Sunday, January 26, 2014

Splenda: Just Say NO!

Hello my lovely readers!!

     Today I thought I would go on a little bit of a health tangent, and tackle the issue of Splenda, something which especially since I've been spending more time away from the SF Bay Area I've realized is SERIOUSLY plaguing Americans in their misguided quest to get rid of sugar and "lose weight" or "stay thin".

Splenda is toxic, evil, and deceptive. Don't believe me? Read on!

     I'll start off by saying this: my eyes were first opened to just how oblivious and un-educated people are on the whole issue of artificial sweeteners by an old water logged Keurig (coffee machine), and two young, healthy, college students who happened to be my roommates.
   
     Upon moving in with them and becoming a regular witness to their daily routines, I was shocked to learn that although they had brought a Keurig to fuel their coffee addictions, they had failed to bring any sugar to sweeten their coffee with... instead they had brought bucket loads of... Splenda?!

     When I asked them why they used Splenda, they both laughed it off and said they had simply grown accustomed to the taste, but I realized that their real motives were actually along the lines of losing weight, adding zero extra calories to their numerous daily cups of coffee, and also, just being healthy in general because of the absence of sugar.

     Wait a minute– why would two regular eighteen year old girls feel the need to be replacing 15 to 30 calories worth of sugar with artificial chemicals (especially when neither of them was overweight, or had diabetes!)?

     Easy. Our culture has painted a dangerously misleading picture of Splenda, and it's perceived benefits, while at the same time demonizing sugar.

     Oh hey, guess what? I just made a whole video about this! If you would like to watch my interesting facial expressions and here my passionate rant, then watch the clip below... but if you would simply prefer to read the summarized points, so be it (just scroll down, they're written out below!)


1. Splenda is MUCH worse for you than sugar! We shouldn't replace sugar with a synthetic chemical that has to be produced in a lab! If you're worried about your health, it seems pretty obvious that naturally occurring sugar in any amount is better for you than a CHEMICAL, let alone a chemical such as Splenda of which we don't even have any long term studies about, and really have no clue what our body does with after we consume it, or what health problems it could lead to down the road– or even right now!

2. Substituting sugar with Splenda leads to MORE SUGAR intake! A lot a lot a lot of people see Splenda as a great way to double their sweetness intake without doubling their calories, but this couldn't be further from the truth! People overcompensate for the sugar they replace in their coffee with treats that are MUCH higher in sugar than what they originally would have eaten. There are only 30 calories of sugar in a cup of coffee that's sweetened with 2 packets of sugar, and there are just over 100 calories of sugar in a small sticky bun (you know, the one you saw through the dessert window at Starbucks, and thought you could afford sugar wise if you swapped out the sugar in your soy chai tea latte with Splenda...). All in all, even if your case may not be as extreme as a sticky bun (which is still not one of the more extreme cases), it's almost always the case that you will end up eating more sugar than if you hadn't swapped... and then your body has to deal with both the extra sugar, and with cleansing out the Splenda...ick.

3. Cutting out Splenda is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than Cutting Out Sugar! If you're suddenly health conscious enough to want to cut your sugar intake down, then you should AT LEAST be health conscious enough to NOT BE EATING SPLENDA! I can guarantee you that eating any synthetic man-made chemical is going to be much, MUCH worse for you than eating something than humans have been safely eating (IN MODERATION) for years and years and years and years...

     Plus, there have been plenty of studies on the effects that sugar has on our bodies, so it's easy to make an informed decision about how much sugar you want to introduce into your body, whereas it's impossible to make an informed decision about how much Splenda you should be consuming by weighing the effect Splenda has on your body (I can guarantee you it does affect your body though, and that it is NOT good for you. At. All.).

     So, instead of turning to the evil, unhealthy, deceptive Splenda, try to cut down on your sugar in other ways! Replace it with fruit, or even by drinking water every time you get a craving (a lot of times we confuse hunger with thirst, so you may as well kill two birds with one stone and stay hydrated while breaking your sugar addiction!). After a few weeks, your palette will actually have retrained itself, and once you no longer crave sugar, you'll find that you are more sensitive to the amount of sugar in things, and any lingering cravings can be easily satisfied with only small portions of sweets!

     So, what are your experiences with Splenda? Why do you hate it? Why do you need it? Are you trying to cut down on sugar without turning to deceptive artificial sweeteners? Do you know people who are addicted to Splenda? Why is our culture so caught up on demonizing sugar and glorifying synthetic chemicals?

I want to hear your thoughts!!!
Leave your comments below, and let's have a conversation! :)

Oh hey, want some proof to back up my claims that Splenda is evil? Check out these studies about how it destroys your gut with it's many secret side effects!

http://consciouslifenews.com/splendas-many-secret-side-effects/


What, you still want more food for thought?! Then check out this great article by Food Renegade!

"A good rule of thumb: Only eat food that your great grandmother would have recognized as food. Splenda is a new, manufactured, edible sugar-like substance created in laboratories. It is not food."
-- Food Renegade

http://www.foodrenegade.com/the-dangers-of-splenda/



Til next time...

xo,

Abby


Friday, January 24, 2014

Naturally Gluten Free Baking?! My Philosophy for Success in the Kitchen

Hi All!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but now that things have sort of calmed down (holidays, roommate issues...) I am planning to go back to my weekly posting schedule!

Which brings me to today's topic...

My philosophy on being gluten free!!

I have had my share of both baking and cooking experiences in the gluten free department over the past few years, and for some reason, I never had that infamous "rock cookie"/"card board cake" experience that so many fellow GF bakers have bemoaned encountering time and again in their early GF days.

This isn't because I am just naturally more talented at gluten free baking than these other bakers, and it's not because I had some secret ingredient that magically replaced gluten. It's because of my one, simple philosophy when it comes to GF baking:

The less flour in the recipe, the better.

I live by this mantra in the kitchen, and I am able to produce delicious goodies that taste just as good, and look just as appetizing, as their glutenous counterparts! These types of recipes are already mostly gluten free, so you will have less to substitute, and less to gamble.

Now, you might be thinking "Wait a minute, you're telling me that if I want to bake successful gluten free goodies I have to forget about the flour?"

No!

That's not what I'm saying AT ALL. I'm just saying that recipe that have a naturally lower ratio of flour to other ingredients (like banana bread) are pretty much guaranteed to come out better than recipes with a high flour ratio (like sugar cookies).

When you bake things that require less flour, the dough/batter relies less on the gluten to help it stick together, and the rest of the ingredients rely less on the gluten to react during baking in the way they should.

Makes sense, right?

Of course, if you can find recipes that just happen to be gluten free (English toffee, any one?), then that's even better! Recipes like this are a gluten free girl/guy's best friend because we don't need to change any part of them to fit our needs, and they obviously already taste pretty good seeing as how they are enjoyed by the glutenous community at large on a regular basis.

So, finally, here is a list of ideas for you all! You'd be surprised how many delicious deserts and baked goods are already gluten free, as well as how many are only a step or two away from being substituted into gluten free land!

Mostly Flour-Free (you only need to substitute a small portion of these recipes with a GF flour mix):

Banana Bread- recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/
(substitute the flour in the recipe for your favorite GF flour mix- I recommend the Trader Joe's all purpose GF flour mix in the pink packaging)



Cheesecake- recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-cheesecake-recipe.html
(substitute the graham cracker crust with GF graham crackers! You can find them at Whole Foods, at some smaller health food stores, or definitely on amazon!)



Pecan Pie*- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pecan-pie-recipe.html
(I recommend buying a pre-made GF crust if you have a GF bakery near you, or else using this recipe: http://glutenfreegirl.com/2009/11/gluten-free-pie-crust/)



*If you want to substitute this for another pie, a pie with an open top (like pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, etc. will be your best bets! An they will come out delicious! I can vouch for those 3 flavors, because I have tried them and loved the results!)

Naturally Gluten-Free Favorites (Nothing you'll need to substitute in these tried-and-true recipes!):

Bûche de Noël - recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Buche-de-Noel



Flan- recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/346406/flan
   (variation) Pumpkin Flan- recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pumpkin-flan-recipe.html



Meringue Cookies- recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/vanilla-meringue-cookies



English Toffee- recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/english-toffee-33357



Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Cookies- recipe: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/emerils-gluten-free-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-17943009



Coconut Macaroons- recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/coconut-macaroons-recipe-00100000096584/



Parisian Macaroons- recipe: http://www.giverslog.com/?p=1089



Mini Cheesecakes- recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesecake-Cupcakes/Detail.aspx?evt19=1



And, here's a more obscure, but seriously delicious one...

"Angel Food Candy" (AKA "meteorite candy")- recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Angel-Food-Candy/Detail.aspx?evt19=1


If you would be interested in seeing a post of "Naturally Gluten Free Cooking?!", leave a comment down below, and I'll make it next week's blog post!
Good luck!!

xo,

Abby




Thursday, October 31, 2013

Gluten Free: Halloween Candy Edition

Hi All!

     As you may or may not know, I've been gluten free for a while now since we discovered that gluten intolerance runs in my family, and my mom and brother both started having some serious health issues related to it. 
     Lucky for us, in the past few months going gluten free has become the "cool thing to do", so there have been way more options for us at the grocery store and on menus, as well as being able to enjoy packaging that brightly announces things are GLUTEN FREE! 
     Being GF is still hard though, and even when you think you've become a pro at turning down chocolate chip cookies and birthday cake, and walking past the bread isle at the grocery store, it can still be tricky, and gluten can be "hiding" in all sorts of unexpected places (blue cheese, Mentos, flavored potato chips…). 
     Since it's Halloween, I thought I'd compile a quick list of the top ten GF candy favorites you can say "yes!" to while trick-or-treating (or buying on discount tomorrow), as well as a few tricky treats that have gluten lurking in them where you might not expect it!
   
Top 10 Safe, Gluten Free Treats:
  
1. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
This one's for all the Peanut Butter Chocaholics out there, don't worry, your addiction is safe! Reeses Peanut Butter cups are totally GF, which means they 
have no gluten containing ingredients OR cross contamination. Much away!






2. Junior Mints AND York Mints
To all the mint lovers out there, okay, I cheated a little by including 2, but these are both to ally safe. Junior mints are made by Tootsie Roll Industries, which does not use wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale, spelt, or any of their components, either as ingredients or as part of the manufacturing process. That means you're totally safe, with no
worry of any gluten containing ingredients being contained in the "natural flavor" section of the ingredients list. York Mints are included on Hershey's "Gluten Free List", so they also contain no threat of "glutenization" ;)




3. Jelly Bellies
These little guys are literally for everyone! If you have dairy allergies, or follow a vegetarian diet, Jelly Bellies are safe for you too. As well as not containing gluten, Jelly Belly has come out as saying that, "all Jelly Belly beans are gluten-free, dairy-free, gelatin-free,
vegetarian and OU Kosher". Even the licorice flavor (licorice traditionally contains wheat) is 100% GF!





4.Milky Way Dark Chocolate & Milky Way Caramel Bars (Original Flavor DOES contain gluten)
Manufactured by Mars, these two milky way flavors are GF, however Mars urges consumers to check the label anyways, to be absolutely sure. These two flavors ARE on their Gluten Free List, though.



5. Wonka Pixy Stix
These tubes of sugar and chemicals may be terrible for you, but hey, at least they're gluten
free! If you so desire, although they may not be the healthiest choice, they are still a perfectly gluten free Halloween indulgence :)







6. Butter Fingers ***(ONLY the original flavor!)
The original flavor is totally gluten free, and totally safe, BUT the variations all have gluten containing ingredients.

This is a great example of a sneaky treat; you'd imagine that all of the butterfingers shapes wouldn't contain gluten (they're all the same, just different sizes, right?), but they DO! So be aware, and only eat the original.


7. Milk Chocolate (Original) M&Ms
Similar to Butterfingers, the original M&Ms are totally gluten free, but variations are NOT. White Chocolate M&Ms are glutinous, as well as pretzel M&Ms (duh?), coconut flavor M&Ms, and Mint M&Ms. Don't eat
these if you are avoiding gluten! If you stick to the original, though, you should be safe & sound. Plain, Original, Milk chocolate M&Ms are actually certified gluten free, which means they meet very stringent GF standards, ensuring there are at least less than 10 parts per million of gluten.



8. Tootsie Pops, Caramel Apple Pops, Charms Blow Pops
All of these major Lollipops are Gluten
Free, but just to be safe, don't eat the variations. If you stick to the original varieties, you'll be safe. And yes, Tootsie Pops being GF does mean that Tootsie Rolls are GF as well :)




9. Heath
 Bars
is it just me, or are these a classic favorite? I feel like Heath Bars can often be under appreciated, but
they are definitely in my top few favorite candies. Luckily, they're gluten free!





10. Swedish Fish
Swedish Fish are Gluten Free, however not all gummy candies are. It's better
safe than sorry, so for the most part try to stay away from them unless they specifically state they are GF on the packaging. 
















Beware! These spooky treats contain gluten…
- Wonka Nerds
-Everlasting Gobstoppers
-Wonka Bars (all flavors)
- Chewy Spree
- Original Flavor of Milky Way Bar
Hershey's Special Dark Bar
- Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme Bar
- Hershey's Air Delight
- Hershey's Milk Chocolate Drops
- Hershey's Miniatures
- Mr. Goodbar
- Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate
- Butterfinger Crisp Bar
- Butterfinger Giant Bar
- Butterfinger Snackerz
- Butterfinger Medallions
- Butterfinger Jingles
- Butterfinger Hearts
- Butterfinger Pumpkins



Have a Happy Halloween,

love Abby