What is Sucralose and Why Should I Care?
Equal. Splenda. Sweet’N Low. Artificial sweeteners are (still) everywhere. While proponents say the non-nutritive (aka zero-calorie) sweeteners help to prevent weight gain and stop sugar spikes, there’s a whole other side to this story. Below, we break down the popular sweetener sucralose including what it is and what the science says about its effects on our health. What is Sucralose? Sucralose, popularly known as Splenda, is a high-intensity sweetener that comes in the form of a white powder. And by high-intensity, we mean sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Sucralose is technically made from real sugar (hence Splenda’s misleading original tagline: “made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar”). That said, the lab-made sweetener requires considerable chemical manipulation. In other words, sucralose is definitely a synthetic substance. Unlike the sugar in your fave chocolate chip cookie, sucralose is not absorbed in the body. We excrete about 85 percent of the sucralose we consume intact. The remaining 15 percent that sticks around has been shown to have no effect on blood sugar (for most people, although some research has shown that it may have an effect on blood sugar in obese people who do not regulary consume it) as it is not broken down for energy. Where is Sucralose? Sucralose isn’t only in Splenda. The sweetener is found in processed foods in almost every supermarket aisle. Some foods that may contain sucralose include: Diet or diabetic-friendly baked goods Diet sodas Ice cream and frozen desserts Frozen meals Chewing gum Jams and jellies Syrups, condiments (like ketchup) Yogurts What Does the Science Say About Sucralose? Artificial sweeteners like sucralose have been stirring debate for decades. Various sugar-free additives have been linked to health issues like cancer, GI disturbances, weight gain (yep, you read that right) and increased blood sugar levels. The cancer concern arose from studies conducted on mice in the 1970s which found that a high consumption of a different artificial sweetener, saccharin (aka Sweet’N Low), was linked with an increased risk of bladder cancer in the animals. The FDA has since debunked the connection and currently approves the use of six different sweeteners — including sucralose — as food additives. While that may sound reassuring, it doesn’t mean all systems are go on non-nutritive sweeteners. After all, the FDA currently allows brands to use countless ingredients in their products that are banned in Europe due to serious safety concerns. So, while sucralose has been deemed acceptable for consumption for the time being, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how it might affect our health long term. Regarding the gut, some animal studies have found that sucralose may negatively impact the makeup of bacteria in our GI tract and promote inflammation. Unlike real sugar, artificial sweeteners are touted for their ability to keep off pounds. But, despite being sugar-free, there’s evidence that sweeteners can still mess with blood sugar and insulin levels which can, in turn, drive up the number on the scale. Why? When we eat super sweet foods, it triggers our system to prepare for a rush of sugar or glucose into the bloodstream. As a result, insulin gets ready to go to work—but the expected sugar spike never comes. Cue the metabolic confusion. Experts say this cycle can throw off our body’s blood sugar-regulating mechanisms, promoting insulin resistance over time. Friendly reminder…insulin resistance is associated with weight gain. Consuming Splenda can also make us want all the dessert all the time. For example, when we regularly sip coffee that’s 600 times sweeter than it’s supposed to be, we become accustomed to ultra sweet flavors. What is the result? Fruit can start to taste bland, and we may have more sugar cravings than ever. Thanks, but no thanks. Is It Ok to Consume Sucralose? It’s best to skip it. There’s not much long-term research on the effects of artificial sweeteners on humans (most studies have been done on mice). So far, the evidence suggests that sweeteners like sucralose may stave off weight gain but can have other detrimental effects on our health, including heightened sugar cravings, defects in the gut microbiome, and diminished blood sugar regulation. Instead, healthy adults should opt for the real deal in small doses and when in need of a conscious indulgence. (photo credit: Shutterstock)
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How to Lose Weight With One Simple Change
I’m going to tell you how to lose weight, but we aren’t gonna talk about what you eat. Well, not yet, anyway. We’re gonna talk about what you drink. Beverage sales are through the roof all over the country. You see a coffee drink in every hand on your commute daily, energy drinks fuel a decent portion of our workforce every afternoon, and a soda with dinner is commonplace in many homes every evening. Not to mention the various bottles and cans than inhabit desks and car cupholders throughout the day. We’re all on something – juice, coffee, soda, sweet tea – so let’s take a minute to really think about what we’re pouring down our throats. I recently asked a client, “Is it acceptable to you to be drinking 4 Diet Cokes in the morning?” Her reply was that she hadn’t thought much about it. She was drinking them for the caffeine and it had just become a habit. It seems that this is common for many of us. Calories aside (yes, I know there are no calories in a Diet Coke), if you really push yourself, you’ll probably agree that it is not human nature to drink Diet Coke (or whatever is in your cup) at all. In fact, humans are the only animals that drink anything other than water or nursing milk in the food chain. Our biology agrees with that line of thinking: in nature, calories are designed to be metabolized through the foods we chew. The process of digesting and processing those calories starts in the mouth but most of the food molecules are broken down in our stomach and small intestine. When you drink your calories, the molecules are already mostly broken down and so they shoot right into your blood and don’t sit in your stomach very long at all. We now know that these calories get stored in fat cells more rapidly than the calories from food, which is why so many of us are trying to figure out how to lose weight. If you are thinking that your beverage doesn’t have calories in it, because it’s artificially sweetened, you’re not off the hook. Is it human nature to be drinking chemicals? Those chemicals are contributing to an increased appetite and cravings, and they may also be messing with your palate by keeping you from being satisfied from naturally sweet foods. How to Lose Weight With One Simple Change: Critical thinking 101: If you are chugging something (other than water) ask yourself ‘is it reasonable to me to be drinking ____ x ____ times per day?’ Critical thinking always brings me back to human nature and biology — the only thing we should drink like water IS water. Still, we are at the top of the food chain for a reason, and so we should make the most of our critical thinking and large brain capacity. There is still room for delicious drinks in your Nutritious Life. I promise. Choose water, seltzer and tea the majority of the time. Incorporate greens juices and a glass of wine into your healthy eating plan. A glass of wine with a nutritious meal or an all green juice with a handful of nuts for a snack. Leave the juice, sports drinks, novelty drinks and the rest in the rarely to never category. Break your beverage habit. If you start with healthy drinking, it will lead to healthy eating, and you’ll find yourself suddenly with an overall healthy diet. I promise that if you go back to your natural drinking nature, you’ll shed some extra weight and feel like king of the jungle.
How to Stop Bloating in 5 Easy Steps
Are you waking up feeling a little puffy? Do you need pliers to pull your rings off and an extra strength shoe horn to squeeze your feet into your new heels? Besides your waistline, you may notice a little bloat in your face, neck, fingers and ankles. You are retaining a layer of water just underneath your skin. Don’t freak out. It happens to everyone. It isn’t fat and you don’t have to get used to it. You can banish it with a little know how. Learn how to stop bloating, shuck that layer, and unveil a more streamlined version of you. How to Stop Bloating in 5 Easy Steps Push Fluid With Fluid. If you are retaining water, you may be dealing with a little electrolyte imbalance. It may feel counter intuitive, but drinking water will flush (literally) the extra fluid from your system. Steer clear of the bubbly stuff (that won’t help!) and if you’re looking for a little extra zip to your H2O, toss in a slice of lemon, grapefruit or cucumber, which may help you suck down a little more. Moo-ve the Dairy. Dairy isn’t easy for many adults to digest. As we age, we lose the enzyme needed to break down and process milk sugars — the side effect is bloating, gas and cramping. Take a few days to ditch milk and dairy products completely. Don’t substitute them, just take a break from milk, cheese and yogurt. If you notice a big difference, you may be intolerant, so try adding back dairy foods one at a time. Try yogurt first (and no other dairy) and check in with yourself to see if the bloat returns. The next day try milk in your coffee. Add one dairy food a day, so you can see what works for you. Choose Fruit Wisely. So, believe it or not, you are better off not going for the apples, pears and melon if you want to push out the water weight. Choose berries, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and grapes, as they don’t hold on to as much water and are more easily digested. Ditch What You Can’t Pronounce. Can’t say it? Don’t eat it. Ditch all artificial sweeteners and diet foods. They can make you bloated and trigger gas and diarrhea: exactly what you don’t want. Stay away from xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol and all the artificial sweeteners. You don’t need the diet yogurt, soda, cookies or other nutrient poor foods. Stop the Starch. Starches, especially the processed ones, like cereals, pastas, breads and crackers, hold on to water. You don’t want that. Either do without the toast and pasta, or choose whole grain and less processed options like brown rice, root vegetables or oats. They’re better choices, anyway. You still need fiber, which is super important for both your health and your six pack, so get it from produce and whole grains, or consider a supplement — don’t forget to wash down your fiber rich foods with lots of water. Ok, that’s how to stop bloating. You’ll slide your rings off with ease, slip into those neew heels easily and relish your streamlined self.
3 Best Flat Belly Foods
Are you eating clean but still feeling puffy? If pants that usually fit are not fitting, you can blame bloating. One of the most frustrating situations I see clients face is eating healthy but still feeling fat. All those veggies and your button just popped. I feel your pain. When it comes to feeling puffy, you can blame the extra inches circling your waist on gas and/or rebellious digestion, which can be caused by: overeating eating high fat foods eating too fast chewing gum drinking from a straw sucking on hard candies consuming sugar alcohols consuming artificial sweeteners drinking carbonated beverages Some of our fave healthy foods, like beans, dairy and veggies like Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, can even make us bloated. Unfair, I know. Good news for you, we can get rid of some of your discomfort with a few delicious flat belly foods. 3 Best Flat Belly Foods: Dandelion greens Dandelion greens are great at deflating your bloat thanks to their fiber profile and ability to stimulate the digestive system, moving things along your digestion pathway. Think, moving along at a nice pace on the highway versus getting backed up in traffic. They also have amazing diuretic properties (can you feel that puff reducing already?), which have earned them a claim to detox fame. Although there is no concrete scientific evidence, they have been linked to cleaning up your liver and kidneys for centuries. Dandelions aren’t just for picking. Add 1 cup dandelion root tea to your night time routine until your symptoms subside and add into your salad or side veggie rotation a few times per week. Kimchi Kimchi is fermented cabbage and it’s as famous in Korea as peanut butter is in America. Kimchi’s fermentation process loads it up with probiotics, those friendly bacteria that aid digestion, rid your belly of gas and fix the bloated feeling. Yes, I often recommend a probiotic supplement, but I never want people to skimp on getting nutrients from real food, which is usually the most absorbable form. Nowadays, kimchi is hanging out on local bodega and supermarket shelves somewhere near the pickles. Its exotic presence (think 10th grade science lab jars) is hard to miss. Aim to have at least one fermented food per day. If you choose kimchi, eat it as a side dish (a few bites or a 1/3 cup is all you need), top a salad or saute it up with an egg for a delicious lunch or snack. Bananas Bananas are my go-to bloat-busting tool. The potassium in bananas helps drain your body of water it sometimes likes to retain. Our bodies often retain water in and outside of our cells due to consuming foods high in sodium. Have you avoided bananas because you fear they’re constipating? Let’s debunk this one: unripe bananas are linked to constipation, but ripe bananas are actually full of fiber and excellent for constipation prevention and relief. I recommend 1 or 2 max pieces of fruit per day. When you’re feeling bloated, add a banana to your rotation. Have one with a couple teaspoons of nut butter or treat yourself to banana pops for dessert. Want more? Thought so. You’re welcome!
