Sugar by any other name...

While reading ingredients on a package, I wondered why it had so many different sweeteners.  I mockingly read the label aloud, "Look, hun, this has sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and molasses."  Gasp.

Of course since I avoid sweets, that product went back on the grocer's shelf. Still, I scratched my head, "Why so many sweeteners?"

I assumed it gave the product a distinct flavor by combining different sugars, but I recently learned the truth… by naming multiple sweeteners, it keeps "sugar" from being first on the list of ingredients.

I learned this while reading The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler, MD.  He submits that food product developers are willing to exploit the lack of consumer awareness.

"If a food contains more sugar than any other ingredient, federal regulations dictate that sugar be listed first on the label.  But if a food contains several different kinds of sweeteners, they can be listed separately, which pushes each one farther down the list." 

Breakfast cereals are notorious for "hiding" the sugar.  "Cereals often include some combination of sugar, brown sugar, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, and molasses."

He goes on to state, "Whatever the true motive, ingredient labeling still does not fully convey the amount of sugar and fat being added to food, certainly not in a language that's easy for consumers to understand.  The Kellogg's Frosted Flakes label, for example, indicates that the cereal has 11 grams of sugar per serving.  But nowhere does it tell consumers that more than one-third of the box contains added sugar." 

Thanks to David Kessler, I am wiser to packaging's wily ways.


(Above quotes are all found in The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler, MD, p. 103.)

Food Tramp

Thanks to streaming television, I got hooked on a TV drama, watching one episode after another. Eventually I tired of the main character. She slept with almost anyone, for any reason. Sad? She would sleep with someone. Angry? Sleep with someone. Hurt? Sleep with someone... It disgusted me. What a tramp! Couldn't she have a meaningful relationship? She just used men.

Then it dawned on me, her relationship with men was comparable (in some ways) to my relationship with food. Sad? I eat. Angry? I eat. Hurt? I eat.

She and I are trying to fill a void. She uses men. I use food.

So, I put a sign on my fridge: "Don't be a Food Tramp."

A down side to eating healthy.

There is a down side to eating healthy... I miss the "one stop" shopping.  I used to go to a large supermarket for most of my groceries and household items.

Now I go to Utah Natural Meat for meat and eggs; Sunflower Market for produce, vitamins and herbal supplements; Tony Caputos has the best olive oil, vinegars, and cheese; plus we joined Costco for some of their organic produce and organic canned goods.  Then to top it off, I still need to make a trip to yet a different store for most of our non-grocery items.

It takes some creative maneuvering and planning to make sure I don't waste gas by running hither and yon in my errands.

Health Screenings

Today my husband had a routine health screening: the dreaded colonoscopy.  (You're going to stick what up where??)

Although we exercise and eat healthy, it's important to have health screenings, and I'm glad my husband did not put up a fuss about going in.  He has a history of colon cancer in his family, so he might have inherited the tendency towards that disease; and because of that history, he needs a colonoscopy every three years.  He says, "My parents aren't alive, so I can't slap them."

After the procedure, the doctor came into the recovery room and told Kurt, "You are one of the healthiest eaters I know.  If anyone ever tries to tell you different, you have them see me because I have proof." (Ahem, and I like to take credit for preparing healthy foods.)

Kurt was also praised on his weight loss.  Most important, he has no sign of any cancer and a clean bill of health.

I couldn't find an image for colonoscopy.
Aren't you glad?  We don't need to see
that, right?

Hopefully our healthy lifestyle will keep us around for many, many years, but health screenings give us peace of mind and a chance for early detection if something is amiss.

For more information on what health screenings are recommended according to age and gender, here's a link for the Mayo Clinic:
Health Screening Guidelines

Caution: a diaper clad bottom sat here.

I read an article Where the Germs Are that cautioned against various locations for nasty microbes.  Among the warnings for doorknobs, bathroom faucets, and dishrags, was a warning about the shopping cart.  

Ever since stores started supplying sanitizing wipes for shopping carts, I've been fairly consistent with wiping down the handle where grimy hands gripped.  I've mainly taken that precaution to prevent catching a cold, or a flu bug.  But I never considered other vicious germs lurking elsewhere on the cart.

An investigation found E. coli on more than 70 percent of shopping carts.  One culprit is leaky meat.  "And babies put their bottoms where you put your broccoli."  

The author suggests, "If you eat it raw, don't place it in the top part of a shopping cart."

Yikes!  I used to place the more delicate fruits and veggies in the "seat" to protect them.  Now I put them in the main section of the cart to protect myself.

(Reader's Digest, Where the Germs Are, October 2011)

E. coli
Wikipedia Commons:
Rocky Mountain laboratories, NIAID, NIH

DAY 313 -- Obesity and the brain.

Last night on Biggest Loser, a doctor from Johns Hopkins (Dr. Linden) shared some information with the contestants.  He's a brain scientist studying how the brain experiences pleasure from food.  It was an interesting segment.  Here are the things Dr. Linden shared:

• A lean person does not crave food as much as an obese person (no surprise there) but the lean person gets a greater pleasure response in the brain when eating.  An obese person ends up eating far more in order to get the same amount of pleasure response in the brain.  Dr. Linden suggests that obese people don't necessarily overeat because of wanting more food, but because they are less satisfied when they eat.
• Stress hormones go right to the brain and cause cravings (especially for comfort foods).  He recommended exercise, meditation, and playful recreation to reduce stress.
• Be mindful when eating.  Sit at the table and give full concentration to the experience of eating.  (Don't eat while distracted, like in front of the TV.)
• We can "rewire" our brains to enjoy healthier foods and healthier eating habits.  It can take weeks... or months.  However, our brains will quickly revert to the old "wiring" when we eat poorly.  So, for instance, if a person decides to live it up on vacation and strays from the healthier diet, the brain quickly re-wires or reverts back to the old habits.

Obesity and the brain.  Mind over platter.

DAY 287 -- Answering questions.

When I posted about my 10-year anniversary abstaining from sweets (Sunday, Oct. 9), a reader asked some questions.  I thought others might be interested the my responses, so I hope she doesn't mind that I am using a separate post to answer her questions.

Q: Do you refrain just from sweets, or from sugar in other products like catsup and spaghetti sauce?


A: When I initially began my sugarholic recovery, I stopped eating sweets such as candy bars, pastries, sodas, and obvious treats.  As for other products, I carefully read the labels and if the sweetener was one of the first four ingredients, I didn't eat it.  If it was fifth or beyond on the list of the ingredients, then I went ahead and ate it.  I had a difficult time finding catsup that was low in sugar, but finally found one that was satisfactory to me (however, I can no longer find that brand).  Currently, because of "My Healthy Eating Challenge" I try to avoid all foods that have added sweeteners since I try to eat natural, fresh foods and very little packaged or processed foods.  (It's hard to find packaged foods that don't have sweetener added!)  I watch labels and purchase tomato sauce and tomato paste that does not contain sweetener.  Hunts used to make a spaghetti sauce that did not contain added sugars, but I can no longer find it so I make my own sauce.


By the way... I learned once again how important it is to read labels.  I attended a meeting last night where someone brought gluten-free pretzels.  I tried a few, and they were delicious. Then I read the label.  You guessed it... sugar was added.  I never suspected to look because typically pretzels are a safe bet!

Q: Do you end up having to do a lot of cooking to avoid added sugars?


A: I do make a lot of things from scratch, but I find quick and easy recipes, including recipes for the crockpot.  A few recipes I enjoy are listed on the Recipe Page of this blog.


Earlier in the year I posted a blog entry giving examples of what I eat for various meals.  You can check it out on this link:  Sample Meal Ideas


Q: Do you use natural sweets like maple syrup and evaporated cane juice, all-fruit jam, and stevia?


A: Because I am addicted to "sweet" I use very little sweetener in anything; however, when I do need something sweetened I use pure maple syrup (100% maple syrup), pure honey, or molasses.  I mostly use fruit for sweetening, either fresh fruit or canned fruit (canned in its own juice).  For instance I make muffins using recipes that call for very little sweetener (about 2 tablespoons of honey or molasses for the entire batch), and have added fruit, such as mashed bananas, to help "sweeten" them.


I sometimes use all-fruit jam, but I carefully read the labels because many of the so-called all fruit jams use fruit syrup rather than fruit juice.  I avoid the ones with fruit syrup.  


I don't use stevia, and someone suggested I try agave, but after reading various studies about agave, I avoid that too.


Once sugar was out of my system, I found natural foods to taste delicious.  I don't feel the need or desire to sweeten most foods.  As an example, I use plain yogurt, add chunks of fruit and some broken walnuts, and to me that tastes delicious.  If someone used to eating sugar tasted my yogurt treat, it would not taste good to them because their taste buds are used to sweet.

Q: Do you use artificial sweeteners?


A: No.  Artificial sweeteners are just as they are labeled: artificial.  I try to get my foods in a natural form.  But my main reason for avoiding artificial sweeteners is because they are still addicting to me, and make me crave sweets.  Plus they do unhealthy things to my body such as give me headaches, and make my heart race.  To read more about the reasons I avoid fake sugars, check out my blog post titled Avoiding Artificial Sweeteners.


I know it might seem difficult or overwhelming or maybe even boring to give up sweets, but it is one of the best things I've ever done.  If I could go back in time and change only one thing in my life, I would go back to my childhood and send the sugars packing.

DAY 261 -- White bread woes.

I needed to provide some white bread for someone.  Since I only have whole grain, whole wheat bread, I decided to try the bread maker and make a loaf of white bread to give away.  I bought a package of organic unbleached white bread flour and made a loaf last night.  It didn't turn out very well.  I think it rose too high, then collapsed, then baked.  It tasted wonderful, but was misshapen and unsightly.  I couldn't give it to anyone!  So I made a second loaf, using a recipe for a smaller loaf (1.5 pounds instead of 2) and used less yeast than the recipe called for.

Now I have the first loaf of bread that didn't turn out.  Did I mention it was very tasty?  How do I know this?  Because I've eaten almost the whole blasted thing!!!

From now on, if someone needs white bread I better march to the store and buy a loaf.  No more Mrs. Nice Guy!

Day 257 -- After things settle down.

Remember when I longed to stay put for a while?  (click here)  Well, right now as I type this I am on a plane bound for Sacramento.  *Sigh*  I will drive back to Utah in a vehicle we purchased from our son.  (We sold our one and only car as a mechanic's special, and we've been using a pickup borrowed from our sister-in-law.)

Sometimes life just doesn’t go exactly as planned, and it really messes with my eating routines.  I find myself living in an “after things settle down” mode.  I will get back into my routines “when things settle down.”  I will pay attention to hunger and fullness “after things settle down.”  My exercise will be consistent again, “when my life gets back in order.”


It amazes me.  Haven't I already learned that lesson over and over and over... that life never settles down?  I have a little sign on my computer that reads:

Write While Under Fire

It's supposed to remind me that I need to make writing a priority, even when things are crazy.  (I struggle with that!!)  I need to apply that to eating healthy too.  It needs to be a priority no matter what.

After things settle down.  Yah, right.  Be gone stupid phrase!  It ain't gonna happen!  Replace that mode of thinking with:

Eat Healthy and Exercise While Under Fire

DAY 224 -- Tasting...1, 2, 3...

Tonight I prepared something that I don't have a recipe for, which means I had to do a lot of "taste-testing" to get the flavor the way we like it.  Tasting once.  Then tasting again.  And again. By the time I had the right taste, I was half way full!

How do chefs do that without gaining 500 pounds?

DAY 220 -- Overeating while traveling.

My husband was supposed to go on a fishing/hiking trip this past week, but it got canceled. In its place, we decided to do a last minute road trip, and traveled around for five days, spending four nights in hotels (a different hotel and different town each night). During this journey, I discovered yet another trap I need to deal with when trying to eat healthy.  Usually my concern is whether healthy choices will be offered where I am staying (with friends, or with family) but on this road trip, eating out and staying in hotels, my overeating was a far greater problem.

When dining at local restaurants at home, it is easier for me to quit eating when I am full, for a couple reasons: 1) I can take the leftovers home to enjoy later, and 2) I can return to that restaurant another time and order my favorite entree.  But restaurant dining was more difficult to handle during this trip.  Taking leftovers with me was not an option since we only had a small cooler, plus when passing through a town for maybe the one and only time, I couldn't tell myself I would return there and eat again.

Maybe part of the problem was that we were determined to dine at non-franchised eateries unique to the towns we visited.  A delicious choice, by the way, but it fed the inner desire to overeat!  "I better eat all this deliciousness now while I have the chance... it's not something I can order at home... who knows if I will pass this way again."  

Perhaps I could avoid the problem by eating at the typical places we see in nearly every town, but that sounds so boring!   I need a plan of attack to keep from overeating at non-franchised restaurants when traveling.

DAY 192 -- Eating away at procrastination.

Ask a dog, "How does it feel to slide across sandpaper?" and he will respond, "Ruff."

That was my day today.  Ruff.  Thankfully not rough in all aspects, but it certainly was when it came to eating.  I found myself procrastinating on something I wanted to do.  Am I alone in this?  Do others procrastinate enjoyable tasks or things they want to do?

Anyway, one tool in my procrastination drawer is snacking.  Hmm... maybe I should have a snack before I begin that project.


Then in the middle of the project I get hungry but don't want to take time to fix a meal, so I start snacking while I work.  This leads to the "piece meal" syndrome I wrote about earlier. (Click here .)


Snack.  Procrastinate. Snack again.  Procrastinate.  Snack some more.  Start the project. Piece meal.  Piece meal.  Snack.  Snack.

Ruff day.

DAY 184 -- More than halfway.

Wow.  It's already three days into July.  This year is half over!  I've been doing some reflection on the first six months of My Healthy Eating Challenge.  There were times of struggle, but over all, I am happy with my progress.  I did quite well with making healthy choices, but I did have difficulty staying within the parameters of eating only when I was physically hungry.  In other words, I had a tendency to eat when I was upset, sad, or stressed.  But another major player that fought against me was fatigue.


I noticed a couple weeks ago that when I became fatigued, my body seemed to tell me I needed more fuel.  So I ate more than I should (more often, and larger quantities) trying to gain some energy.  It didn't work.  After several days, I finally reached a point where I allowed myself to sleep more than normal, rather than eat more than normal, so now I am back on track and doing well with My Healthy Eating Challenge.  I know it sounds crazy, but I need to remember when I am fatigued, I need more rest, not more fuel.  Who knew?  

DAY 179 -- A flop of a meal!

Sometimes I share successful meals, so it's only fair that I share a flop.  Tonight's meal was most definitely a flop.  I made chicken and dumplings using a recipe I've prepared many times.  However.  Tonight I tried to make the dumplings with whole wheat flour.  Big mistake.  The dumplings were heavy with a grainy texture.  Then came the major disaster...the whole wheat dumplings thickened the "soup" part of the meal, which in turn burned (and I mean black charcoal burned!) on the bottom of my pan.  I'm hoping I can salvage it -- salvage the pan, not the meal.

My husband, though, insists that it tastes "okay," and ate it anyway and said he'll have some for lunch tomorrow.  Gross.  I don't know whether to question his sanity or give him a kiss.  Maybe both.  (And I better make a run to the store for some Pepto Bismol...after I finish scrubbing the pan...and airing out the house.)

DAY 171 -- Slowness

I've been reading the book In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honore.  The chapter I am currently reading happens to be about food--Slow Food--and discusses the setbacks of a "fast food" world.


I thought I would share some sections.

..."Instead of sitting down with family or friends, we often eat solo, on the move or while doing something else--working, driving, reading the newspaper, surfing the Net. Nearly half of Britons now eat their evening meal in front of the TV, and the average British family spends more time together in the car than they do around the table.  When families do eat together, it is often at fast-food joints like McDonald's where the average meal lasts eleven minutes" (p. 55).

"Americans devote less time than anyone else--about an hour a day--to eating, and are more likely to buy processed food and to dine alone.  Britons and Canadians are not much better" (p. 57).

Remember in yesterday's post when I said I wanted to take more time to eat and savor my food?  I really do need to make more effort to pay attention to meal time.  I do okay when eating with my husband (breakfast, and most evening meals) but during the meals when he is gone, I tend to wolf down my food and get back on tasks, or wolf while working.  I'm not consuming "fast food" at restaurants, but I inhale my food at home.


I need to s-l-o-w down!  


(For more information about the Slow Food movement, click here.)

DAY 155 -- "True" vs. Truth.

Last night I struggled with body image.  Drat that stupid task of trying on swimsuits!!   I truly have unattractive legs, and there's no way to cover them without resorting to the old fashioned, below-the-knee, suits.  I fell into Satan's trap of discouragement, but thankfully had enough sense to cry out for help.  

The answer... I was looking at what is "true," rather than looking at Eternal Truth.

These things are true: my legs are unattractive... I have saggy skin (from weight loss)... I would need surgery to ever have decent looking legs... (need I go on?)  All of those things are "true." 

But if I want the real truth, I need to look to my Heavenly Father.  

God's truth about my body:  I am created in His image... my body is a temple... I am beautiful... I am doing my best to be healthy and fit, therefore, I am fine the way I am.  

DAY 132 -- Extremes?

I learned a young friend of mine decided to go on the HCG diet to "get a jump start" in losing weight.  I feel sad for her decision.  It seems so extreme to me.  Once again I shake my head in wonderment over why she can choose to go to such an unhealthy extreme such as the HCG diet (eating 500 calories a day and receiving injections) because she considers eating healthy (avoiding processed foods and eating more veggies, fruit, and whole grains) to be too extreme.  I don't understand.

I told her that my husband (a healthcare provider) says that the HCG diet is unhealthy and dangerous, but she says her doctor told her it is safe (and sadly, many do).  Is this the same doctor that will bill her for the injections and profit from her treatments?  Probably.  And remember all the doctors that prescribed phen phen, and considered it safe?

Don't get me wrong, I can relate to how she feels.  I used to feel that desperate years ago, in fact, I was one of those that lined up for phen phen.  Thankfully, I did not follow through with the prescription.  I can't recall why I stopped, but I'm so grateful l I did!

I feel sad for her because of her desperation and inability to see beyond the "magic" fix, but when I was her age I was caught up in the same helpless philosophy--that I could not do it on my own, and certainly could not give up sugar!  Or so I thought.  How I wish with all my heart that I could go back to my younger self and teach myself to eat healthy.  I think of the years wasted before I finally woke up.

Maybe that's why her decision saddens me...because I can't go back to my younger self, and I can't even convince my younger friend that there is a better path.

DAY 100 -- Return trip.

Remember how I mentioned that I try to pay attention to what my body needs?  Well, I sort of ignored what my body told me when I had breakfast at my brother's house.  I had some toast (with a nice heavy whole grain bread) and knew my body needed some protein and planned to have an egg.  Not sure why I neglected to have the egg...too busy yacking and visiting I guess.

Then during the drive home (about 5 hours) I had some veggie sticks and a muffin.  By this point my body really wanted protein and I ended up with what I call a "carb headache."  I get those now and then when I don't have enough protein, even when I eat complex carbs.  (When I was eating too many simple carbs of white flour and potato chips--before My Healthy Eating Challenge--I got frequent carb headaches.)

Thankfully I took some medication for my headache and it helped.  When I got home, I ate a bowl of cottage cheese and felt much better, physically.

DAY 89 -- Paying attention to hunger/fullness.

Lately I've noticed that I easily neglect paying attention to hunger/fullness.  (Especially fullness.)  My husband and I enjoy talking during our meals.  Our table sits at a window, with a view, and mealtime is a favorite time for us.  We open the blinds, sit at the table, and linger over our meal as we catch up on the day.  Sounds lovely, doesn't it?  However, I find that before I realize what's going on, I have cleaned my plate without checking in with my stomach to see if it's full yet.  

It's not that I eat huge quantities beyond full.  I don't gorge like I used to.  In fact, we dish up our food at the stove or counter, and I'm careful not to load my plate heavy.  But...I want to be more aware of my "full" signals and when I am caught up in talking, I am not paying attention to what my body tells me.  

Not sure how to solve the dilemma since I don't want to go into "silent" mode during mealtime, but somehow I need to remember to talk less and listen more...to my husband and to my stomach!

DAY 82 -- Reflecting on regrets.

(Earlier today I added a note to yesterday's post and then kept thinking I had already posted for today!)

I've been reflecting on the difference in my life the last 9 1/2 years of recovery (from sugar addiction).  The difference between night and day, I am a different person than I was back then.  I rejoice in the change and feel very blessed...but...at times I feel a sadness that it took me 45 years before I actually started to live!  I look back and think about how I could have been a better mother if I had not been in a sugar stupor.  My kids grew up with a mother that was tired, sick, and depressed most of the time.  A mother that was morbidly obese and wouldn't let anyone take a picture of her.  I wish I could have raised them without the addiction ruling my life.

And sometimes I'm sad for such a big chunk of my life being gone before I woke up.  Since going off sugar I have lived a full life, accomplished many goals (including graduating from college with a bachelor degree) and I am so much happier and productive.  But I'm also at the age where things are starting to slow down and I don't have as many years to reach super long term goals.

I wish I could help others -- especially young adults -- recognize sugar addiction, and have the courage to change so they could be their best selves now and not have to wait for so many years and have so many regrets.  I wish I could give others hope!

It's interesting that in reading some of my old journals, I actually wrote numerous times that I was addicted to sugar, but I never did anything about it!  I guess I just never made the connection that as a sugar addict, I needed to treat myself like an addict or alcoholic and STOP!  I am grateful that when I was finally able to face the sobering truth about my addiction, that the Lord granted me the strength to deal with it.  With His help, I can do hard things.