I recently received a sample for review of a new sweetener from Italy called Dolcedi, made from organic apples. According to the manufacturer’s website:
“Dolcedì’ can be used any way you would use traditional table sugar or honey and in the same proportions; one teaspoon of sugar equals one teaspoon of Dolcedì’.”
It’s promoted as having a lower glycemic index than sugar–which it does. But the manufacturer also claims that it’s 25% lower in calories than sugar–which it is not.
When used as directed, Dolcedi actually provides 31% MORE calories than sugar.
I’m guessing that most of the people reading this blog are already familiar with things like quinoa and teff. Although they may be unusual or even unheard of in some circles, they’ve become fairly mainstream to those who follow food and nutrition.
Sorghum is a Grain?
But what about sorghum? In 15 years of developing recipes, writing about nutrition, and exploring unfamiliar foods, I’ve never knowingly eaten sorghum. In fact, I was faintly surprised to find it listed as a grain because I thought it was a sweetener.
When I lived in the Southern United States, I used to see sorghum syrup in the grocery store, right next to the molasses and corn syrup. I had no idea that sorghum can also be eaten as a grain. In fact, it is one of the world’s most important cereal (grain) crops. It’s also gluten free.
How to Use Sorghum
Whole grain sorghum flour has a light texture and color and a mellow, slightly sweet flavor. Despite being somewhat lower in fiber than whole wheat, sorghum flour appears to have a somewhat lower glycemic impact than other flours. That doesn’t make it calorie free, of course! You’d want to enjoy those sorghum muffins and pancakes in moderation–like any flour-based food. (Here’s a recipe for a sorghum pancakes from the Oldways recipe archives.)
Even better, look for whole sorghum grains, which are sometimes called milo. Cook them until tender and use them as you would rice or barley. Try this Milo Salad with Oregano, Feta, and Cucumbers.
Photo courtesy of Oldways Foundation
Or, most fun of all, try popping whole sorghum grains like popcorn for a wholesome and novel snack!
You’ll find whole sorghum and sorghum flour in the natural foods aisle of your grocer. Bob’s Red Mill is a popular brand that’s easy to find.
If you’re already an old hand with sorghum, what new grain will you try in the spirit of Sample Whole Grains day?
Last September, 120 people took part in the very first 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade group challenge. And in just a few weeks (March 31st, to be exact), we’re going to do it again!
These 30-day nutrition and fitness challenges are super popular these days, and for good reason. They’re a great way to kick-start healthy routines and to stay motivated long enough for new behaviors to become established habits. And even though there are already plenty of them out there, I wanted to offer my followers something unique…something fun, effective, and based on solid science.
I put everything I know about nutrition and the psychology of behavior change into the 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program. I reallyreally hoped it would make a difference in people’s lives, and was thrilled to have over a hundred people sign up for the first challenge.
“I have been seeing a lot of information about milk and dairy raising levels of IGF1 in our bodies. The claim is that will increase the growth of cancer cells, particularly in hormonal based cancers like prostate and breast cancer. Apparently, high levels of IGF1 are good if you are growing but less important once you have matured. Can you put our minds at ease, please? ”
Drinking a lot of milk might raise your IGF-1 levels, but it’s not because of the hormones in the milk itself. Any IGF-1 that may be present in foods such as dairy products is broken down during digestion and doesn’t have any biological effect in humans. The amount of protein you take in, on the other hand, has a more direct effect on IGF-1 levels.
Even though they don’t contain sugar or calories, artificial sweeteners usually don’t promote healthy eating patterns. They tend to encourage consumption of foods without much nutritional value, such as diet sodas and sugar free desserts. Ironically, the use of artificial sweeteners can actually lead people to consume more unhealthy foods (the “Give me a diet Coke and supersize the fries” syndrome.)
Finally, it’s really hard to develop an appreciation for the subtler pleasures of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods if your taste buds are constantly bathed in the intense hyper-sweetness of non-caloric sweeteners.
“I eat yogurt pretty regularly as a mid-day lunch/snack. I usually add nuts, hemp seeds, a bit of granola and cinnamon. My ideal choice would be full fat plain Greek yogurt but my local store only has fat-free Greek. If I have to choose between fat free Greek and full fat regular yogurt, which would you recommend?”
Here’s the salient nutrition info on both options (for an 8 ounce serving) followed by some considerations for each point.
Calories: We shouldn’t always assume that fewer calories better! If you eat small frequent meals, for example, or you’re trying to lose weight, you might be looking for lower calorie options. But if you eat fewer, more widely spaced meals, or you’re extremely active, a higher-calorie meal may be preferable. Either way, however, a difference of 35 calories is pretty trivial in the context of your total daily intake (much less in the context of a yogurt, nut, hemp seed, and granola snack). So I think I’d have to call a draw for this criterion. Continue reading “Whole milk yogurt vs. fat free Greek”>
“I’m seeing a lot of claims about health benefits of eating avocado pits, but I’m having a terrible time finding solid nutritional information for them. Have you got any data?”
Amanda’s note was the first I’d heard about eating avocado pits. (My first thought was: How on earth do you eat one?) But a quick Google search reveals that adding avocado pits to smoothies is indeed a trending topic among the nutritionally ambitious.
None of the the standard nutritional databases I rely on include nutrition information on avocado pits, which are traditionally regarded as “inedible refuse.” However, I was able to dig up a couple of obscure papers on the nutritional value of avocado pits. (Thanks to my friends at the Hass Avocado Board for the assist.)
A lot of the excitement has to do with the fact that the antioxidant activity of the pit is much higher than the antioxidant capacity of the part you usually eat. More antioxidants = more better, right? Actually not so much. Continue reading “Are avocado pits nutritious?”>
Mark writes:”There are a lot of articles on the internet about how real maple syrup contains has phytochemicals that help prevent diabetes. As a type 2 diabetic but also someone who considers myself well able to discount the latest “miracle cures,” I’m wondering whether there’s any research to back this up. Is there any benefit for people who are already diabetic?”
The buzz about maple syrup and diabetes does in fact have some published research to back it up. There are a series of studies, all done by the same researcher (and funded in part by the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers), which have identified a variety of antioxidants and polyphenols in maple syrup that have a variety of potential effects on human health. Continue reading “Maple syrup and diabetes: a reality check”>
I recently received a sample for review of a new sweetener from Italy called Dolcedi, made from organic apples. According to the manufacturer’s website:
