Sugar

The revelations of stopping. By Teresa Pesce.

I stopped eating sugar awhile back and discovered some wonderful things and some horrible but true things. I stopped being hungry all the time. When I became hungry, it was sharp and specific, and eating was a greater pleasure than ever before. I also ate less, as well as less frequently, because I wasn’t counteracting steep sugar drops. Thirteen pounds slipped away. Energy rose.

With all that wonderfulness going on, why in the WORLD would I start eating sugar again? Well, they say to find out why you’re doing something, stop doing it and you’ll find out. I found out that it was frustrating to live without sugar! It was my “blankie” of comfort at my desk job – my side along friend adding some interest and distraction to the long day. It was my weekend reward after errands. It was my after-dinner indulgence. Sugar had woven its sweet way throughout the tapestry of my life, and I found that my life lost some joy without it.

Did I embark on a career in painting, writing or mastering dead languages to discover my true bliss and replace sugar? Don’t be ridiculous. I forced myself back into eating enough sugar to constitute a decent work break! Awful, I know. But by evicting sugar, I found out where it lived in my life. Then I knew what I REALLY needed to do when I was ready. And I did. I totally kicked sugar, and I weighed the least and looked the best and was the healthiest I have even been in my life.

Want to know why you go through your days with a super-sized diet drink in your hand? Toss it and find out. Want to know why you are emotionally involved with chocolate? Me neither. Hey, not ALL change is good!

After School Hunger?

Try this healthy recipe to fill up your kids.

A new study from the University of Toronto suggests that not all snacks are created equal when it comes to filling up kids' rumbling tummies. The new research found that California raisins, when compared with other snacks such as grapes and potato chips, helped kids feel more full off of fewer calories.

"We found eating raisins as a snack prevented excessive calorie intake, increased the feeling of fullness and thereby may help contribute to the maintenance of a healthy weight in school-age children," said lead researcher G. Harvey Anderson, a professor of nutritional sciences and physiology at the University of Toronto.

This small but mighty snack does more than just satisfy hunger. Raisins are an all-natural, no-sugar-added snack that is fat and cholesterol free. They are also a good source of potassium and fiber. In fact, a quarter cup of raisins is a whole serving of fruit.

Try out this fun raisin recipe for a filling afterschool snack that doubles as a fun art activity from www.loveyourraisins.com.

California Raisin Rice Cake Doodles

10 multigrain rice cakes

2 cups California raisins

5/8 cup peanut butter or cream cheese (1 tablespoon per rice cake)

5/8 cup shredded cheese (1 tablespoon per rice cake)

1-1/2 cup various vegetables such as broccoli, radishes, zucchini, carrots and celery

1/4 cup various nuts, such as almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts and seeds

Different shaped pretzels, gold fish and sesame snacks for decoration

Use rice cakes as the base for the doodle, and use peanut butter or cream cheese as the "glue." Design the rice cake with a variety of toppings. Have fun and be creative.

#health