“Big business tells us what to eat and on the other side, watchdog groups tell us we’re being poisoned. From the wings, the media screams about the battle at the top of its lungs. In the middle stands our poor diet, constantly scrutinized. Sooner or later, everything we eat is either branded the next superfood fad or the devil incarnate. Every now and then, a food comes along that gets to be both.”

-Denis Faye

Are you a soy fan? Well, you need to check out an article by Denis Faye discussing all sides of the coin. Click on the image below for the link to this great article:

If you’re like most people, conquering your appetite is one of the biggest challenges you face in your fitness and weight loss journey. As soon as the word “diet” crosses your lips, you may find yourself craving all the junk you know you’re not supposed to eat. The secret is eating the right foods to help calm the cravings for the wrong ones. Adding these 9 easy-to-find, tasty foods to your meal plan can help you rein in your appetite before it gets out of control!

Here is a great article by, by Whitney Provost, who discusses 9 appetite suppressing foods (original article here). I was going to write one myself; but why do that when you can get information straight from a specialist.

Glucose

Glucose is the simple sugar made by the body through digestion of carbohydrates. It is the body’s chief source of energy. Sometimes glucose is called dextrose.

Sucrose

Sucrose is what we commonly refer to as table sugar. It is made from highly processed sugar cane or sugar beets. The composition of sucrose is a combination of glucose and fructose, which separates during digestion. Pure sucrose is devoid of any nutrients.

Fructose

Fructose, commonly called fruit sugar, is a simple sugar found in honey, tree fruits, berries, and melons. But don’t be fooled into thinking fructose on a label means you are eating fruit sugar. Pure crystalline fructose comes from two sources: corn or sucrose (table sugar). Corn starch is processed to release fructose. Sucrose (table sugar) is enzymatically hydrolyzed to separate into glucose and fructose. Crystalline fructose is pure fructose from one of these two sources.

High fructose syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from starches like corn, wheat, and rice. High fructose syrups contain nearly equal amounts of glucose and fructose, a composition nearly identical to sucrose (table sugar). The reason high fructose corn syrup is so abundant in our processed food is simple-it’s cheaper than sugar. Because we highly subsidize corn and place tariffs on sugar imports, high fructose corn syrup is much less expensive.

Pure fructose is 1.2-1.8 times sweeter than sucrose so less is needed for the same level of sweetness. It is low on the glycemic index, therefore it does not lead to peaks and dips in the body’s glucose levels. But fructose is processed in the liver. When too much fructose enters the liver at once, the liver can’t process fructose as a sugar. Instead, the liver turns excess fructose into fats-triglycerides. When you incorporate these fats into our bodies cells (the cell membranes) triglycerides cause these cells to be insulin resistant. This is the reason that high fructose corn syrup leads to diabetes. Fructose is linked to significant increases of both cholesterol and triglycerides. And remember-fructose, like sucrose-is a highly refined processed sugar devoid of any nutrition.

Maltose

Maltose, also known as malt sugar, is half as sweet as sucrose (table sugar). It is produced from starch (barley, wheat, rice or other grains). It has been produced in China since 200 B.C. We use it in making beer and as an additive to some processed foods.

In our bodies, maltose is formed as the first step in digestion of starchy foods. It is then broken down into glucose.

This is a topic I know to be true for two reasons: 1) I struggled with fatty food addictions growing up (still do today!!!) and 2) My PhD studies focus on addiction and how it affects the brain.

There has been some really good research going on in this area and finding out how certain types of high fat food (cheesecake, big macs, etc.) affect our brain. Here is a good article that digests the science in a way that is easily understood. For those of you who are interested in the detailed science, let me know. I can get you copies of the specific science journals that report some of these findings.

Click on the big mac to find the link:

Ever had the discussion of whether diet coke really is better for our bodies as opposed to regular coke. Or any diet soda compared to the regular version?

Check out this article if you are really serious about treating your body well:

Is Diet Pop/Soda Bad for me?

This image was reproduced from the orignal article (see link above)

1/2 cup of soy flower (or regular/wheat flour)
1 scoops of protein powder ( I do chocolate) or Shakeology
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
few packets of sugar substitute (splenda, stevia, equal)
few dashes of cinnamon
egg whites (5-6)
1/2 cup of oatmeal (dry and uncooked)

Optional:  dry raisins, peanut butter, chopped nuts, Get creative here! I usually add 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter and a dab of olive oil (seems to make them more fluffy).

directions.  Mix the batter in a bowl, make sure it’s nice and evenly mixed.  feel free  to add some water or milk ( any fat % optional) if the mix gets too dry.  Once you have a consistent mix here are the directions to cook.