Wizard Recipes

Desserts are sweet; that’s one of the things we like about them, and we’re hot-wired to do so. Sweets provide the quickest energy of all foods, and we need energy; we just tend to overdo it.

Granulated Sweeteners

The easiest way to sweeten desserts is with white sugar: It’s cheap, convenient, and effective. There are other options, of course. Sometimes you may want a sweetener that tastes different or performs differently. Or you may simply want to avoid white sugar.

White Sugar

The most common, from sugarcane or sugar beets; highly refined. White sugar comes in various granule sizes and types, each with its optimal uses, but granulated sugar is the equivalent of all-purpose flour: You can use it almost everywhere when recipes call for sugar. The grains are medium size and dissolve well when heated or combined with a relatively large proportion of liquid.

There are many other forms of white sugar: Powdered sugar (also called confectioners’, icing, 10x, 6x, or 4x sugar) is regular sugar ground to a fine powder, with cornstarch added to prevent caking. It’s used mostly in icings (it dissolves very easily) or for sifting over desserts.

Superfine sugar (castor, caster, or baking sugar) is somewhere between granulated and powdered sugar. It’s suitable for light cakes or anything that won’t be cooked but has some liquid-like meringues-because the fine crystals dissolve quickly. (You can make your own by grinding granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds.)

Coarse sugar (decorators’ or pearl sugar) is processed to small, roughly shaped round grains, larger than those of granulated sugar and therefore much slower to dissolve. Use it as a garnish on cookies, cakes, or sweet breads.

Crystal sugar is similar, though the crystals are pellet shaped, not round.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added for a more complex taste and added moisture. It can be light or dark, depending on how much molasses has been added. (In a pinch you can make brown sugar by stirring a tablespoon or more molasses into a cup of white sugar.)

Generally dark brown sugar is more intense, but the difference is subtle, and I use light and dark interchangeably. In most dessert recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white, as long as you remember the color and flavor will be different; just be sure to pack the cups down before leveling them off as you measure.

To keep brown sugar from hardening, put it in a plastic bag, put the plastic bag in a tightly sealed container, and put the container in the refrigerator.

Raw Sugar

Turbinado, Demerara, Muscovado

Made exclusively from sugarcane in a couple of different ways, these coarse-grained brown or golden sugars taste less sweet than regular sugar and have a distinctive caramel flavor. You can use raw sugar in place of white sugar in many recipes, provided the grind is fine (you can grind it finer in a spice grinder or food processor easily enough) or the cooking time is long enough to dissolve it completely; just don’t expect the exact same results as with white sugar. I like it best sprinkled on top of baked goods like scones and cookies to add a mildly sweet crunch.

Other Granulated Sweeteners

Fructose, a simple sugar found in honey, fruit, berries, and some root vegetables, is often recommended to diabetics because it is metabolized differently than cane sugar. But it’s super-concentrated and loses power when heated or mixed into liquids, so it’s tricky to use; I don’t mess with it.

Artificial sweeteners, like saccharin, Splenda, and stevia at best taste funny and at worst might be hazardous to your health. Use them only if you must.

Liquid Sweeteners

These dissolve faster than sugar, though they are not directly interchangeable.

Honey

Made, as you know, by bees. There are more than three hundred varieties of honey in the United States alone, including orange blossom, clover, and eucalyptus, and they all taste at least a little bit different. But most commercial honeys are blends, so they’re often less exciting.

All honey is about 25 percent sweeter than conventional sugar, so you use less of it to achieve the same sweetness. Start by replacing just some of the sugar in your favorite recipe (remember that the color of honey will darken food slightly). But be careful: Honey causes cookies, for example, to spread more than cookies baked with sugar.

Some guidelines for baking with honey:

1. Reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey.

2. For every cup of honey, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to balance the honey’s acidity.

3. When you substitute honey for sugar in quick breads, cookies, and cakes, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F to prevent overbrowning.

Molasses

A heavy brown syrup produced during the sugar-making process. The first boiling produces light molasses, which can be used like honey; the second produces dark molasses, which is thick, full flavored, and not so sweet; and the third produces blackstrap molasses, the darkest, thickest, most nutritious, and least useful of the bunch.

You can cook and bake with blackstrap, though it’s best to blend it with light molasses or honey.

Corn Syrup

A thick, sticky sweetener processed from cornstarch. Light corn syrup is clarified; dark is flavored with caramel, which makes it sweeter and (duh) darker. It’s very useful in making Caramels and some other candies and sauces (like hot fudge; ), but otherwise you can live without it. Generally, if you want sugar in a syrup form, try Sugar Syrup .

The carbohydrates are a vast and diverse group of nutrients found in most foods. This group includes simple sugars (like the sugar you add to your morning coffee) and complex forms such as starches (contained in pasta, bread, cereal, and in some fruits and vegetables), which are broken down during digestion to produce simple sugars.

The main function of the simple sugars and starches in the foods we eat is to deliver calories for energy. The simple sugar glucose is required to satisfy the energy needs of the brain, whereas our muscles use glucose for short-term bouts of activity.

The liver and muscles also convert small amounts of the sugar and starch that we eat into a storage form called glycogen. After a long workout, muscle glycogen stores must be replenished. Both simple sugars and starches provide about 4 calories per gram (a gram is about the weight of a paper clip).

Because carbohydrates serve primarily as sources of calories (and we can get calories from other macronutrients), no specific requirement has been set for them. But health experts agree that we should obtain most of our calories (about 60 percent) from carbohydrates. Our individual requirements depend on age, sex, size, and activity level.

In contrast to the other carbohydrates, fiber (a substance contained in bran, fruits, vegetables, and legumes) is a type of complex carbohydrate that cannot be readily digested by our bodies. Even though it isn’t digested, fiber is essential to our health. Nutrition professionals recommend 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily.

Simple Sugars

Simple sugars make foods sweet. They are small molecules found in many foods and in many forms. Some simple sugars occur naturally in foods. For example, fructose is the sugar that naturally gives some fruits their sweet flavor.

Table sugar, the sugar that we spoon onto our cereal and add to the cookies we bake, also called sucrose, is the most familiar simple sugar. A ring-shaped molecule of sucrose actually consists of a molecule of fructose chemically linked to a molecule of another simple sugar called glucose.

Sugars such as fructose and glucose are known as monosaccharides, because of their single (mono) ring structure, whereas two-ringed sugars such as sucrose are known as disaccharides. Another disaccharide, lactose, the sugar that gives milk its slightly sweet taste, consists of glucose linked to yet another simple sugar called galactose.

The inability to digest lactose to its constituent sugars is the cause of lactose intolerance, a condition common to adults of Asian, Mediterranean, and African ancestry.

The table sugar that we purchase is processed from sugar cane or sugar beets. As an additive to many different types of prepared or processed foods, sucrose adds nutritive value (in the form of calories only), flavor, texture, and structure, while helping to retain moisture.

Today, sucrose is most often used to sweeten (nondietetic) carbonated beverages and fruit drinks (other than juice), candy, pastries, cakes, cookies, and frozen desserts. One of the most commonly consumed forms of sugar is called high-fructose corn syrup.

High-fructose corn syrup is also commonly used to sweeten sodas, fruit drinks (not juices), some ice creams, and some manufactured pastries and cookies. Other forms of sucrose include brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and turbinado (raw) sugar

Foods that are high in added sugar are often low in essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, these foods are often eaten in place of more nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat whole-grain products, and they may prevent us from obtaining essential nutrients and lead to weight gain.

Nutritionists are concerned by the enormous increase in sugar consumption by Americans during the past 30 years, particularly because much of this sugar is in the form of soft drinks. On average, teens today drink twice as much soda as milk, and young adults drink three times as much soda as milk.

As a result, their intake of calcium-rich foods is low, a factor that is thought to contribute to lower bone mass. This can lead to an increased risk of bone problems as we grow older.

The increase in sugar consumption also has been attributed to the increasing availability of low-fat versions of such dessert and snack foods as cookies, cakes, and frozen desserts. Often, the sugar content of these foods is high because sugar is used to replace the flavor lost when the fat is decreased.

Sugar promotes tooth decay, when consumed in forms that allow it to remain in contact with the teeth for extended periods. Thus, foods that are high in sugar, or sugar and fat, and have few other nutrients to offer  ans should be eaten sparingly.

In contrast, choosing fresh fruits, which are naturally sweetened with their own fructose, or low-fat yogurt, which contains lactose (natural milk sugar), allows us to get the vitamins and minerals contained in those foods as well as other food components that contribute to health but may not have yet been identified.

On the positive side, there is no credible evidence to demonstrate that sugar causes diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, or hypoglycemia. No evidence has been found that sugar-containing foods are “addictive” in the true sense of the word, although many people report craving sweet foods, particularly those that are also high in fat.

Sugar was once considered as valuable as gold because of its scarcity. Its use spread throughout the Western world after explorers, then armies, conquered parts of ancient Arabia. In early times, it was sold and traded in blocks, which were then ground into powder.

Although sugar is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in every fruit and vegetable, it is found in the greatest quantities as sucrose in sugar cane, which is grown in the tropics, and sugar beets, which can be cultivated in colder climates.

Juice extracted from the crushed cane or sliced beets is then processed to make sugar. Typically, the juice is boiled, and then chemicals are added to the solution to purify it. The resulting syrup is known as molasses. Continued processing separates crystals from the molasses and other byproducts.The crystals are then dried and packaged as sugar.

The most common types of sugars found in supermarkets are as follows:

Granulated white sugar - Often referred to as table sugar, this is the most commonly used type of sugar. There are different grades of granulated white sugar, and the size of the sugar crystal determines how it is used. Regular, extra-fine, or fine sugar is the sugar found most commonly in the sugar bowl and called for in most cookbook recipes.

Superfine sugar or ultrafine sugar has the smallest crystal size and is often used in cakes and meringues and to sweeten fruits or iced drinks. Superfine sugar dissolves the most easily in water.

Brown sugar - Brown sugar is sold in dark and light varieties. It is simply white sugar crystals coated in a molasses syrup to add a natural mellow flavor and color. Dark brown sugar has more color and a stronger molasses flavor.

Its fuller flavor is called for in recipes for gingerbread and baked beans. Lighter types are usually used in baking. Neither type of brown sugar is considered raw sugar, although they do look similar to it.

Confectioners’ sugar - Also known as powdered sugar, this is granulated sugar that has been ground into a powder. A small amount of cornstarch can be added to prevent clumping. Confectioners’ sugar typically is used to make icing, in whipping cream, and as a topping for desserts.

Decorating or coarse sugar - Also called sugar crystals, decorating sugar has granules about four times larger than those of regular granulated sugar. It undergoes a special processing method to make it resistant to color change and breakdown at high temperatures. This makes it useful for making fondants or liqueurs.

Sanding sugar - Also called colored sugar, sanding sugar is used for decorating and is characterized by large crystals. This is desirable in decorating because it gives the food a sparkling appearance.

Flavored sugar - This is simply granulated sugar that has been combined or scented with various ingredients such as cinnamon or vanilla.

Fruit sugar - Slightly finer than “regular” sugar, fruit sugar is used in dry mixes such as gelatin desserts, pudding mixes, and drink mixes. The more uniform crystals prevent separation or settling of smaller crystals to the bottom of the box.

In addition to sweetening items, sugar plays an important role in making food. It is a critical ingredient in bread, in which it provides food for yeast and thus helps bread to rise. It also adds to the flavor and crust color of baked goods and helps extend shelf life.

In large amounts, sugar inhibits the growth of yeast and molds in jams and jellies. Sugar syrups protect frozen and canned foods from browning and withering. In ice cream, beverages, baked goods, and other products, sugar adds bulk, texture, and body. It is also used in many condiments, such as ketchup and salad dressing, where it blends flavors, reduces acidity, and helps create a smooth texture.

Sugar has a long shelf life. Kept tightly wrapped and in a cool, dark place, it will keep for months or even years.

Preparation Tips

Sugar adds flavor and calories but little else. Therefore, it is best for most of us to minimize its role in our diet. Make a little go a long way. To do so:

• Add spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, to foods to jazz up flavor while reducing sweeteners used in them.
• Add fruit or yogurt to foods such as cereal, instead of a sweetener.
• Avoid sweetened soft drinks, and minimize fruit juices with added sugar. Better yet, drink water.
• Check labels for sugar or any one of the chemical names for it: glucose, sucrose, lactose, or fructose, to name just a few.

Also, watch for corn syrup or malt syrup, two more widely used sweeteners in food manufacturing.

Serving Suggestions

Manufacturers can reduce the fat in many foods, but it is hard to do without sugar. Sugar is a key component of baked goods and desserts and is used to enhance the flavor of everything from sweet-and-sour stir-fry to ham.

The amount of sugar used in a recipe often can be reduced by up to half without compromising the flavor. However, this is not always the case, so a bit of trial and error is required.

Simple sugars make foods sweet. They are small molecules found in many foods and in many forms. Some simple sugars occur naturally in foods. For example, fructose is the sugar that naturally gives some fruits their sweet flavor.

Table sugar, the sugar that we spoon onto our cereal and add to the cookies we bake, also called sucrose, is the most familiar simple sugar. A ring-shaped molecule of sucrose actually consists of a molecule of fructose chemically linked to a molecule of another simple sugar called glucose.

Sugars such as fructose and glucose are known as monosaccharides, because of their single (mono) ring structure, whereas two-ringed sugars such as sucrose are known as disaccharides. Another disaccharide, lactose, the sugar that gives milk its slightly sweet taste, consists of glucose linked to yet another simple sugar called galactose.

The inability to digest lactose to its constituent sugars is the cause of lactose intolerance, a condition common to adults of Asian, Mediterranean, and African ancestry.

The table sugar that we purchase is processed from sugar cane or sugar beets. As an additive to many different types of prepared or processed foods, sucrose adds nutritive value (in the form of calories only), flavor, texture, and structure, while helping to retain moisture.

Today, sucrose is most often used to sweeten (nondietetic) carbonated beverages and fruit drinks (other than juice), candy, pastries, cakes, cookies, and frozen desserts. One of the most commonly consumed forms of sugar is called high-fructose corn syrup.

High-fructose corn syrup is also commonly used to sweeten sodas, fruit drinks (not juices), some ice creams, and some manufactured pastries and cookies. Other forms of sucrose include brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and turbinado (raw) sugar.

Foods that are high in added sugar are often low in essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, these foods are often eaten in place of more nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat whole-grain products, and they may prevent us from obtaining essential nutrients and lead to weight gain.

Nutritionists are concerned by the enormous increase in sugar consumption by Americans during the past 30 years, particularly because much of this sugar is in the form of soft drinks.

On average, teens today drink twice as much soda as milk, and young adults drink three times as much soda as milk. As a result, their intake of calcium-rich foods is low, a factor that is thought to contribute to lower bone mass. This can lead to an increased risk of bone problems as we grow older.

The increase in sugar consumption also has been attributed to the increasing availability of low-fat versions of such dessert and snack foods as cookies, cakes, and frozen desserts.

Often, the sugar content of these foods is high because sugar is used to replace the flavor lost when the fat is decreased. Sugar promotes tooth decay, when consumed in forms that allow it to remain in contact with the teeth for extended

Thus, foods that are high in sugar, or sugar and fat, and have few other nutrients to offer appear at the top of the Food Guide Pyramid because they should be eaten sparingly.

In contrast, choosing fresh fruits, which are naturally sweetened with their own fructose, or low-fat yogurt, which contains lactose (natural milk sugar), allows us to get the vitamins and minerals contained in those foods as well as other food components that contribute to health but may not have yet been identified.

On the positive side, there is no credible evidence to demonstrate that sugar causes diabetes, attention deficithyperactivity disorder, depression, or hypoglycemia. No evidence has been found that sugar-containing foods are “addictive” in the true sense of the word, although many people report craving sweet foods, particularly those that are also high in fat.

Nutrients are certain chemical compounds that are present in foods and that fulfill one or more of the following functions:

• Supply energy for body functions.
• Build and replace cells that make up body tissues.
• Regulate body processes.

There are six categories of nutrients:

• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Proteins
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water

CALORIES

The calorie is a unit of measurement of energy. It is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C. Remember that one of the functions of nutrients is to supply energy to the body.

The calorie is used to measure how much energy certain foods supply for these functions. In our overfed society, calories have come to be viewed as something to be avoided. Nevertheless, without sufficient food energy, we could not live.

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats can be used by the body to supply energy.

1 gram of carbohydrate supplies 4 calories

1 gram of protein supplies 4 calories

1 gram of fat supplies 9 calories

There is a direct connection between calorie intake, physical activity, and weight gain. Simply put, if you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. All the diet schemes and fashions in the world-at least the ones that are medically sound-can be reduced to this.

In other words, losing weight is possible only by eating fewer calories, by burning more calories through exercise, or, preferably, by both.

In order to lose weight while maintaining good nutrition and health, one should avoid empty calories as much as possible and eat primarily foods of high nutrient density.Empty calorie foods are those that provide few nutrients per calorie. Refined sugars and starches are examples of empty calories. Foods of high nutrient density are those that have relatively many nutrients per calorie. Fruits,vegetables,and whole grains are examples of foods with high nutrient density.

KINDS OF NUTRIENTS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE

Each of the nutrients listed has certain characteristics and functions in the body.These are discussed below in general terms.. Many fad diets emphasize either the good or the bad qualities of one particular nutrient.

For example,a particular weight loss diet may advise eating mostly protein foods and eliminating carbohydrates as much as possible. However, because all nutrients are essential, such diets can lead to nutritional imbalances. Thus, it is necessary to understand the function and importance of all nutrients.

The amount of each nutrient needed daily varies from person to person, depending on such factors as age, sex, general  health, and level of activity.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms bound together in chains of varying lengths.

Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Simple sugars, such as glucose, are small compounds containing 6 carbon atoms.Table sugar, or sucrose, is a larger sugar molecule with 12 carbon atoms. Sugars are found in sweets and, to a lesser extent, in fruits and vegetables.

Starches are complex carbohydrates consisting of long chains of simple sugars bound together.They are found in such foods as grains, bread,peas and beans, and many vegetables and fruits. Carbohydrates are the body’s most important source of food energy. Fats and proteins can also be burned for energy, but the body uses carbohydrates first. If no carbohydrates are available,the body then burns fat.

However, if fats are burned with no carbohydrates present, toxic compounds called ketone bodies are produced. If too many ketone bodies accumulate, a condition called ketosis develops, and the blood becomes unable to carry oxygen properly.The result can be fatal. Thus, one of the important functions of carbohydrates is to help the body burn fat properly. About 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates are needed every day to prevent ketosis.

Most authorities believe that complex carbohydrates, especially those from whole grains and unrefined foods, are better for you than simple carbohydrates.This is partly because starchy foods also have many other nutrients,while sweets have few other nutrients.

Also, there is some evidence that a lot of sugar in the diet may contribute to heart and circulatory diseases. Simple sugars and refined starches are primary sources of empty calories.

Another reason that carbohydrates from whole grains and unrefined foods are preferable to those from refined sugars and starches is that these unrefined foods are sources of fiber. The term fiber refers to a group of carbohydrates that cannot be absorbed and used by the body. Therefore,fiber supplies no food energy. However,it is important for the proper functioning of the intestinal tract and the elimination of body waste.

In addition, there is evidence that sufficient dietary fiber helps prevent some kinds of cancers and helps decrease cholesterol in the blood. Fruits and vegetables, especially raw,and whole grains supply dietary fiber.

Fiber can be classified as either soluble or insoluble.Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a kind of gel. It is found inside and between plant cells.Insoluble fiber also absorbs water, but less, and forms bulk in the intestines. It is found in cell walls and other structural parts of plants.

Fats

Fats supply energy to the body in highly concentrated form. Also, some fatty acids are necessary for regulating certain body functions.Third, fats act as carriers of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A,D, E, and K). Because of these important functions, it is necessary to have some fats in the diet.

Fats may be classified as saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated. These terms reflect chemical differences in the composition of fats. Cooks do not need to know the chemical structure of fats, but they should understand their nutritional characteristics and the foods in which they are found. Many foods contain a combination of these three types,with one type predominating.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Animal products-meats, poultry, fish,  eggs, dairy products-and solid shortenings are the major source of saturated fats.Tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil are also rich in saturated fats.

Health experts believe these fats contribute significantly to heart disease and other health problems.Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.

Although too much of any kind of fat is unhealthy,these fats are considered more healthful than saturated fats.Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils such as corn oil, safflower oil,sunflower oil,and cottonseed oil.High levels of monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil and canola oil.

Both kinds of unsaturated fats are also found in other plant products as well,including whole grains,nuts,and some fruits and vegetables.

One group of saturated fats of special concern is trans fats.These fats occur naturally in small amounts only. Most of the trans fats in our diets are from manufactured fats subjected to a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated fats are fats that are changed from liquid to solid by adding hydrogen atoms to the fat molecules.

This is the process used to make products such as solid shortening and margarine.Trans fats are of concern because they limit the body’s ability to rid itself of cholesterol that builds up on the walls of arteries

Fats are members of a group of compounds called lipids. Another lipid found in the body is cholesterol, a fatty substance that has been closely linked with heart disease because it collects on the walls of arteries and blocks the flow of blood to the heart and other vital organs.

It is found only in animal products and is especially high in egg yolks, butterfat, and organ meats such as liver and brains. In addition, the human body can manufacture its own cholesterol, so not all the cholesterol in the blood is necessarily from foods.

Although some cholesterol is necessary for body functions,it is not considered a nutrient because the body is able to manufacture all the cholesterol it needs. Experts generally agree it is best to keep the cholesterol in the diet as low as possible.

Recent research has suggested that monounsaturated fat may actually lower the levels of the most harmful kinds of cholesterol in the body.This may explain the relatively low incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean regions, where olive oil is the most widely used fat.This research has helped popularize the use of olive oil in other parts of the world, especially in North America.

Remember,however, that too much fat of any kind is bad for the health. Do not make the mistake of thinking that monounsaturated fats are good for you and can be used in excess.

In 1874, England increased taxes for the imported sugar, the price has fallen by half, and at the end of the nineteenth century, a part of calories in the British diet came from sugar, and the rest came mostly from refined flour.

Because of the pure and cheap sugar was now accessible to all, the human metabolism must face not only a steady flow of glucose, but also a higher amount of fructose, because sugar or sucrose is half fructose. (The consumption of fructose per capita increased by 25 percent in the last 30 years) In nature, fructose is a rare and precious element, which is found, depending on the season, in the ripe fruit, “wrapped” in a whole food product full of fibers (which slows the assimilation) and important micro-nutrients. No wonder that natural selection has programmed us to be attracted to sweet foods: in form that is found in nature-in fruits and some vegetables - sugar gives us a slow-release form of energy accompanied by minerals and all kinds of micro-nutrients essential to us that we can not get from other sources. (Even honey, the purest form of sugar met in nature, contains some micro-nutrients.)

One crucial change occurred in the American diet after 1909 (when the U.S. Department of Agriculture began to notice the phenomenon) was the increase of the percentage of sugar calories from 13 to 20%. Add to this number the percentage of calories from carbohydrates (about 40%) and it results that at least half of the American diet consists of various forms of sugars -calories which provides nothing but energy. There are two ways that the energy density of refined carbohydrates leads to obesity. First, we are consuming much more calories per unit of food, the removed fiber from the food is the one which would have give us the feeling of fullness, making us so stop eating it. Also, the sudden fluctuations of glucose drives faster to high insulin levels which, after glucose is assimilated drops sharply, creating the feeling of hunger.

If the accelerated spread of western diets has given us immediate satisfaction of sugar for many people-especially for those recently exposed to this system-the speed of this industrial diet overcomes the capacity to process insulin, the consequence being the appearance of type 2 diabetes and all other chronic diseases associated to the metabolic syndrome. As a specialist in nutrition said, “we actually participate in a national experiment of intravenous glucose administration”. And let’s not forget the flow of fructose, which might be a much higher evolutionary novelty, and therefore much more difficult to manage by the human metabolism than glucose. Probably not accidentally the rates of type 2 diabetes are lower in European populations which have had a longer period of time than other groups to adapt their metabolism to the quick release of refined carbohydrates: these changes occurred first in their food environment. The first contact with such food, as it happens in case of ordinary people who have traditional diets and come to America or if the fast-food comes to them is a shock to the body. A shock that is called by experts a nutritional transition and it can be fatal.

This is the first major change in the Western diet which may explain the devastating effects they have on people’s health, replacing the known relationships with whole foods whom we have co-evolved for thousands of years. The Western diet force our body to connect and to face some nutrients that are efficient delivered and snatched from their diet context. Our ancient evolutionary relationship with the seeds of cereals and with the fruit from plants suddenly gave up the place to a rather shaky marriage with glucose and fructose

Now let’s take a small break from all these informative articles which I have been writing for some time now, and just share some very interesting recipes for more exotic… sweets, so to say… Let’s focus a little bit on different cultures and their eating habits, focusing on sweets, of course…

I mentioned in one of my previous post that sugar and alcohol are the only things that do not offer our body any nutrients. So, with or without them, it pretty much the same thing. More than that, sugar and alcohol contain lots of calories and can harm your body, if consumed in excess, without offering it any nutrients. But cakes, pies, cookies, ice cream and so on taste so gooood!!! How can you live without enjoying an ice cream on a hot summer day or without eating a freshly out-of-the-oven cinnamon apple  pie in wintertime?

Maybe you`re surprised, but some people can live without these goodies all their life, without even feeling deprived! And all because sugar creates addiction! You know why! Once you’ve tried it once, hard to let it go!

And because we’re all so different all around the Globe! We think differently, we dress differently, we EAT differently and we consider normal all sorts of different stuff. It is just normal for our sugar cravings to be completely the opposite!

In Europe, let’s say… Sweets are different from country to country! Every country has its own traditional pie or cake! First thing that comes to my mind is Kurtos Kalacs from Hungary… uuu yummy! A sort of sweet made from  sweet baked bread doe rolled in a cylinder form covered with sugar syrup which caramelizes in the heat. After cooking, the Kurtos Kalac gets covered with grated nuts, grated coconut powder, almonds, plain sugar or all sorts of other goodies. France has its crepes, some crunchy yummy pancakes, Britain with her  custard, and so many other countries with many other traditional sweets… And as we travel South, Greece Turkey and reach Asia, the sweets become even sweeter:)) ! Sugar or honey  syrup is the king, right? But also the cookies become smaller and more concentrated.

The discussion is long, may take all day… But to cut things short, let me offer you the recipe for BAKLAVA, a sweet found in many Asian and even European countries, which I consider to be most relevant. So, just start cooking, it’s just another easy recipes which turns out to be something spectacular!

Separate the very thin doe strips into 3;

Mix nuts with cinnamon;

Take first 3 pie doe strips and put them in the baking tray, sticking them together with melted butter.

Put half of the nuts and cinnamon mixture onto the strips;

Put other 3 strips of pie doe, repeating the procedure;

Add the rest of the cinnamon and nuts mixture and the other 3 strips of doe;

Put the tray in the fridge for about 40 minutes;

Heat the oven;

Take out the tray from the fridge, cut small portions horizontally and vertically and then put it in the oven for about 30 minutes;

When it’s golden brown, take it out of the oven;

Mean time, boil the water with the sugar;

After they boiled, add the honey and leave it to simmer at small flame;

Add the rum essence and leave it to rest;

Add uniformly the syrup to the freshly baked Baklava;

Leave it to rest and soak up, ans save a little bit of syrup for serving;

Put it into the fridge until it’s cooled down;

Serve the baklava when cold, adding the syrup;

Also add on each portion some coconut powder, or, even better some grated fresh pistachio.

I continue my post by telling you more about the disadvantages for consuming sugars:

-first of all, refined sugar contains sugars that get rapidly absorbed by the organism, leading to hyperglycemia and increasing insulin production.  Fructose, fruits and honey’s sugar doesn’t have the same effect on insulin production, so it is recommended for diabetes, even though it contains calories.

- honey still raises your glicemia!

- sweets and chocolate represent very high on sugar products (obviously), and also high on calories (aprox. 400-500 cal/100g)

-honey shouldn’t be consumed by infants smaller than 1 year of age, because it can lead to botulism

-refined sugar and fructose lead to increased blood pressure and cholesterol

-regulate sugar consumption ALWAYS leads to OBESITY, but doesn’t necessarily lead to diabetes, if there’s no genetic condition for this

- 1 tbsp honey= 65 cal;

1 tbsp sugar= 15 cal;

- after digestion, sugar and honey become identical in chemical composition

- glucose has 100 glycemic index, maximum for comparing with other aliments

Sugar… hm… sweet isn’t it?… and… that’s all that it is! :)… besides the energy it offers you, it has no other nutritious element! Like alcohol, sugar contains ‘empty calories’, making our body to function perfectly without an ounce of sugar consumed! EVER!

Sweets and chocolate contain, amongst sugars, high quantities of fats (butter or margarine, milk, cocoa, fruits, flour), which transform them into complex foods very high in calories and that must be consumed OCCASIONALLY- just for a treat!

Advantages:

- honey is used in gastric ulcer treatment, due to its antibacterial effect against pylori helicobacter and also against salmonella and escherichia coli, which cause diarrhea, especially in infants

- consumed moderately, chocolate represents a very efficient toner, being rich in magnesium, phosphor, calcium, iron, most of these coming from cocoa powder

- chocolate also diminishes constipation risks

- chocolate has aphrodisiac properties and it is the best alimentary anti depressive

- dark chocolate(70 % cocoa) contains twice as many antioxidants than milk chocolate and offers protection against cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure

***100 g of dark chocolate contains:

• 1/4 daily dose of Magnesium
• 1/2 daily dose of Potassium
• 0,5 mg of Iron, Phosphor and Calcium

Given the fact that carbohydrates and fibers from grains and cereals represent a very important part in one’s healthy diet, it is mandatory to continue our journey through the advantages and disadvantages of consuming these aliments.

So, here are some disadvantages for cereals and grains (advantages were discussed previous post):

- cereals are being cultivated only for the last 10000 years and some studies say that the human body cannot yet digest them completely. Gluten from wheat is one of the most spread allergen, irritating the intestine walls (gluten intolerance).

- proteins from cereals do not contain all essential amino acids, so, when goin’ vegan, you must be careful with the excess of cereals and grains consumption in the diet. Also consume vegetables, greens and SOYBEANS (for proper proteins)

- be careful with cereals for breakfast, because they contain a lot of sugar that transforms them from slow carbohydrates to fast sugars.

- bread contains, along with flour, water, salt, also yeast, and its fermentation process lasts for 24 hours. So if you don’t want to have indigestion problems , bloating and gastric burns, try and consume 1-day-old bread, or pastry without yeast.

- calories in cereals have some calories (250 cal )so beware when on a diet.