Xylitol a Diabetic Friendly Sweetener

By Jim Nikou

Xylitol is an all-natural sweetener that is used as a substitute for sugar. The fibers of various fruits & vegetables contain Xylitol. It is made from fruits like pears, strawberries and plums, as well as cornhusks or birch bark. It tastes more similar to sugar than any of the other substitutes that are available today.

Xylitol was discovered in the latter part of the 19th century. It became popular in Europe as a sweetener that was safe for people suffering from diabetes because it did not affect their insulin levels.

A diabetic individual is generally advised to lower their simple carbohydrates and sugar intake. The majority of the experts agree that a small amount of sugar can be included in a diabetic diet. However, replacing sugar with a sweetener can help a diabetic to manage their glucose levels. This is especially useful for people with a 'sweet' tooth. Xylitol is a great substitute for sugar. One of the greatest qualities is it can take the place of sugar cup by cup. One teaspoon of xylitol only has 10 calories and a GI of 7. Measuring the same as sugar conversion to this sweetener is extremely easy.

The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food causes blood glucose levels to rise. A food that has a high glycemic index causes glucose levels to rise more rapidly. White sugar has a GI of 68; while xylitol's GI is only 7. This means that consuming xylitol will not cause an individual's blood glucose level to spike.

Here is a list of sweeteners and their Glycemic Index measurements:

• High Fructose Corn Syrup-100
• White Sugar-68
• Honey-62
• Blackstrap Molasses-55
• Maple Syrup-54
• Barley Malt Syrup-42
• Agave Nectar-15
• Xylitol-7
• Erythritol-0

Since xylitol is not a carbohydrate its glycemic load (GL) is zero. It is metabolized separately from insulin. The formula GL= (The amount of carbohydrate available x GI)/100 is used to calculate the glycemic load. It measures the quantity and quality of carbohydrates.

Sugar has 40% more calories than xylitol. By using xylitol instead of sugar, a diabetic can reduce their calorie intake to lose weight or control their weight. This is an essential element in managing diabetes. Besides being a sugar substitute for diabetics, it has many other benefits as well.

Benefits of Xylitol

• No horrible aftertaste
• 1/3 less calories than white sugar
• Helps reduce the formation of plaque
• Delightfully sweet taste
• Helps increase the flow of saliva aiding in the restoration of damaged enamel on the teeth
• Helps with the reduction of dental cavity development
• Fantastic sugar alternative for people with diabetes

Today, obtaining xylitol products is becoming easier than ever. There are candies, ketchups, honeys and jams. This is just a sampling of the products available. Whether you are diabetic, or just looking to eat healthier without giving up your sweet tooth, xylitol may be just what you need.

Jim Nikou writes about health and nutrition and is especially interested in xylitol and xylitol benefits. He became interested in xylitol, since he read about the Turku studies that were the first to identify the dental benefits of xylitol.

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What's Wrong With The Food We Are Eating?

By Carolyn Hansen

Some of us have trouble with our eating and keep on wanting food when we know we have eaten enough already. That feeling that we are missing something and we keep feeling hungry often when we have just eaten. How can this be we may wonder?

To get to the bottom of first we need to take a look at the human body which has a range of balance mechanisms in place such as body temperature, hormonal, chemical and appetite regulation among many others which are constantly adjusted to keep our body within predetermined safe levels.

Our hormones should tell us how much food we need

For example when our energy levels are low our hunger hormones kick in and signal the body to eat more food so the blood sugar levels are topped up to supply more energy to the working muscles that move us around. When you have eaten enough your appetite regulation hormones tell us that we have had enough. Your body is back in balance.

In other words, eating food should blunt your appetite so you do not want any more food.

If you should gain excess fat weight the body would kick in its hunger regulation hormones, adjust physical activity levels and energy output so that you go back to your body's set-point weight.

The wrong types of food and too much of them

But in today's world we have a problem - we eat too much food and we get fat. And not only do we get fat we continue to gain body fat until we become obese. This is a major global health crisis and two thirds of us fall into the overweight and beyond category. How can this be possible, why is our body's natural balance mechanism not working with our weight like every other system in our body?

The answer to that question is right in front of us even though we fail to notice it most of the time. It is right there in the food we eat. Our modern day diet is so far away from the natural unprocessed unrefined whole foods that we should be eating.

Now our everyday food items are refined, processed and stripped of their goodness. Man-made fats, sugars and starches, hormone laden meats, and pesticide contaminated vegetables and the one thing these edible food like substances do not lack is calories, they have plenty of those.

We now have ninety thousand chemicals approved for use in our world today and many of them end up in the production of our food. Not only are they toxic and do harm to our body's organs, tissues and cells they lack the nutrition our body's need.

When you are being short changed with nutrients your body will tell you and keep telling you that you are still hungry. It will drive you to eat food in the hope that you will supply to it the nutrients it so desperately needs to do the 'repairs and maintenance' to keep itself healthy.

You will be on a roller coaster of uncontrollable food cravings that will have you craving carbohydrates and sugars that will keep your blood sugar levels fluctuating wildly creating further rounds of food cravings.

If this situation continues for any length of time, diabetes is pretty much a certainty which can chop off 15-20 years off your life-span after years of health problems. You can blame all this on the grains and starches we all have been sold over the last 50 odd years.

They have done damage to your body and changed it so that it overrides the natural balance mechanism as it struggles to survive. The only way to reverse this 'hormonal hunger' is to remove these empty-calorie food like items from your diet and your life. Replace them with nutrient-dense natural whole foods that you cook from scratch.

Add to this a proper exercise program made up of strength training exercise to rebuild and re-tone your muscular system so you can boost your metabolism and burn up excess body fat. This twin approach will get your body back to balanced hormones, stable blood sugar levels, fat loss and better health in the quickest possible timeframe.

If you would like to know the real reasons you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to lose weight, come grab my free report on the Best Way To Lose Weight at http://noexcusesbodymakeover.com/

I guarantee you'll find it to be a real eye-opener.

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Eating Clean Food List

By Kelli Shepherd

Eating clean is unheard of 'til recently. Eating clean is now becoming a household word just like going green or eco-friendly.

So what is eating clean and how will that contribute to being healthy? Eating healthy is not the same as eating clean. There is a possibility that you can eat healthily without eating clean. But you can never eat clean without eating healthy!

Eating clean has to do with the products that you're buying from the grocery and wherever place else you're buying your food. It means that the more the food is untouched by machineries and chemicals, the "cleaner" it is. We all know that processed food contains chemicals that help the food to retain its "freshness" but can be harmful to our body. That is why the less process a food is, the better it is for our health.

And for this article today, we'll be listing some of the CLEAN food that can make a healthier you.

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables.

These are the best way to get your nutrients from. Mix the colors of the vegetables for better nutrient absorption. Studies show that the more colors you have in your meal, the better it is for your health. One of the famous vegetables is the broccoli. This popular green vegetable is high in calcium and contains more vitamin C than a glass of orange juice. Much more, broccoli contains about seven grams of fiber.

Studies also show that the best fruits to consume are berries, in varying colors. Berries are known for their antioxidants and are also great sources of vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Adding these tiny goodies into your meal is easy! Try adding berries to your morning oats and you'll be able to taste and see the difference of mixing things up a bit.

2. Lessen processed food.

Most dairy products are processed; it has lots of chemicals in it to prevent bacteria infesting it, therefore you need to lessen eating this type of food. Another type of processed foods are the foods in vacuum-sealed packages. Canned goods are another candidate.

3. Substitute Red Meat

For meat eaters, there are other ways to eating clean when in comes to choosing red meat. Instead of going for beef or port, try venison or bison. These two are rich in protein but less in fats.

4. Omega 3-rich foods

Omega 3 is one of the essential fatty acids that our body needs. Salmons are known to be rich in Omega 3 fatty acids known as EFA. You'll know more about Omega 3 fatty acids in article entitle "eating healthy fats".

5. Drink plenty of water

Water is a natural cleaning agent for our digestive system. You can never go clean unless water is part of your daily routine. The recommended water intake is 8 glasses of water daily. Try increasing it slowly until you reached 12. When you've reached that amount, you'll be able to see the great changes water can do for you.

Try changing your old habits with these new ones. It might not be easy, but it's very rewarding. You might not be able to see the benefits now, but later on, when we start to age, you'll be thankful that you've started "going green" and eating healthy! So don't wait until illness has stricken your or age has caught up. Start now while you still can! Eat Healthy, Be Healthy always!

If you're interested in learning more about the value of eating clean food list and dramatically improving your health, visit my website, where I share what foods I personally recommend.

Visit my website at: http://www.fooduciary.com/

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Organic Foods - Back in Time for Healthier Living

By Denchi Minh

Organic Foods are described to be primitive by some skeptics because they are refusing the advancements brought to the world by industrialization. Supporters however argue that certain advancements are not necessarily for the better. Industrial farming has revolutionized the way farmers do with their business. It has introduced various synthetic substances that improved the yield rates and reduced the planting to harvest cycle significantly. The profits of farmers and increased exponentially and the food supply flourished which led to the reduction of the prices of conventional foods. All the benefits caused by the industrialization of agriculture have however come with a price, various and previously hidden negative impacts.

Industrial agriculture has led to the creation of fake or dirty food. The produce of industrial crops is tainted with numerous chemical residues, most of which are toxic. Imagine eating fruits and vegetables that contain the same substance farmers use to kill pests and weeds. It is like you are ingesting poison. The very food that you consume to keep you alive is actually slowly killing you. You are actually putting poison in your meals a little each day. Organic Foods will help prevent this from happening and keep you away from the toxins.

Organic Foods are also considered today as clean or real food. This is because they contain no synthetic substances. They are produced using only natural means and processes. Organic farms do not use pesticides. Instead, in order to fight pests, they use different techniques to facilitate the increase in the population of their natural predators. The increase in the population of predators also leads to improved biodiversity. They also do not use synthetic fertilizers. Instead, they use compost and crop rotation to provide the crops with enough nutrition. They also do not use herbicides. Instead they practice mechanical weeding.

Organic Foods are produced without detriment to the environment. They protect the consumers and the environment. Consumers are kept safe from the dangers of chemical residues that can cause numerous health problems. Increased toxicity of the body can lead to diseases in various organs. It can also cause cells to grow abnormally and become malignant, thus forming the foundations of cancer. The chemicals also disrupt the environment. They desolate the soil by worsening erosion and killing beneficial microorganisms. They also hamper biodiversity because of the practice of monoculture. Monoculture is the practice of planting only one kind of plant during harvest cycle to harvest cycle.

You are what you eat. If you want to live healthy go organic! Visit us at Organic Food Zen and get free tips about healthy eating, and learn more about organic food, benefits of organic food and where to buy organic food.

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Fat Loss From Food Not Dieting

By Carolyn Hansen

Dieting not only drains you while you are busy cutting calories, but it drains your metabolism too. Dieting is - and always has been - a weakness in the human race, especially for women. We are always focused on losing weight, getting into smaller jeans, and trying to look like the latest runway models. The problem with low calorie dieting is that it actually has the opposite of the desired effect; rather than weight loss it is time to focus on fat loss to achieve the right results.

Sit back and think for a minute; think about the way these diets are advertised. They are intentionally done in a way that touches towards the sensitive and emotional side of brains; they are definitely not targeted towards logic. "Lose 10 pounds in a week"; is that really healthy?

First off, no it is not. Secondly, that is a lot of weight in a short period of time; you know why, because it is water and muscle weight. Neither of these weight loss solutions is permanent; if you want permanent results you need to focus on fat loss. Fat loss is not attained by starving your body of the nutrients that it needs to thrive.

Dieting is not only good for you but it is very discouraging as well. How many of you have dieted only to gain the weight back? Does this make you want to keep trying? Often times we keep trying just because we are determined to lose weight, but are not motivated at all. If you live a lifestyle that focuses on fat loss, rather than weight loss, you will see a great difference in - not only your appearance - but your overall energy and confidence levels too.

Dieting does not help with fat loss

Dieting, first off, lowers your metabolism. Metabolism is essential when it comes to fat loss. Your metabolism uses the calories you eat and turns them into energy. The slower it is, the more it will store rather than use; the faster it is the more it will use than store. Dieting - in the sense of cutting calories - confuses this process forcing your metabolism to come to a near halt.

Eating to successful fat loss

In order to change this, you need to inform your body that you are no, in fact, starving. To do this you need to eat every 2-3 hours. Eating, in this manner, will help boost your metabolism which will help with fat loss. It will also help to keep your blood sugar levels balanced and insulin production leveled - a key aspect to good health.

In eating this frequently you will not see fat loss if you continue to eat large portions or processed foods. Therefore, you need to change how much you are eating; you should focus on about 200-400 calories a meal, or 1500-1800 a day depending on gender and body type. As you start experiencing fat loss, and paying attention to your body, you will know where you need to be.

To ensure fat loss you also need to eat the right foods; focus on carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; yes your body actually needs fat. For some people this is not a clear enough plan for them to follow. If that is you then stick with fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy products like yogurt, nuts & whole grains, and meats. If you stick within these food groups, along with portion and appetite control, you will be well on your way to successful fat loss.

Fat loss is yours to keep

Implementing these changes, in your life, today rather than tomorrow will make a difference. The longer you wait the harder it will be. These changes will require a bit of work and dedication on your part but, in turn, you will enjoy fat loss, healthier living, and longevity. Stop dieting - stop killing yourself - do something good for yourself and treat your body to a lifestyle change that will change your life.

If you would like to know the real reasons you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to lose weight, come grab my free report on the Best Way To Lose Weight at http://noexcusesbodymakeover.com/

I guarantee you'll find it to be a real eye-opener.

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Wellness Coaching - Benefits of a Gluten-Free Diet

By Jason Lincoln Jeffers

The Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic is on fire. After winning 43 straight matches, including 41 in 2011-- something that hasn't been done since 1984 -- he plowed through the quarter finals then the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year. Even hadn't won Wimbledon, his winning streak would have rewarded him with enough points to put him in the top spot, ranking him as the #1 men's tennis player in the world. But, of course, he did win.

So what did Djokovic do to initiate such a dramatic energy boost? A gluten-free diet has been credited for the recent success, according to the Wall Street Journal. As recent as last year, his on-court struggles were evident when closing out matches. His serve became sloppy and his movement lacked the energy to hit closing shots. The shift to a gluten-free, low starch diet has left Djokovic feeling energized throughout his entire matches. As a result, he is not only sharper physically but, more importantly, mentally.

Even if you are not gluten sensitive, when you eliminate starch-based, refined and processed non-foods such as pizza, bread, pretzels, chips, pasta, potatoes, legumes, rice, and other high carb foods, you allow the body to reboot itself metabolically. As a result, it stops drawing it source of fuel from sugar (all starchy carbs are converted to sugar in the bloodstream), and begins to extract its source of fuel from ketones, the energy units found in healthy fats. The body (especially the brain) operates much more efficiently on ketones -- so much so -- that your energy levels tend to skyrocket after you make the dietary shift. It takes time, however, usually about four to six weeks before the carb (sugar) cravings subside, but when it happens, don't be surprised if you'll feel as if you've transformed into a superhero.

If you are gluten sensitive then you'll not only want to eliminate all foods containing gluten (such as all wheat-based products), but it would be wise to eliminate "cross-reactive" foods to gluten as well. Cross-reactivity is the reaction to substances that are either genetically or structurally similar to gluten because your immune system tends to associate them with gluten. Some of the most common cross-reactive substances are: casein (found in milk and cheese), oats, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, yeast products, coffee, and milk chocolate.

Other common food sensitivities can result from foods that people usually substitute for the wheat-based gluten products such as: corn, buckwheat, sesame, quinoa, sorghum, millet, tapioca, amaranth, rice, and potatoes. And of course, they are also starchy foods that turn into glucose after ingestion. Sugar is always sugar no matter what it looks like before you eat it. All starchy foods such as grains and legumes will be metabolized by the body as glucose.

Here's the bottom line. When we return to the diet of our paleo ancestors, the diet that we, as a homo sapiens species followed consistently, day after day, for over 250,000 years, our body's metabolism will become more compatible with our genetic physiology. It's all about the genes folks. The human body is simply not designed for this type of onslaught. No wonder see the epidemic proportions of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. And not surprisingly, the United Health Organization ranks the U.S. a pathetic 39th out of the top 50 healthiest countries on Earth.

Jason Lincoln Jeffers is a Wellness Coach, Online Life Coach and the founder of The Art of Transformation, a company dedicated to teaching Spiritual Enlightenment to the world. His Online Life Coaching practice uniquely combines spiritual wisdom with ego transcendence, holistic wellness, life path astrology, heart-based intention, the power of presence, and the law of attraction.

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