Eating to Live!

Too much sugar

The quiz asked the questions, which one do you think has more sugar? Items compared included Marshmallow fluff and grape jam, Raisin Bran and Cheerios and Campbell’s tomato soup and Campbell’s creamed potato soup, to name a few. There were 10 questions in all and although the results said I got nine correct, I know I missed two.

I mention this quiz because it has been a subject of concern for me that so many grocery store items are being promoted for their low-fat attributes while still containing huge numbers of sugar.

Haven’t they learned by now that fat is not the culprit? At least most fats. The fats that we should be watching out for, trans fats or those listed as partially hydrogenated, should still be avoided at all costs. But when a processed food product has had all or most of the fat removed, sugar is usually added to boost the flavor and prolong the shelf life. For this reason, a serving of Weight Watchers dessert most likely has more grams of sugar than a serving of Betty Crocker brownie mix.

Too much sugar can and will sabatage a weight loss program. While I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners and I do use one to two teaspoons of sugar in my morning cup of tea, I try to stay away from hidden and added sugars in most foods. As a result, I’m a very careful reader of ingredient lists and nutritional labels on any food product I buy. I won’t even buy most non-fat, unsweetened yogurt brands because I find even they will contain up to 12 grams of sugar or more per serving. Instead I look for lower sweetened versions, such as Greek yogurt, if I can find it. When I can’t find it, I do without.

I don’t count calories, trying instead to buy “real” food, rather than over-processed imitations of what food should really be. These choices include fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and whole grains. I have found that since eating most of my meals with these choices in mind, I don’t have the sugar cravings that used to haunt me after every meal. In fact, I have even lowered my two teaspoons of sugar in my morning tea to only one, because it has been tasting entirely too sweet lately. Perhaps eating real food has retrained my taste buds.

A friend recently said to me, “you can’t eat this way 100 percent of the time,” and I had to admit that I couldn’t. I still like to go to restaurants once in a while and sometimes when I’m a guest at someone’s house, I want to enjoy myself along with everyone else.

So I pick my battles. When I feed myself, I do it the way I want, not the way some Madison Avenue marketing campaign says I should. When someone else feeds me, I try to make good choices when I can, but I don’t obsess over it. After all, McDonald’s and Wendy’s isn’t going to feed me as well as I can feed myself, and why should they? They aren’t my mother.

A recent reader wrote: “I've been reading your blogs with interest and wondered if you have investigated grass fed or pastured products; the meat is higher in omega 3's and CLA as are eggs from hens raised on pasture. And the taste!! You've mentioned the Pollan book; have you read Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"? It's about eating locally which goes along with the word of the year--locavore. If you're interested in this topic, there are lots of great articles out there. We're raising grass fed on our farm and it generates lots of buzz.”

Answer: As a matter of fact, I have been trying to find local sustainable farms where I can buy grass fed products, including meat and eggs. I have searched www.EatWild.com and the problem is that most of the farms listed are too far away. I won’t travel more than an hour or so to get food as I don’t think I’m helping the environment, or my wallet for that matter, by using all that gas. I read a food blog recently where a woman wrote that she drove two hours one way to get to a Whole Foods store where she could buy organic. I thought it was contradictory of her to use several gallons of gas, when, with a bit of research, she likely could have found an organic food source closer to her location. Including a source that is even more sustainable than the “commercial” organics found in most stores these days, including Whole Foods. As for the Barbara Kingsolver book, I am a huge Kingsolver fan and have read several of her books. Kingsolver is a wonderful author and her writings are what she calls, “socially responsible” literature. She also sponsors a fiction writing contest called The Bellwether Award online for socially responsible fiction. I had not read this particular book; however, but on the recommendation of this comment, it is now on hold for me at the bookstore and I will be picking it up today. Concerning “locavores,” another good book to read is “Harvest for Hope; A Guide for Mindful Eating” by Jane Goodall.

Breakfast on Thursday was my usual oatmeal; however, I have reduced the amount since I have notice I’ve been going over my grain allowance most days. Instead of making three-quarters of a cup of oats, I am only making a half cup. Combined with a cup of liquid (half water, half fat-free milk), I am still getting a good portion for breakfast.

For lunch, once again, I didn’t pack, so I stopped at Arby’s after an interview for work and picked up a chicken salad sandwich. But once back at my office, I realized I really didn’t need both of the huge slices of bread, so I tossed one slice away and folded the remaining slice around the chicken salad and large lettuce leaf like a taco. I also had a half-cup serving of unsweetened applesauce.

By the time I got home for dinner, I admit that I was starving. I did cheat and had a small fried chicken thigh leftover from a fast-food meal earlier in the week. It was tasty, but was totally off program. I should have known better. There is no photo, but consider this a confession.

For dinner, my husband made chili with ground beef and two types of beans. To keep from overindulging on chili, since I was still feeling guilty about the chicken, I added a cup of rice to the bowl and only half a serving of chili. Unfortunately, I was out of brown rice and had to use white. My husband is delighted; however, because he plans to use the leftover rice for his favorite pudding recipe. I really need to go shopping.