Eating Healthier

[expiated]

Medjool dates are much larger and lighter in color than Delget Noor dates (they have an auburn to light brown color), and they also have a thicker and fleshier exterior, which makes them much easier to bite into because they are less chewy.

Of course, this means that Delget Noor dates are much smaller and little bit darker.

When compared to the Medjool date, which is often regarded as the standard in the date world, the mildly sweet Zahidi date has a considerably lower sugar count, and a nutty, buttery flavor with a subtle tang reminiscent of dried apricots. The Zahidi is also chewier and semi-dry in texture.

 

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I purchased this book for very little money via e-Bay, but it was published almost 40 years ago and its recipes primarily use unsweetened fruit juice in place of refined sugar, which is not really useful to me because all this is doing is using a different kind of sugar—it is not really free of sugar.

If the recipe does not call for whole fruit (and these recipes do not) then I'm not interested in it.

I keep seeing certain foods touting that they are made from cane sugar. Why do they do this?

Beet sugar and cane sugar are both refined/processed products, but chefs tend to like cane sugar more because it caramelizes better and in some things the difference is important.

Professional bakers also seem to prefer cane sugar due to the behavior of beet sugar in baking . Apparently it gives a coarser texture in some things.

Also, there are claims that all beet sugar is a GMO product (genetically modified organism) which is another reason people might prefer pure cane organic sugar.

 

[expiated]

Carob vs. Chocolate

Carob is a sweet and healthy substitute for chocolate. Because of their similar taste, people often compare carob to chocolate. However, it's healthier than chocolate.

Says who?

Carob tastes similar to chocolate and is a great alternative because it has:

• a lot of fiber
• antioxidants
• low amounts of fat and sugar
• no caffeine
• no gluten

Okay, but I don't have a problem with caffeine or gluten, so is there really much reason for me to substitute carob in place of chocolate?

Carob coating or bars have no significant health advantage over chocolate. In fact, they're very similar. Both are rich in kilojoules, fat and sugar and should be consumed sparingly. Carob power makes a caffeine-free substitute in drinks and in cooking—but you'd know from the taste that it was different!

Another take…

Carob naturally contains more carbohydrates and sugar than cacao, and is low in fat. Naturally sweet, carob is sometimes used as a sugar replacement. For those that are sensitive to caffeine and other stimulants, carob is an excellent option that provides a subtle chocolate flavor to recipes.

So, does it contain more sugar or less?

 

[expiated]

As best as I can tell, this recipe book does not have sugar-free desserts...

And the two recipes that appeared among the sample pages were sweetened with honey and maple syrup—not with pitted dates, raisins, or plain dried fruit.

 

[expiated]

This book was vague about how it sweetened recipes other than mentioning honey. However, by mousing over the tiny, tiny sample recipes, I found that among its choices were...

• ground stevia or monk fruit
• maple sugar
• coconut sugar
• honey
• agave nectar
• maple syrup

But, whichever option was called for, it seemed like the book tried to keep it to a minimum. For example, the Chocolate Banana Cupcakes did not include any of the above—only bananas, cocoa powder, and carob powder.

NOTE: Monkfruit, also known as siraitia grosvenorii or luohan guo, is a herbaceous perennial vine of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is native to southern China and northern Thailand. The plant is cultivated for its fruit extract, called mogrosides, which create a sweetness sensation 250 times stronger than sucrose.

 

[expiated]

If what I saw was the same book, only with a different cover, it has more than just desserts. The sample recipes I saw, however, mainly used the kind of stuff I usually pass on, such as...

• Granulated Stevia
• Truvia
• Truvia brown sugar
• Orange juice
• Agave nectar

 

[expiated]

From Medical News Today...

Monk fruit is also called luo han guo or swingle. It looks like a small gourd, and it grows on a vine.

Monk fruit is native to regions of Southeast Asia, including some parts of Thailand and China. Buddhist monks in the 13th century were the first to cultivate the fruit, which is the reason for its name.

Fresh monk fruit spoils rather quickly. Traditionally, people used dried monk fruit in herbal medicines.

Today, monk fruit is most popular as a natural sweetener. The fruit’s extract contains substances called mogrosides, which are intensely sweet.

According to the International Food Information Council Foundation, monk fruit is around 150–200 times sweeter than sugar. Some manufacturers mix the extract with different sugars to balance out the intensity.

A variety of monk fruit sweeteners are available to purchase online.


Monk fruit pros...

A monk fruit sweetener has several benefits when compared with sugar:

• Monk fruit extract contains no calories, which is helpful for people on diets that restrict a person’s caloric intake.
• The extract also contains no carbohydrates, which may make it ideal for people on low-carb or keto diets.
• There is no sugar in pure monk fruit extract, which means that consuming it will not affect blood sugar levels.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers monk fruit sweeteners to be generally regarded as safe. There appears to be no evidence that monk fruit sweeteners cause harmful side effects.
• Available in multiple forms. Monk fruit sweeteners are marketed as granules, powders, and liquids. Some products may be easy to carry and use throughout the day.

Monk fruit sweeteners may also have some health benefits:

• Some studies in animals suggest that mogrosides extracted from monk fruit may have potent antioxidant properties. Further research is needed to understand the effects in humans. Also, it is unclear if eating the processed sweetener has the same benefits as eating the fruit.
• Research in animals also suggests that mogrosides play a role in controlling blood sugar levels. Results of another studies indicate that mogroside extracts may help prevent diabetic complications. However, researchers have yet to investigate these effects in humans.

Monk fruit cons...

For the following reasons, a person may think twice before using monk fruit sweeteners to replace sugar:

• Monk fruit is difficult to grow and costly to export, which means that it is not as widely available as other sweeteners, and it can be expensive.
• Monk fruit sweeteners taste different from regular table sugar, and some find the taste unusual or unpleasant. The sweeteners can also leave an aftertaste.
• Some manufacturers balance the taste of monk fruit by mixing it with other sugars, such as maltodextrin or dextrose. This can change the sweetener’s nutritional profile and make it unsafe or undesirable for some people.

 

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What is the difference between Stevia Leaf (Powder) and Stevia Extract?

Source: Professional Whey

Our stevia leaf (powder) is organic and is around 20-30 times sweeter than cane sugar. It is green in appearance and is not completely water soluble, meaning that some of it will float in your beverage.

When compared to our organic stevia extract, it is weaker. But, it is more in its pure state, as the ground up stevia leaf is used in a further process to make stevia extract.

100g of organic stevia leaf can flavour around 6kg of most unflavored protein powders. In contrast, 100g of stevia extract can flavour around 40-60kg of unflavoured protein powder.

Our stevia extract is premium grade powder, concentrated from the leaf powder. It is not organic. It is white in appearance and is water soluble and is around 300 times sweeter than cane sugar. Our stevia extract has a minimum of 60% Rebaudioside A, which is the sweetest part of the stevia plant. Therefore, there is very little bitter aftertaste, which you can taste more of in the stevia leaf.

Recommendations...

We generally find if you have never used any stevia sweetener before and are just starting to get off artificial sweeteners then stevia extract is a good place to begin. Then after six or more months it is worth moving over to the stevia leaf and getting accustomed to the taste. Initially the leaf takes a little getting used to, but its worth it.

 

[EvidssonCara]

I think that it's good to exclude sugar, fatty, and fried food. More vegetables and fruits and be everything is ok

 

[expiated]

Why do extracts include alcohol?

Extracts have that name because flavor compounds are extracted with a solvent, which is usually alcohol. Alcohol performs this action faster than glycerin, and it extracts a different variety of substances than glycerin will extract.


What is Glycerin?

Glycerin (pronouncedGLIH–sir–in) is classified as a type of carbohydrate called a sugar alcohol, or polyol. Glycerin is another name forglycerol, the three-carbon backbone of atriglyceride. It is formed naturally through the alcoholic fermentation of sugars; however, most of the glycerin we consume is produced from the hydrolysis of fats and oils, and in lesser quantities through the fermentation of yeast, sugar or starch.

Glycerin is used as an ingredient in a variety of food and beverage products to help retain moisture,prevent sugar crystallization, and add bulk, smoothness, softness, sweetness and texture.

Like most sugar alcohols, glycerin is not as sweet as sugar—it is about 60–75% as sweet. Glycerin is more calorie-dense than other sugar alcohols and contains more calories per gram (4.32) than sugar (3.87). 


From another source...

Glycerol is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in those lipids known as glycerides. Due to having antimicrobial and antiviral properties it is widely used in FDA approved wound and burn treatments.