
   
2. MONEY: The trade-off for food suppliers to supply us with food is to make money. When we buy food at the grocery store we are surrounded by obvious junk foods/beverages but also foods with "hidden" sugars, like salt, pepper, bread, sauce, etc. With every purchase of food we are casting a vote in the system of supply and demand. Though in some cases the supply creates the demand, for the most part suppliers follow demand trends. Because we love our goodies so much and continue to buy them, we are putting money in the pockets of those who are creating the goodies.
   
3. POLITICS: Ever heard of the Snack Food Association? (I can't help myself from picking on them). In part, they: "Serve as the voice for the snack food industry before government," among other things.

By chance the book is closed on the issue and it is concluded by experts that there is no such thing as sugar addiction. What do we call it, then, when someone (like myself, back in the days of sugar consumption) obsesses all day about where to get sugar, and then eats it in unnatural proportions to fulfill the "sweet tooth"?

Whether there will ever be a clinical term coined for sugar addiction, there exists a problem. I had it, and I see it, hear about it and read about it every day.

If you have the time, jump over to Food Politics to read the post and the very interesting comments that follow. "Mason" put it best: "So is sugar physically and chemically addictive, or is that dependence purely psychological? I don’t think it matters. Either way, we’re so addicted to our lifestyles and our rabid-overconsumption that arguing the point seems trival. Who cares if the lights don’t work when the plane is crashing?"

Michael Pollan on the Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Michael Pollan
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

This is a fantastic short interview with Michael Pollan. The basis for the interview is his new book, Food Rules, but he mentions other great information, too.

Here are some highlights, although I recommend watching the clip.

"Americans are getting 20% of their calories from high fructose corn syrup."

"240 pounds of sugar a year....is what we're eating."

"Right now the food industry creates patients for the health care industry."

"[The Farm Bill] subsidizes the least healthy foods at the supermarket."

"Eat food. Avoid edible food-like substances."

(More about the Farm Bill here and here)

Tips for All You Sugar Addicts!

Hello sugar junkies!

I am one, too. (Once an addict, always an addict.) I have had a plethora of mail recently from many of you who are challenging yourselves to be sugar-free in 2010. I hope to inspire those resolutions and offer helpful tips. I have successfully been off of sugar for two years now, and realize that it is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Looking back, if someone told me I would be staying off of sugar this long I would have keeled over laughing. Seriously, I had a major problem. I could not get enough of it. Being sick to my stomach was basically how I felt most of the time in an effort to quell the almighty sweet tooth. Although I desperately wanted to boot out sugar in my life, I had no idea if it was possible for someone like me or what it would look like in reality. Was I going to become a weird hippie or get totally obsessive? (I love hippies)

At first I did get obsessive. Sugar was all I talked about. I bored my poor friends and family to death with all kinds of details about sugar and sugar alternatives. Many people still happily indulging in sugar just don't care.

Now that the holidaze fog has cleared and it's back to the swing of things, I thought I would re-write some pointers for how to stay strong and keep sugar at bay. Keep in mind we are up against the well-oiled sugar machine. Everywhere you look we are being bombarded with ads for junk food or the actual junk food itself. You can't stand in line anywhere (health food stores included) without being surrounded by chocolate and other sugar-laden goodies. I have noticed that even at non-food stores the registers are surrounded by a sea of candy as if to appeal to our spontaneous senses. It's a sugary freak show out there. I can't believe how much sugar is everywhere. Even though our country is faced with an obesity epidemic, heart disease as the number one killer, a national eating disorder and a growing number of children with diabetes, you can find sugar anywhere. Yet try and find a piece of fruit when you want it!

Despite all the efforts out there to appeal to our sweet teeth, we can rise above the mixed messages and eat healthy.

It's not that difficult when you make a few things habit:

• Keep healthy snacks with you AT ALL TIMES. Being broadsided by hunger pains and a sweet tooth can lead you into temptation unless you planned ahead. Take a moment to sit somewhere and enjoy the flavors of that apple or those juicy green grapes. Enjoy each of the different flavors in your little bag of mixed nuts and dried fruit.
  

• If you forgot your healthy goodies and are hijacked by a craving, run to the nearest available water source, preferably where you can add lemon. After a glass of water you will probably get your senses back. Sip some hot tea with honey if you have to.

• When you do your grocery shopping, Do not give yourself a limit buying healthy foods. Buy a variety of healthy foods that you know you will go to when you have a craving. Keep your pantry, fridge and freezer full of these items.

• Some of you will need to empty out your kitchen of all sugary goods. Personally, I don't have a problem seeing my husband's sugary goodies around. I fear that if I remove all his sugary goodies, when I am around sweet treats I will just lose all control. I like to know that I have control even when I'm alone. Whatever works for you.

• Decide right now what your exact goals are. To give up all refined sugar? To give up natural sweeteners, too? Know whether or not you will eat artificial sweeteners because you will find a lot of sugar-free goodies and beverages out there, full of chemicals otherwise known as: Splenda, aspartame, maltitol, saccharin, etc. Many of these sugar alternatives have dubious beginnings and unknown futures based on lack long-term human trials. And take it from me, even though ingredients like maltitol seem like a benign sugar alcohol, it can really wreak havoc on your system.

• You will have cravings. Prepare ahead of time for these and know that you can get through it. Have new, flavorful teas ready to try with a drop of honey, fruit pre-washed and prepared, healthy gum to chew on, baked goods sweetened naturally, etc. The craving will pass and you will be stronger each time you don't run to sugar.

• Offer to bring an appetizer, main dish or dessert to gatherings. Make them sugar-free, of course, and have fun experimenting with different recipes.

• Explore the giant blog-o-sphere and read what other people are doing. This has been incredibly inspiring for me. There are so many people revamping their diets and eating healthier and posting recipes.
  

What else do you think it takes to be free of the white stuff? What do you do to help with cravings?

2009 in Pictures

Happy 2010!

There were big changes in my life in 2009 including moving from my beloved west coast to experience the fervor of the east coast. I am still sugar-free and will be posting a re-cap soon, on helpful hints for making sugar-free a reality.

Here are a few pictures taken in 2009 since my move to the D.C. area:

Views from my 6th floor balcony.

We were welcomed to the area by some of the most beautiful lightning I've ever seen.

I love that there are farmer's markets everywhere, but I have rarely found the produce to be organic....

I spend a lot of time at the zoo here. It's free and amazing. There are beautiful jellyfish at the DC zoo, but the one above lives at the Baltimore Aquarium.

My first loaf of perfect, yeasty artisan bread!

Delicious dark chocolate, moist raspberry cupcakes. You can't eat just one.

I tried to give up coffee a few times throughout the year but always go back to it. It is really my only vice. I found a locally roasted coffee in Old Town called Misha's. I can't live without it.

At a thrift store in Old Town I found an old cane sugar brochure. I love the first line: "The food value of sugar is surprisingly high." And the last lines: "The high dietary value of sugar is universally recognized by scientists and physicians. It is vitally necessary for you to have a goodly amount of sugar in your diet--and important medical authorities tell us that for health and enjoyment there is no substitute for sugar." 50 years from now I wonder what we will think of some of the foods we are eating now.

I spied this great little piece of art as part of an art collage in the tunnel connecting the Library of Congress to the Capitol.

At the theater, Jeff ordered a small soda and it came in this size. I was and am still shocked.

One of my favorite outings here is the Eastern Market. You never know what artsy item you will find or interesting vendor you will meet.

I discovered a scary supermarket that dedicates five aisles to sodas and other sugary drinks, not including juices.

At a health food store I discovered bathroom tissue made from sugar cane fiber. I tried it and would not recommend it to my worst enemy, if you know what I mean.

My brother invited us on a trip to Charlottesville for a show, but we end up spending just as much time in a toy store, beforehand.

Once a year the Kennedy Center has an open house arts festival. Street performers from all over the world come to put on shows. I was quite taken by this guy.

Our year ends in a blistery cold storm that produced two feet of snow.

I haven't had this much fun in city snow since Portland's big snow storm in 2004.