The Buzz about Liquid Gold: 4 Health Benefits of Honey
This golden nectar is the bee's knees! We are celebrating honey’s buzz-illion benefits. Keep reading for four that are positively un-bee-lievable!
November is National Diabetes Month. Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled blood sugar. In Georgia, about 1 million (12.4% of the population) have diabetes with 230,000 undiagnosed. Read more about what diabetes is from our previous blog post. With the holidays approaching, maintaining healthy behaviors can seem impossible. No need to fear, your favorite nutrition experts are here! We are here to support you whether you have been diagnosed with diabetes or are just concerned with managing your blood sugar levels.
Carb Wars, May the Force be with You
Feel like you need to be a Jedi with a lightsaber in tow to fight the temptation to eat carbohydrates? Fortunately, cake isn’t from the Dark Side. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient, meaning they provide a large portion of our daily energy. Our other macronutrients are protein and fat. We need all three to properly fuel the body. However, the carbohydrates have the biggest impact on our blood sugars, so they can feel intimidating to add.
Use the following tips to manage carbohydrate-rich foods with confidence:
Holiday Cheer: Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice!
Holiday parties, potlucks, and cookie swaps are right around the corner. You got 99 problems, but dessert ain’t one! It is okay to enjoy, just be mindful of your portion size and the balance with other food groups throughout the day. Pro tip: If you like baking, you can bring a to events to share with everyone; that way you will not feel left out and you are in control of and know what is in the dessert.
How Do I Make A Dessert Diabetes-Friendly?
SUGAR, SO SWEET!
Why did the young boy put sugar under his pillow? So, he would have sweet dreams.
When it comes to holiday baking, sugar is the main ingredient to be mindful of. Let’s talk about sugar alternatives in baking!
Honey
Honey is a great source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It is 25-50% sweeter than sugar so you can use less (use ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp of honey in place of 1 cup of sugar).
Stevia
Stevia comes from the stevia plant. It tastes 200x sweeter than sugar but has zero calories and 1-4g of carbs. It can be used to replace about 75% of the sugar in recipes.
Monk Fruit
Monk fruit comes from the monk fruit gourd and is 200x sweeter than sugar with 0 kcal and 1g sugar in a packet. It’s recommended to replace only half of sugar with monk fruit extract when baking.
Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are non-nutritive, meaning they don’t provide calories or sugars. They are made by humans and do not come from nature.
Whew, That Was A Sugar Rush! So, What is the Best Option?
The artificial sweeteners are your best option as they have the least amount of carbohydrates and sugar and therefore will have the least impact on your blood sugar levels. However, all foods and ingredients can be incorporated into a diabetes friendly diet. You do not have to avoid the other entirely, as long as you use them in moderation and smaller amounts. Checking your blood sugars 1 hour after a meal can also help you to see the impact of the foods you are eating and can help you to fine tune what the right portion looks like for you!
Now that you have these tips in your toolkit, it’s time to get baking! Happy Holidays!
Recipe: Chickpea Blondies
Recipe Courtesy of Jazmin Tyler
Ingredients:
Instructions:
This golden nectar is the bee's knees! We are celebrating honey’s buzz-illion benefits. Keep reading for four that are positively un-bee-lievable!
We're dishing out the tastiest tips and tricks to build healthy meals and snacks while out and about. Summer’s over and it’s time to chill, so we're focusing on fall-time state fairs. Bundle up and get ready for the most spice-tacular autumn munchies!