Splenda may not be so splendid after all

25-Sep-2008 -
Consumption of the sweetener Splenda at doses within the US FDA’s Acceptable Daily Intake may suppress beneficial bacteria in the gut, and cause weight gain, says a new rat study.
According to findings published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, a 12-week feeding study with the sweetener also affected the expression of certain enzymes known to interfere with the absorption of nutrients and pharmaceuticals.

The study, performed by researchers from Duke University in North Carolina and co-sponsored by the Sugar Association, raises questions about the safety profile of the sweetener, reported to be used as an ingredient in over 4,000 products worldwide.
Professor Abou-Donia and his co-workers report that, at the end of the initial 12 weeks, significant reductions in the levels of so-called beneficial bacteria were observed. Specifically, the numbers of total anaerobes was decreased by 50 per cent, relative to the control animals, while bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and Bacteroides were reduced by 37, 39, and 67.5 per cent respectively. (Good Good Ya-all! That's as bad as taking penicillin long term!)

The body weight of the animals in all the groups increased, but significant increases were observed in animals receiving Splenda, said the researchers. Control animals experienced an increase in body weight of 93 per cent over the 12 weeks. Body weight increases in the 100, 300, 500, and 1,000 mg of Splenda per kg per day groups were 104, 101, 102, and 88.5 per cent, respectively.

“The lack of a dose-response effect of Splenda on body weight is likely due to the combined elevation of both intestinal P-gp and CYP that affected the bioavailability of Splenda,” stated the researchers. “At the higher concentrations, less Splenda was absorbed due to the increase in the expression of both P-gp and CYP proteins.”

(They talk some scientific gabbly stuff, then...)

Low beneficial bacteria levels, and elevated P-gp and CYP levels were maintained after the 12 week recovery period, said the researchers. (So they ate Splenda for 12 weeks, then didn't eat it for 12 weeks and still hadn't recoved their healthy gut bacteria. I wonder if people to use Splenda get a lot of yeast infections?)

“Evidence indicates that a 12 week administration of Splenda exerted numerous adverse effects, including a reduction in beneficial faecal microflora, an increased faecal pH, and enhanced expression levels of P-gp, CYP3A4, and CYP2D1, which are known to limit the bioavailability of orally administered drugs,” concluded the researchers.

An entire country bans junk food/drinks in schools!

Riga, Nov. 1 (2007) - A comprehensive ban on the sale of junk food in Latvia's state schools went into force on Wednesday as part of the country's drive to tackle children's eating habits.

School shops and cafeterias in Latvia will no longer be able to sell soft drinks, candy bars, potato chips and chewing gum. Items containing artificial flavorings and colorings will also be banned from sale in the country's primary and secondary schools.

The government adopted the ban in August (2007) based on reports from doctors that an increasing number of Latvian children were overweight and seeking medical help due to digestive problems.

Many school kids were skipping the cafeteria and using their lunch money to buy carbonated soft drinks and potato chips.

European health experts have said Latvia is the first European Union country to introduce a sweeping ban on junk food sales in state schools. Many other E.U. member states offer a set of recommendations but have stopped short of prohibiting sales.
***
As reported from www.flexnews.com.

Fresh Hot Shortcakes in 20 minutes!

I got this recipe from my mother, who I suspect just wrote it out of the Better Home and Gardens® Cookbook. I did substitute sea salt for regular salt, and the yogurt/water mixture instead of milk. Since both my husband and I are lactose intolerant we never keep milk in the house. But yogurt doesn’t bother us, and it lends a tangy flavor to any recipe when mixed about half and half with water as a substitute for milk.

Oven 450ºF
Makes about 9 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tablespoons "raw" sugar (plus more for fruit)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup (one stick) room temperature butter (never use margarine!)
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
¼ cup water

In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Put the butter into the dry ingredients and cut it with a spatula until crumbly. Beat the egg, yogurt, and water in a separate small bowl then add to the larger bowl. Stir until it is just moistened.

Knead on a lightly floured counter top for about 10 seconds. Adjust flour at this time if it's too wet. You can either roll it flat and use a biscuit or cookie cutter to shape the biscuits, or use your hands to form them into the shape and size of your choosing. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Cut in half horizantally and fill with the fruit of your choice; eat them while they’re still hot.

Fruit: Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, you get the idea. Fresh black cherries are great too, but they take a little longer because you have to take out the pits. Take any of these, put into a small mixing bowl, add a tablespoon or so of "raw" sugar and chop up or mix. The freshness of the fruit takes away any guilt braught on by the ton-o-butter in the shortcakes.

This recipe is just soooooo much better than anything you can buy in the grocery store, cheaper, takes only about 20 minutes, dirties only 2 bowls and a cookie sheet, has no preservatives, and is still good tomorrow. We decided to never buy shortcake again!

Tortellini Soup

A couple of weeks ago I came home and started to cook my mother’s recipe for Tortellini Soup. It takes almost two hours and has lots of ingredients in it that most people would never think to put together, but if you have the courage to put it all in the pot you are rewarded with a fabulous and hearty soup. Because of the fresh zucchini it is great in the summer time, but I prefer to make it in the fall and winter when the oven can be on for a couple of hours and the sausage and pasta can stick to our ribs with pleasure. That day my dear husband walked into the house a half hour before it was finished and declared after a long inhale “Oooohhh! Tortellini soup!” I said that I didn’t remember telling him that I was going to make it, to which he replied “No you didn’t, but I know that wonderful smell instantly.”

Mother Molly’s Tortellini Soup

2 lbs Italian sausage links, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
Minced fresh garlic
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups beef broth
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, etc.)
1 ½ cups carrots, thinly sliced
1 can whole tomatoes, peeled
15 oz can kidney beans, drained
6 oz. ripe (black) olives
1 cup fresh green zucchini, sliced
1 cup fresh yellow Summer Squash, sliced
16 oz cheese filled tortellini

Oven 400˚: Roast onion, garlic, sausage, and olive oil for 30 minutes in a very large heavy pot.
Turn Oven down to 325˚: add broth, 2 cups water, seasonings and carrots for 30 minutes.
(then) add tomatoes, beans, olives, and zucchini for 20 minutes.
(then) add tortellini for 5 minutes longer than package suggestion until cooked.
Makes enough to feed a small village, and is one of those recipes that just gets better over the next couple of days.

Enjoy!

Be Decadant

Little things we can do to lower our calorie intake: Coffee, for instance. Most of us drink coffee. Most of us drink the crappy coffee that is given to us at work, and we also have the same crappy coffee at home that our parents drank. Of course we put sugar and cream in it; it’s lousy coffee.

That being said, what do you think about drinking coffee without sugar or cream in it? Nasty, right? But wouldn’t that be a great way to reduce the calories we consume? I mean, how many calories a day do we drink? The answer is: drink good coffee and you don’t need to add anything to it to make it taste good.

This accomplishes two things at once: you consume fewer calories and at the same time you feel like you are pampering yourself with a truly exceptional cup of java.

See how simple that is? Good whole-bean coffee isn’t THAT much more expensive than crappy coffee. I buy an organic French Vanilla flavored whole bean coffee and grind some (in a $10.00 coffee grinder that I got at Target) right before I start the pot of coffee every morning. The whole house smells like vanilla, and it seams decadent to drink it. Put the rest of the pot in a Thermos and go!

Dutch Potatoes

This is what my Grandma Hazel used to make instead of boring old mashed potatoes. I remembered it about a year ago and experimented by just putting it together, and I got it right on the very first try! Woo hoo! Now I also remember that she had a name for this dish and I don't recall what it was. If any of you know, or even have a guess, please put in it the Comments so that I can sleep better at night. No. Really.

3 or 4 potatoes, pealed and quartered (or smaller)
1 large sweet onion, pealed and cubed.
1 large carrot, pealed and cut up.
Cut up all of the veggies into similarly sized pieces so that they all get done at the same time. Cover with water, add a little sea salt, and boil for about 20 minutes or until they are all tender when speared by a fork.

Drain the pot of water, add 2 tablespoons of butter, a big dollop of vanilla or plain yogurt (grandma used sour cream, which you can substitute) and a bit more sea salt. Then mash it all together as you would potatoes.

Now this should feed 4 to 6 people, assuming you're not like me and can easily eat half of it while my "fat jeans" get tighter. But seriously, this is better than just plain white potatoes; carrots have more vitamins and bulk forming fiber, while onions are an excellent source of sulphur and other nutrients that we all need.

Enjoy!

OMG Good Goulash

OMG Good Goulash

It is January in Michigan and we all need some warming hearty food to keep us through the midst of winter. This is just what the snowmen ordered!

Sauté 2 small or 1 large yellow onion in canola oil over medium-low heat
Add one pound of fresh ground beef (Or moose or buffalo or turkey). Brown and drain off fat
Add one can stewed tomatoes
Add 2 tsp. “Better than Bullion” brand beef broth in 2 cups hot tap water.
Add some chopped cauliflower (I put in a whole head)
Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and anise seeds

Simmer for 20-30 minutes

Add whole grain macaroni or rotini pasta, which states to cook it for 10 minutes, but you should cook it for 20 minutes. Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of unbleached white flour in a small container with about a ½ cup of cold water, seal with a tight lid and shake it really good until there are no lumps. SLOWLY add this flour water a splash at a time to the goulash until it reaches the right thickness. The amount of thickness is completely up to you, as this is a very personal decision.

Enjoy!