Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

You and I know that refined sugar (sucrose) is bad for you on every level, and after finally weaning yourself off sugary sweets and snacks, the insulin surge that results from holiday indulgences can rekindle the old cravings you thought you’d beaten for good. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are strategies you can use in your holiday cooking to give you those genuine sweet treats without after-holiday sugar blues and regrets. One of those strategies is using sugar substitutes. Not artificial sweeteners with health issues of their own, but natural sweeteners that taste lovely and are actually rather good for you in moderation. The best ones provide real nutritional value: vitamins, minerals, even some fiber. To get the most benefit, though, you need to be able to choose the right sweetener for the use at hand.

A Guilty Pleasure Without The Guilt

Although taste preferences do vary from person to person, a common Achilles heel amongst health seekers and waist watchers alike is a powerful sweet tooth.  You would not be alone if the dessert menu is your undoing, or treats commonly find their way into your mid-afternoon snack.

How to Pick the Best Cinnamon Extract

I’ll bet you have the answer to insulin resistance— one of our nation’s biggest health problems— in your cupboard right now. It’s cinnamon, and it’s waiting to spice up (and possibly save) your life! For centuries, cinnamon (from the Greek word meaning “sweet wood”) has played an important role in Naturopathic, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicines as a remedy for nausea, bloating, and other digestive complaints—as well as a means to improve appetite. In the ancient Egyptian empire, true cinnamon— which comes from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree—was considered more precious than gold because of its medicinal properties and its warm, sweet flavour.

Waist Not, Want Not: Burn Belly Fat To Fight Blood-Sugar Disorders

Metabolic syndrome is a term that has been used in medical research since the early 1960s to refer to a cluster of conditions that can either lead to, or are symptoms of, such chronic conditions as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. In a recent study examining the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients in the family practice in Canada, the study showed one in every 3 patients between 40 and 60 years old met the criteria for the syndrome. (1)

I believe that number will continue to rise in coming years as the long-term effects our fat and sugar-laden Canadian diet begin to “weigh in” with more and more Zoomers.