Get rid of soda (and other sugary drinks):
Many sodas today contain caffeine, a diuretic (a substance that makes you urinate). They also contain salt. Because you are losing water through urine and ingesting about 55 mg of sodium per can, soda makes you thirstier. While this is great for the soda companies (if you're still thirsty, you'll grab another can), it's not so great for you because this means you're also ingesting incredibly high amounts of sugar or HFCS, both of which mask the taste of the salt (who would drink salty-tasting soda?) (Information taken from Lustig's lecture, see previous post for more information). If you must drink something besides water, milk, or tea and coffee (preferably not sweetened with sugar), get 100% fruit juice with no added sugars and lots of pulp (the more pulp, the more fiber). Honestly, I still drink fruit juice from time to time (even low-pulp juices, like grape juice), I just try not to drink it with every meal. As for alcohol, well, that's your call, but there is no level on which alcohol can be considered healthy for you. This is in terms of sugar content, carcinogenic properties, and other health concerns (and yes, this includes red wine: again look for future posts on this topic).
Maximize honey:
It has been shown that honey does not have detrimental effects on triglyceride levels like sugar/HFCS does when tested in rats (Substituting Honey for Sugar). This is not to say that honey should be consumed with abandon: it is still sugar. However, if you can find products that use mostly or only honey instead of sugar/HFCS this is a good way to go. Also, try substituting honey for sugar in baking/cooking. Try to buy local/organic where you can (or ask your farmer/company how they feed their bees) because commercial bee keepers often feed their bees HFCS because it's cheap: HFCS and Bee Populations, which beyond possibly adulterating the honey product, can actually harm bee populations. Additionally, the less the honey is processed, the more nutritious it is, so raw honey is your best bet. Honey has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties, as well as an ability to fight cancer, suppress a cough, and help your body maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Honey has also been used to heal wounds like burns for centuries with excellent results. Did I mention the vitamin, anti-oxidant, and flavonoid content? More on Honey
De-sugar your breakfast:
Add honey, fruit, and/or honey-based granola to plain yogurt to make it taste sweeter. Vanilla yogurt can have more sugar in it than ice cream: Sugar Content of Common Foods. If you can't go without sugar in your yogurt, try drinking a glass of milk instead. For cereal, make your own granola (see recipes below) with honey instead of sugar, or buy cereals like Grape Nuts and toasted wheat that don't have any added sugars.
Minimize sauces/dressings/spreads:
Salad dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, jam, peanut butter, etc. are packed with sugar/HFCS. It's really easy to make your own salad dressing (olive oil + balsamic vinegar = balsamic vinaigrette) and most sauces are also easy to make (especially if you're cooking anyway). For example, make your own teriyaki sauce instead of buying one that's probably full of sugar (even if your recipe calls for sugar, you can control the amount of sugar in the sauce. Or, try substituting honey for a slightly different flavor). There are more natural versions of jam/jelly and peanut butter (often even in the store brand) that are sugar-free and basically taste the same. You may even find that by making your own sauces/dressings you save money in the long run (ingredients are almost always cheaper per ounce of product yielded than the pre-made product).
Make your own soup:
Home-made soup is delicious and you have complete control over how much sugar (and salt) goes into the pot. If you don't have time to make your own, check the ingredient list before you buy. Almost all name-brand non-organic tomato soups contain HFCS, and even the organic ones usually contain sugar. It is possible to find flavors without sugar, but if you prefer your traditional tomato or other variety, look for soups with sugar low on the ingredient list (and if possible low-sodium, too).
Check your snacks and bread:
Bread, crackers, and chips often contain sugar when you least expect it. All of these items can be purchased sugar-free or low-sugar (once again, check your ingredient lists), and often at around the same price (unfortunately almost all of the cheapest breads have HFCS, so it may be slightly more pricey to buy one without). If you can't find brands you like, try making your own bread or use veggies to dip instead of crackers/chips. Finally, be careful with energy/granola bars: most are sugar bars. Many get their high sugar rating from fruit and/or honey, which isn't as much of a problem, but many have sugar/HFCS high on the ingredient list. Make your own with the granola recipes below, find a low-sugar brand, or switch to a different snack.
Watch out for non-sugar sweeteners:
Just because it's sugar-free doesn't mean it's better for you. In fact, synthetic sugar substitutes are generally unsafe or at least suspect. This site about Synthetic Sugar Substitutes suggests carcinogenic properties, irregular blood sugar levels, and neurological, mood-related, organ swelling/shrinking, immune system, and gastrointestinal problems. If that's not enough, look up your favorite sweetener in the following list of Food Additives, I think you'll find consumption is generally not recommended.
Natural Alternatives:
In terms of more natural alternatives, here's a list and some helpful hints as to whether or not they are a good choice for sugar substitution (for more on honey, see above): Sugar Alternatives and their Glycemic Index
Stevia:
In addition to the list above, I want to highlight some information about stevia. "Stevioside comes from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), a perennial shrub of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family native to Brazil and Paraguay" (Synthetic Sugar Substitutes, cited above). Despite the fact that it is therefore a naturally occurring sweetener, safety is disputed: some government organizations around the world (including the FDA) choose not to approve it, but people have been using it for years in other countries with no apparent ill-effects: "In 1992, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) petitioned the FDA to declare stevia as GRAS [generally regarded as safe], citing historical usage and referring to numerous toxicology studies conducted in Japan and other countries. The FDA rejected AHPA's petition, contending inadequate evidence to approve the product" (Synthetic Sugar Substitutes, cited above). However, other studies (I'm not sure who conducted them) show, "High dosages [of stevia] fed to rats reduced sperm production and increased cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility or other problems. Pregnant hamsters that had been fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol had fewer and smaller offspring. In the laboratory, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells' DNA" (Food Additives, cited above). A refined version of stevia, rebiana, may cause DNA mutations, but has not yet been thoroughly tested (although it's already on the market, especially in beverages). In the end, it is your choice whether you choose to believe the FDA or the AHPA and historical precedent, but look out for stevia in traditional and herbal teas if you're trying to avoid it.
In general, your best rule of thumb is, less refined = better for you:
It seems that honey (as long as you're getting a pure, unrefined version, the more raw the better) is your best alternative. Sugar Cane Juice may also be used in moderation, as it also has many healing and nutritional properties (this is not to be confused with evaporated cane juice or raw sugar, both of which come from sugar cane and are less processed than table sugar, but more processed than sugar cane juice). It should be noted that sugar cane juice is still processed (from the stalk to a liquid form). Maple syrup is more nutritious than many sweeteners, but it is refined, so it is not your best choice. Watch out for sweeteners like Agave Syrup, which although it touts a low-glycemic index and is marketed as a natural alternative to sugar, was invented in the 90's, is hardly natural, is refined, and is more than 70% fructose: "The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS.35 The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup—anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites36 (More on Agave Syrup). Brown sugar/natural brown sugar/turbinado should also be avoided: at best, these are only one-step less refined than table sugar, and at worst, are just table sugar with added molasses (Sugar Refining Process + How Brown Sugar Fits In).
│granola recipes: "look here, I prefer not to give up cereal, ma'am"│
Since packaged cereals and even packaged granola tend to have lots of table sugar (even if they also have honey), here are a couple easy-to-make, easy-to-store recipes to help you make your own, so you don't have to give up your breakfast routine:
Olive Oil + Honey Granola (I substitute 1/2 cup of honey for the 3/4 cup of maple syrup)
Minnesota Plenty: Dehydrated Apple + Honey/Maple Syrup Granola (once again feel free to substitute more honey for less (or no) maple syrup)
As far as the ingredients go, you need oats, but the nuts/seeds/fruit choices are all up to you (you can also put as much or as little as you want of each, just make sure to try to have a good oat-to-nut/seed balance). In the first recipe it says 1 tsp. of kosher salt, but I would use just a pinch of regular salt (like the second recipe says) as the big kosher salt chunks get clumped and make for a few really salty bites. Additionally, feel free to use unsweetened as opposed to sweetened coconut flakes (it will still taste sweet, don't worry).
As for cooking time, it really varies depending on your oven. I would check the granola and stir it every ten minutes (despite what the second recipe says about 15, just to be safe): this prevents it from burning on the baking sheet. The granola is done as soon as most of it is golden brown. It may even be a little orange brown but as soon as you start to see orange, take it out! Orange, in my experience, means that it's starting to burn. If the granola burns, the honey looses a lot of its sweetness and you end up with pretty bitter granola.
Also, using a cake pan to bake it isn't a bad idea as this makes stirring easier without spilling (as a side note, the more your granola is piled on top of itself the more sticky it will be when it's done, the more spread out the granola, the less sticky). Feel free to double the batch so you don't have to make it as often, in this case you may need two cake pans.
Finally, you can store the granola in a glass dish with a seal-able lid (or one of those cereal container things you can buy at the store, although I would check the plastic on these as certain plastics can leech chemicals into your food) and it will last at least 2 weeks in the pantry (honestly I've eaten all mine before it's lasted longer than this). You may choose to store it in the fridge if you like, especially if you make bars out of it, to help solidify the honey and make it a bit thicker.
Be sure to check out the Minnesota Plenty blog mentioned above for more great recipes and do-it-yourself food storage and preservation techniques!
Since packaged cereals and even packaged granola tend to have lots of table sugar (even if they also have honey), here are a couple easy-to-make, easy-to-store recipes to help you make your own, so you don't have to give up your breakfast routine:
Olive Oil + Honey Granola (I substitute 1/2 cup of honey for the 3/4 cup of maple syrup)
Minnesota Plenty: Dehydrated Apple + Honey/Maple Syrup Granola (once again feel free to substitute more honey for less (or no) maple syrup)
As far as the ingredients go, you need oats, but the nuts/seeds/fruit choices are all up to you (you can also put as much or as little as you want of each, just make sure to try to have a good oat-to-nut/seed balance). In the first recipe it says 1 tsp. of kosher salt, but I would use just a pinch of regular salt (like the second recipe says) as the big kosher salt chunks get clumped and make for a few really salty bites. Additionally, feel free to use unsweetened as opposed to sweetened coconut flakes (it will still taste sweet, don't worry).
As for cooking time, it really varies depending on your oven. I would check the granola and stir it every ten minutes (despite what the second recipe says about 15, just to be safe): this prevents it from burning on the baking sheet. The granola is done as soon as most of it is golden brown. It may even be a little orange brown but as soon as you start to see orange, take it out! Orange, in my experience, means that it's starting to burn. If the granola burns, the honey looses a lot of its sweetness and you end up with pretty bitter granola.
Also, using a cake pan to bake it isn't a bad idea as this makes stirring easier without spilling (as a side note, the more your granola is piled on top of itself the more sticky it will be when it's done, the more spread out the granola, the less sticky). Feel free to double the batch so you don't have to make it as often, in this case you may need two cake pans.
Finally, you can store the granola in a glass dish with a seal-able lid (or one of those cereal container things you can buy at the store, although I would check the plastic on these as certain plastics can leech chemicals into your food) and it will last at least 2 weeks in the pantry (honestly I've eaten all mine before it's lasted longer than this). You may choose to store it in the fridge if you like, especially if you make bars out of it, to help solidify the honey and make it a bit thicker.
Be sure to check out the Minnesota Plenty blog mentioned above for more great recipes and do-it-yourself food storage and preservation techniques!
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