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Primal Smoothies
I've started to have smoothies some mornings when I'm in a particular rush, since they are so quick to make and can be packed with nutritionally dense Paleo foods. I'm also going to start making up a smoothie to take to the gym with me – that way I'll be able to have something in the post work-out window – I often miss this valuable time, in my return from the gym.
Today I tried a smoothie from Primal Toad's Toadally Primal Smoothies ebook, the “Clumsy Popeye”. I thought this one would be a good choice after an early morning gym session, as it is packed with antioxidants – and protein in the form of protein powder.
I put water, frozen blueberries, cashew butter, Chocolate Primal Fuel, spinach coconut milk & ice in my blender for a few minutes – and then served, with some shredded coconut on top. It doesn't get much easier than that! I thought the spinach taste might not be to my liking, but the main tastes were the chocolate, coconut and cashews – I really enjoyed it and will definitely be making this one again. There's a whole section on green smoothies, which I'm keen to try – it seems like a good way to get in lots of good nutrients.
Do you often have smoothies? Are they something you have as a meal, or as a post workout recovery drink?
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Diabetic Sweets
I picked up the November issue of “Diabetic Living” magazine yesterday. The piece below tells diabetic readers how good Fruit Slim sweets are, “sugar-free, fat-free, fibre filled”, which will “halt food cravings in their tracks”. It then goes on to say that there is more fibre in five of these sweets, than there is in two-cups of spinach or 15 raw almonds! This makes me slightly want to cry!
So, the ingredients of “Fruit Slims” are: Gum Acacia, Maltitol, Sorbitol, Xylitol, Acidifier (330), Fruit Juice Concentrate, Flavour, Vegetable Oil, Sweetener (955), Natural Colour ( Paprika), Coating Agent (901).
Sweetener (955) is sucralose. This sweetener has been linked with liver and kidney damage. There is also a lot of uncertainty with artificial sweeteners and some evidence to suggest that they may cause an insulin response; clearly not desirable in diabetics! Maltitol, Sorbitol and Xylitol are all sugar alcohols, which might be classed as “sugar-free”, but are carbohydrates and do have an effect on blood sugar levels. Fruit juice is also sugar, which clearly impacts blood sugar levels. “Flavour” could mean anything and as for the “vegetable” oil; well, that’s certainly not Paleo! The ingredients of these “crazy good” sweets look more like a chemistry experiment; there are no real foods in sight.
I think it’s really irresponsible to promote these as a good product to anyone, never mind diabetics. To imply they are a better choice than almonds or spinach seems reckless. They might have more fibre, but when eating a Paleo diet rich in vegetables, fibre won’t be an issue. Besides, for diabetics, blood sugar is a far more pressing issue than fibre?
I've not found anything to back up the claim that these sweets will “halt food cravings in their tracks”. In fact from what I've read, artificial sweeteners appear to have the opposite effect, increasing cravings for carbohydrates.
Compare the chemical composition of “Fruit Slims” to the “alternatives” of almonds and spinach.
Almonds provide high natural amounts of many nutrients, including manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and phosphorus.
Spinach is a fantastic source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), tryptophan, vitamin E, copper, vitamin B1 (thiamine), phosphorus, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B3 (niacin) and selenium – and many other nutrients.
Am I missing the benefits of this swap?
