" A Year Without Sugar - Memoir from a Mom"

Daily I seem to talk about the evils of sugar, assisting others in how to alter the taste buds, to tone them down to this addictive substance. I usually start by saying that we all come into the world loving sugar, since mother's milk is pretty darn good tasting! Unfortunately, the food industry puts sugar into almost everything one can imagine - even canned soup and bacon have it! Why is it so hard to break the habit. The ingestion of sugar causes an immediate rise in blood sugar, which then causes the pancreas to secrete insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar or the energy in the blood. With the decline in blood sugar, one may feel tired, weak, even shaky and the next thing that happens is a need and desire for more sugar. The cycle begins and for some, never ends! There are other players in the mix as well - neurotransmitters or brain chemical messengers, that feel good when the blood sugar is on the rise. Serotonin and GABA are the "feel good" neurotransmitters and if one tends to be anxious or depressed, a little boost in these can feel great. However, the cycle keeps going because of the insulin secretion and "gobbling up" of the sugar, hence energy. Suffice it to say, a lower sugar diet is very helpful and of course, we are coming up on a very candy intense celebration - Easter with all the Cadbury eggs, Peeps marshmallow treats and jelly beans! This can be a sugar addict's most difficult season. Read the clip from the article, "A Year Without Sugar" and see my delicious, altered cookie that really satisfies that palate! Happy Spring, Julie Year of No Sugar: A Memoir Posted on April 9, 2014 by Stone Hearth News Most likely everywhere. Sure, it’s in ice cream and cookies, but what scared Eve O. Schaub was the secret world of sugar–hidden in bacon, crackers, salad dressing, pasta sauce, chicken broth, and baby food. With her eyes open by the work of obesity expert Dr. Robert Lustig and others, Eve challenged her husband and two school-age daughters to join her on a quest to eat no added sugar for an entire year. Along the way, Eve uncovered the real costs of our sugar-heavy American diet–including diabetes, obesity, and increased incidences of health problems such as heart disease and cancer. The stories, tips, and recipes she shares throw fresh light on questionable nutritional advice we’ve been following for years and show that it is possible to eat at restaurants and go grocery shopping–with less and even no added sugar. Year of No Sugar is what the conversation about “kicking the sugar addiction” looks like for a real American family–a roller coaster of unexpected discoveries and challenges. “As an outspoken advocate for healthy eating, I found Schaub’s book to shine a much-needed spotlight on an aspect of American culture that is making us sick, fat, and unhappy, and it does so with wit and warmth.”–Suvir Sara, author of Indian Home Cooking “Delicious and compelling, her book is just about the best sugar substitute I’ve ever encountered.”–Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Powers Source: Amazon - See more at: http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/year-of-no-sugar-a-memoir/nutrition-food-sugar/#sthash.J3vaWbXt.dpuf Recipe from Julie: Flourless Peanut or Almond Butter Cookies (Best Cookies Ever!) ¼ C Sugar ¼ C Apple Sauce ½ C Benefiber 1 C Natural Peanut Butter, Sunbutter or Almond Butter 1 Egg Makes 1 Dozen 1. Preheat oven 350 degrees 2. Beat sugar, apple sauce, benfiber, peanut or almond butter, egg in medium mixing bowl with electric mixer until blended and smooth 3. Put in greased muffin tins filling them about half way up 4. Bake 15 minutes Makes one dozen cookies Can add 2 tbl Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to mix