Luckily for us, the FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration), regulates how our food is labeled with specific guidelines for manufacturers. Learning how to recognize the difference between juices made from 100% fruit juice and those that are only made from 50% fruit juice can make a world of difference in the amount of sugars you and your family consume. Choosing the right products are half the battle in implementing a low fat, heart healthy diet for lowering Cholesterol or weight loss.
Juice—manufacturers can be pretty sneaky when it comes to the labeling of juices and soft drinks. Next time you are in the supermarket notice that some drinks will be call juice, soft drinks, drinks etc. This is because for a drink to be labeled as juice it has to contain a certain amount of actual fruit juice. The easiest way to be sure that you are buying 100% fruit juice is to check the ingredients. 100% apple juice should contain only apple juice and water. If it has sugar as a first ingredient, it is not real 100% apple juice.

Jams—jellies, jams, marmalade, etc, they may all seem the same, but they are actually made through different preservation processes that require the use of sugars and honey among other not so healthy ingredients. If you want to buy the most pure jam that is made from just 100% fruit, look for jam that has “no sugar added” on the label. But once again, the only way to be sure about what’s in your food is to check the ingredients. Sugar should not be first on the list.

Popsicles—Most popsicles may be fruit flavored, but may actually contain no fruit at all. Popsicles made from real fruit will usually pronounce this in big letters on the packaging. If it doesn’t claim to be made from real fruit, you can bet it does not even contain any fruit at all. So read your ingredients, and make your choice accordingly!

• Splenda – This is the obvious choice. It is one of the most popular sweeteners on the market today, and can be used in tea, coffee, and baking. Recently there have been some studies done about the safety of Splenda, and as yet there is no conclusion over its long term affects on the body.
• Honey – This is a natural alternative to sugar. It can be used in baking, and especially for those cakes that you want to be a bit gooey when you are done baking them. Honey is also sweeter than sugar, so be aware of this and either use less than you would sugar, or add a tiny bit of baking powder to neutralize it a bit.
• Maple syrup – This comes from the sap of the maple tree. It is only about 60% as sweet as sugar, but use a bit less when baking with maple syrup. It is very runny and so can change the state of your batter.
• Fructose -  This white sugar substitute is available in the granular or syrup form and is a derivative of the natural sugars you will find present in fruits.

These are only a few ways to cut down the amount of sugar you intake. To encourage weight loss you should take a look at all elements of your diet, and cut out anything with too much sugar in. Start eating less white sugar and replace it with other forms of sugar when you’re looking for something sweet.  Remove temptation from your path and instead, make the other stuff more easily available. Keep fruit boxes out on your counter for snacking on, and a jug of fresh maple syrup in the fridge!

However in contrast with regular sugar, the glucose in Brown Rice Syrup is absorbed easily into our system, leaving less for fat accumulation which means faster weight loss. This happens because unlike simple sugars such as monosaccharide’s and disaccharides, Brown Rice Syrup is a polysaccharide or a complex sugar that dissolves easily in the bloodstream. Moreover, the maltose and complex carbohydrates components of this kind of syrup takes longer to digest thus maintaining the energy flow for longer time periods. So, apart from possibilities of controlling the blood-sugar levels, organic Brown Rice Syrup may have a healthy effect on your cholesterol. Brown rice syrup is derived by culturing rice with enzymes and the final product is roughly 50% soluble complex carbohydrates, 45% maltose, and 3% glucose.

BRS can be used as a sweetening agent to sauces, cereals, and can be used in recipes for cooking or baking and is good as a topping for pancakes and waffles in place of pancake syrup.  It is made by adding enzymes to cooked rice, either white or brown. It can be stored at room temperature or for longer storage in the refrigerator. It doesn’t crystallize the way honey can but in very humid areas mold can grow on the surface, therefore for longer storage it can be kept in the refrigerator. Brown rice syrups can be used in place of white sugar in recipes. To substitute rice syrup for regular sugar in recipes, for every 1 cup of sugar use 1 1/4 cups of rice syrup and decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup. Enjoy!

But here is what many do not know about Splenda and probably should: a recent Duke University study found evidence that high doses of Splenda (up to 1000 mg/kg) reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines of rats by up to 50%, increases the pH level in the intestines, contributes to increases in body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected.  Increases in body weight?  Yep, that’s what you read.  Another report suggests sucralose is a possible trigger for some migraine patients and yet another study linked doses of sucralose equivalent to 11,450 packets per day in a person to DNA damage in mice.  Maybe Splenda is not so splendid?  You be the judge.

One more thing: though allergic reactions to sucralose have not been documented, individuals sensitive to maltodextrin or dextrose should consult a doctor about using any sweeteners containing these fillers.  Critics of sucralose often favor natural alternatives, including xylitol, maltitol, isomalt, & stevia which you may want to consider if you are now skeptical of Splenda.

My Glenny Soy Crisp story began when I came upon these in a neighborhood store, and decided to try them, not paying any attention to the ingredients or the nutrition info.  I popped one in my mouth and was literally floored: they were amazingly yummy.  So much, that I ate the whole 3 oz. bag.  But here’s the thing: you don’t need to feel guilty and this is why:  the whole bag contains 3 grams of fat and 170 cal.  So, I have purchased bag after bag since and the barbecue flavor easily surpasses in flavor my favorite BBQ potato chips and of course, I don’t have to hit the gym for hours to burn it off.   These chips help curb my snack attack because they are loaded with protein and little to no fat.

What’s more, eating a few small healthy snacks between meals helps with weight loss by keeping cravings down plus if your meals are not perfectly balanced, snacks can help you meet healthful guidelines for calcium and protein intake.  Studies have even shown that eating several small meals a day instead of three large ones is better for your health and helps your weight loss by keeping your metabolism revved up.  You know you can’t beat that.  Plus now the FDA recommends 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. Increasing the amount of soy in your diet is easy to achieve with Glenny’s snacks. One serving contains 9g Pure Non-GMO Soy Protein, which is more soy protein than tofu or soy milk.   Finally, 100 Calorie Glenny’s snacks let you control your portion sizes and properly count your calories so you can stay fit and slim.