Jim Carrillo
What Are Sugar Alcohols?
What are Sugar Alcohols?
The name of these all-natural good-for-you sweeteners is as confusing as their sugary taste. Sugar alcohols or “polyols” are not sugars…or alcohol. But their amazing no or low-calorie natural, sweetening properties just might leave you a bit giddy.
Found naturally in foods, sugar alcohols are a group of low-digestible carbohydrates used in a wide range of products, ranging from chewing gums (like Spry) to desserts (like Fred’s Incredible Muffins,Wellness Bakeries & Natasha’s Health Nut Cookies) as well as oral and health care products like toothpaste, mouthwash and lozenges.
There are several polyols used as ingredients in sugar-free foods: erythritol, xylitol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, and sorbitol. Because each polyol has a different flavor profile and health benefits, you may find they’re a bit like wines: some are pleasing and go down easy, while others leave a bit of an aftertaste. And you can spot sugar alcohols in a product very easily: they are listed on The Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels as sugar alcohols or by their specific name.
In addition to their clean sweet taste and unique functional properties, polyols offer important health benefits. First, they don’t cause sudden increases in blood sugar levels – important for anyone concerned about diabetes, weight loss, cancer…and health in general. And second, they don’t promote tooth decay.
Go ahead and try these safe, all-natural sweeteners. Order your tasty box of low-glycemic Natasha’s Health Nut Cookies today!
Get Slim With Cookies
Get Slim… with Cookies!
If you’re trying to trim your tummy, don’t let this advice go to waste.
New research shows that adding almonds to your diet may not only aid in your weight-loss efforts, but also reduce your body fat and cinch your midsection significantly.
The 24 week study, published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, included 65 adults who were either overweight or obese. Half of the participants in the study ate a low calorie diet plus three ounces of almonds per day… or a low calorie diet plus their choice of complex carbohydrates. Both groups consumed the same amount of calories and protein.
At the end of the study, the almond-eaters enjoyed a 62% greater reduction in weight, 50% greater reduction in waist circumference and 56% greater reduction in fat mass compared with the group consuming the complex carbohydrates.
To target your tummy and boost your weight-loss efforts, trade in your “energy” bar for a perfectly portable, almond-packed cookie.
Cookies Packed With Fiber
Delicious Cookies – Packed with Fiber!
You’ve likely heard quite a bit lately on a “miracle” substance that is proven to foster weight loss, improve gastrointestinal health, protect your heart, and even guard against cancer.
Food manufacturers and diet gurus are boasting about it in their products, TV commercials exposing taut tummies urge you to get more by whirling it into juice or water, and a recent book suggests that 35 grams a day is the key to losing weight and staying healthy for life.
What is this miracle substance?
Fiber!
Although devoid of calories, this “non-nutritional vital nutrient”, is anything but lacking when it comes to your health. And new research shows yet another way that roughage (as Mom calls it) can help prevent inflammation – one of the major causes of chronic disease.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the relationship between fiber and C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is the best clinical marker for inflammation in your body. And it is a powerful predictor of future heart disease and diabetes. The study evaluated the body composition, CRP levels, diet and physical activity of 524 people and found that CRP levels were inversely associated with the total fiber in the diet.
The message is clear. Fiber up to keep inflammation down. For maximum benefit, you should eat a variety of plant-based foods that provide both soluble and insoluble fiber. And don’t forget Natasha’s Health Nut Cookies. With two grams of fiber in each cookie, our treats makes a healthy snack and a decadent after dinner delight.
Almonds, Good For The Heart
Almonds – Good for the Heart
Almonds don’t just please your taste buds. They can also protect your heart.
Research conducted at the State University of New York found that consuming a diet moderate in fat, but providing healthy monounsaturated fatty acids offers more benefits to the heart than a diet low in fat.
In this study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, subjects were separated into two groups for weight loss – low fat and moderate fat. Those following the moderate fat diet not only lost weight, but also reduced their triglycerides and LDL or “bad cholesterol”, while maintaining levels of heart healthy HDL cholesterol. Those in the low fat group lost weight, too, but their triglycerides rebounded and their HDL levels sank at the end of the study.
Enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of almonds in Natasha’s wholesome products!
