Can You Be Sugar Free?

One of the worst habits  we have is eating sugar. We crave cupcakes wit sweet , gooey icing puffs,  we add more of the white stuff to already candy like lattes.We even add brown sugar  to our bacon. However that may all be changing . There's a no sugar movement going on challenging sweet tooths all over the world to give up their addiction.

Sadly we are hard wired to eat sugar. Blame it on our earliest days when a sweet flavor signified non poisonous in plants and berries. If it was sugary, like a plum or an apple , then the eater could rest easy, knowing he or she wouldn't be sick or suffer dire consequences.Then humanity  fell in love with sugar cane about 10,000 years ago in New Guinea. People got their first sugar rush and loved it. Cane syrup then was used in religious rites and as a medicine. Iit then went onto the Asian mainland where the Indians were turning sugarcane into a powder,  used mostly for healing.It went to Persia and then spread throughout the Arab world. hey combined it with ground almonds to create the addictive confection marzipan. The European Crusaders got their first taste of sugar cane during their crusades and again fell hard for it. Later Columbus discovered sugar cane on Hispaniola and that began Europe's hard core addiction with sugar.It replaced the all natural sweetener . Now we are trying to undo those centuries of sugar use. It not only puts on the weight but tricks the body  into gaining weight,. Those white grains also do extensive damage to the liver as well.The liver is the only organ that processes glucose ad eating too much will result in taxing it.It also causes extensive damage to teeth as well.

How do we curb our addictions and go sugar free? The obvious answer is give up baked goods, soda and candy. These are the easiest because the sugar in them is obvious.We can easily substitute cookies and sweets with with fresh fruit and 90 percent good for you dark chocolate. Soda can be replaced with flavored sparkling water. Hot tea and even coffee can be sweetened with honey or agave syrup.  , instead of white refined sugar . The problem is that sugar is everywhere, even in the most savory of foods.They lurk in our condiments.Ketchup has it to balance out the spices as does mayo, steak sauces and even mustard.The best bet is use spices  or herbs to flavor meats and vegetables.Salad dressing is a culprit too. It can turn a healthy bowl of greens into a sundae. Stick to a simple vinaigrette, possibly spiked with oregano or parsley.Yogurt, that much touted health food has a whopping forty-seven grams of sugar.if fruit is added Try to cut down on it or stick to plain Greek yogurt and add your own fruit. Bread is another culprit, with some of  us eating it as much as twice a day everyday. Try to sub in pita bread which has very little sugar in it. Another idea is wrapping up meats and cheeses in lettuce wraps. As for toast for breakfast, think oatmeal with a trickle of honey and cinnamon .


We can go sugar free. It's a hard task but will become easier as we distance ourselves further and further away from it. The end result is worth it.  - a healthy body.

A Squeeze Of Lime

Limes are one of the most wonderful fruits. They are incredibly versatile and add a certain flip to any dish , especially summer ones. You can zest up a cocktail with then, use them for grilling or make a tart, eye opening ice or pastry . They are a must have. Add them to your warm weather grocery list.

Like their cousins, the lemon and the orange, limes are from the Citrus family. Lime trees have leathery leaves and fragrant white flowers.The fruit is generally smaller than lemons and has a thinner rind. Like lemons, they are high in Vitamin C. but also Vitamin A and calcium. The British fend limes to their sailors during the 1800s to ward off scurvy. (hence the nickname "Limey").Limes are not only used for food. They are also the base and top notes in several colognes and perfumes. The first trees were grown in Southeast Asia and they still figure prominently in the cooking there. It was also grown in ancient Persia where it was known as limu. Crusaders brought them back to Europe with them where they flourished in Mediterranean countries.

Limes are wonderful in summer cooking. Squeeze lime over grilled chicken or tuna for a lively bite. You can also use it to make cerviche since the acid "cooks" the fish. Lime dressing is a refreshing twist on vinaigrette and it gives a lift to ordinary veggies like tomatoes and broccoli. Limeade and mojitos are wonderful, tasty drinks at any gathering. You can also add lime to iced tea as a more interesting alternative to lemon. Every picnic deserves to be ended with Key Lime pie or tartlets.

There is nothing like a squeeze of lime to add zest to any summer meal. Buy several and use them for everything. They liven up drinks and meals, adding extra flavor to barbecues and picnics.They are a definite buy for warm weather cooking and drinking.