Trim Healthy Mama 105 - A Sweet Life

Before I talk about vegetables (as I hinted I would in a previous post), I cannot ignore the elephant in the room.

Sugar.

Sugar in its many forms - honey, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, and so on - is the culprit for so many health problems we face today.  And it loves to hide out in our food, hoping it will not be detected.

The Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle helps you to get rid of this blood-sugar-nightmare product without giving up the sweet life.  It's true.

I'm not going to lie... during my first three days on THM, as I was detoxing from sugar, I sported a headache of great magnitude.  It felt a little bit like a lead pipe was stuck into the front of my forehead and just stayed there.

Before you run screaming in the other direction, let me just tell you that it was worth it.  Every minute.  I didn't realize until later that my body was detoxing from sugar.  After three days, the headache went away, along with a lot of food cravings, as my blood sugars calmed down and stabilized.

Also let me tell you that this does not happen to everyone.  Not everyone is a slave to sugar the way I was.  I was eating good sugars, too - honey, maple syrup, agave, blah blah blah.  They all have a similar effect on blood sugar.

And then I discovered the many THM approved desserts and sweets.  I had already tried Cottage Berry Whip that tastes like strawberry ice cream.  But then, I discovered Cry No More brownies.  And Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  And for when I don't feel like baking (which is often), Lily's chocolate bars (mentioned in my previous post).  And then the sisters came out with another cookbook called Trim Healthy Table, in which there was a recipe for Holiday Pumpkin Roll (the one thing that I had often baked, with all of its sugar, before starting this plan).

I laughed.  I cried.  It moved me, Bob.
 It is fantastic and tastes just like the one I used to make.

So let's talk about on-plan sweeteners.

Stevia.  My favorite by far is the pure stevia sold by the Trim Healthy Mamas.  One tiny doonk (1/32 of a teaspoon) sweetens a beverage nicely.  Yes, a 4-ounce bag seems expensive at first glance - $38.99 - but it lasts me at least a full year.

Stevia blended with erythritol or xylitol.  Those two big-sounding words are safe sugar alcohols that do not raise your blood sugar.  This is a great way to bake with stevia, because these blends lend volume to your baked goods.  Some good brands of stevia blends are Whole Earth, Pyure, and Truvia.  Note:  xylitol is toxic to dogs.  If you have a canine friend, stick with the erithrytol blends.

Important Side Note:  Avoid the sugar alcohol called malitol.  Malitol can cause a major laxative reaction, and if you do not believe me, read some of the reviews of these malitol-sweetened gummy worms.  And brace yourself.

THM also sells some of these stevia blends, but as a do-it-yourself-er, I prefer to mix my own.  Here is a quick recipe for you:

• 3 cups erithrytol
• 1 tsp THM pure stevia

Combine in a bowl with a wire whisk.  This is twice as sweet as sugar, and is equivalent to Gentle Sweet mentioned in the THM cookbook. I store mine in mason jars.

There are many brands of pure stevia and stevia blends out there.  Read labels and avoid ones with sugar, dextrose, fructose, maltodextrin, and agave, which are different forms of sugar.

Also, stay away from the artificial sweeteners of saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose (Splenda).  There is nothing healthy about these fake sweeteners.

I always carry stevia with me.  You never know when a coffee shop or restaurant won't stock it!

A few drops of this turns a glass of restaurant ice water into lemonade
(as long as I remember to ask for a slice or two of lemon)

These little  guys nestle into my luggage when I travel.

If you are someone who runs away screaming at the suggestion of stevia, I encourage you to give it another chance.  Some things take time to acclimate to our taste buds.  And with some of the blends, it is hard to tell the difference.

I know one person who is allergic to stevia.  Another option is monk fruit.  There is a brand called Lakanto, which I have tried.  It is another zero glycemic option like stevia, but its drawback is that it is  more expensive.

I want to wrap up this post by saying that THM is about food freedom.  If you are in weight loss mode, sugars are best avoided.  But when you are at or near your goal, small amounts of good, natural sweeteners such as honey can be enjoyed.

The Bible gives us a good (albeit graphic) word on this in Proverbs 25:16 - When you find honey, eat only what is sufficient for you, lest you become stuffed with it and vomit it up. 

Wise words.  Moderation.

But if you happen to have a day where you overindulge and cheat like crazy, THM is a grace-filled plan.  You are only three hours from your next meal and you can jump right back on plan.  Don't beat yourself up, don't give up, and keep moving forward.  You can do this!

Ok, on to veggies now.  Click here to read it.