~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christmas Cravings!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week, The Weekly Beet reports on the damaging effects of refined sugar on the body. The Beet Girls teach you how to enjoy the Christmas season without those sugar cravings!
Silver bells, gingerbread men, candy canes, pecan pie, coconut cake, fudge, and even pumpkin pie. Who hasn't fallen for the many temptations of the Christmas season? Like Santa, many people use Christmas as an excuse to overindulge in white sugar. Unfortunately, white, refined sugar is not only super fattening, it is highly addictive and damaging to the body. Refined sugar is a chemically processed carbohydrate that is manufactured and stripped of all vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and water. From baby food to ketchup, sugar is hidden in almost everything! Today, Americans eat an average of 154 pounds of sugar per year, equating to about 53 teaspoons a day. With so much sugar sneaking around, it's no wonder many are unaware of the damaging effects that sugar has on the body. Luckily, there are people like Dr. Nancy Appleton, who are finally teaching us the reasons why sugar is ruining our health. Click here to view the scary list from her book Lick the Sugar Habit! From cancer to depression and hyperactivity in children, Dr. Appleton explains the link between refined sugar and a long list of life-threatening diseases.
But there is no need to deny yourself a little bit of sweetness, as there is such a thing as a healthy, natural sugar! The Beet Girls say it's time to go natural. UNrefined cane sugar actually provides the body with potassium, vitamin A, B, & C, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Now that's what we call unBEETable! Stay away from white sugar and artificial sweeteners. Here is a list of our favorite natural sweeteners that are available in most health food stores and many supermarkets:
A few of our favorite companies who use healthier sugars in their products are:
When cooking, we substitute 1 cup of sugar with one of the following:
 - 1 cup Rapadura
- 1 cup Date Sugar
- 1 3/4 cup Brown Rice Syrup
- 1 cup Barley Malt Syrup
- 2 medium Bananas
- 1/2 cup Molasses
- 1 cup Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Apple Juice Concentrate
- 1 cup Honey
When replacing white sugar in a recipe with a liquid sweetener (brown rice syrup or barley malt), reduce the liquid content of the recipe by 1/4 cup. If the recipe contains no liquid other than the sweetener, increase the flour by 1/4 cup. Click here for a recipe for healthy cookies!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! It's time to choose healthy sugars, be sweet to yourself! Don't miss a Beet. Stay tuned for next week.
Love,
Mary Kent & Elisa
PS. Mary Kent is wearing top from Yves Saint Laurent and necklaces from Liwan. Hats donated by Santa.
PSS. Check out Paula Begoun, Bestselling Author, Founder and President of Paula's Choice, on Ladies Who Launch.
PSSS. For a last minute Christmas present, check out this incredible invention from Clearly Clever.
|
