Healthy Perspectives - Spring 2017 - 4

HEALTHYEATS

Pick Your
Packet

What's better when it comes
to sugar: real or fake?

accharin, sucralose,
aspartame-these sweeteners are what make diet sodas
and low-calorie processed
foods palatable. But that doesn't mean
they're a get-out-of-your-diet-free card.
As researchers continue to explore
the effects of sugar and sweeteners,
here is what is known today.

The Scoop on Sugar
Most Americans eat much more
added sugar than the recommended
six to nine teaspoons per day (six
for women, nine for men). And we've
long known that overdoing sugar
can lead to a host of health issues,
including obesity, chronic inflammation, diabetes, heart disease and
even cancer. So it's clearly important
to keep sugar intake down. Does
that mean you should switch to the
pink packet?

Jury's Out on
Artificial Sweeteners
First things first: There is no body of
research showing that artificial sweeteners are a health risk for people who
consume them in moderation. Still,
there are studies that link diet sodas
to kidney decline and increased risk
for stroke and heart attack.
A 2014 Israeli study involving
mice suggested artificial sweeteners might lead to obesity and related
diseases such as diabetes.
"Another alternative to added
sugar or artificial sweetener are
natural, low-calorie sweeteners that
come from plants, such as Stevia or
Monk Fruit," says MMH Dietitian
Joanne Searl, R.D., L.D.
Perhaps the best option is to
keep added sugars-real or fake-to
a minimum. If you want something
sweet, grab some fresh fruit. 1

Peanut Butter,
Oat and Cranberry
Muffins
These treats go easy on the sugar
by leaning on mashed banana, honey
and dried fruit for sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
Nonstick cooking spray
1¼ cups oats
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
½ cup chunky peanut butter
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup honey
2 large eggs
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Heavily
coat a standard-sized, 12-cup muffin
pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Spread oats on a large rimmed
baking sheet and cook until lightly
browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside
to cool slightly (leave the oven on).
3. In a large bowl, whisk together
bananas, peanut butter, butter, honey
and eggs. In a medium bowl, combine
flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add
flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring
until just combined. Gently stir in
cranberries and oats.
4. Divide batter among the muffin
tins. Bake until muffin tops are
browned and set, 15 to 18 minutes.

HEALTHY SWEETS?
Visit healthyaperture.com and search "desserts"
for photos of delicious-but good-for-you-treats.
Click on any photo to go to the recipe.

Nutritional information per
serving: 339 calories; 11.5 g total fat;
8.0 g protein; 54.5 g carbohydrates;
45.4 mg cholesterol; 519 mg sodium;
4.3 g dietary fiber.

DISCOVER surprising sources of hidden sugar in this WebMD slideshow: webmd.com/diet/ss/hidden-sugar-slideshow.

©THINKSTOCK

Makes 12 standard-size muffins (about
3 ounces each).

http://www.healthyaperture.com http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/hidden-sugar-slideshow

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthy Perspectives - Spring 2017