Day 1: Where's my sugar???

Note: Make sure to read all the way to the bottom.  I've put a terrific banana bread recipe at the end of the blog. 

We're starting off our 8-week challenge by maximizing fresh fruits and veggies and minimizing animal products, corn syrup and sugar.  Our focus for the first week is on sugars.  Margaret, Marty, Glen and I all have major league sweet tooths (or would that be teeth?).  The goal is to have no more than 1 small dessert-like item per day.  That may sound like a whole lot to those icons of good health out there, but this is a real stretch for us.

Of course, even though I've been working on reducing my sweets intake over the last couple of months, today, all I crave is SUGAR.  Breakfast was cereal with fresh strawberries and blueberries and some homemade banana bread. What I wanted was strawberry waffles with whipped cream. Morning snack was a plum.  What I wanted was giant cookies. Lunch was a vegetarian stir fry... which was exactly what I wanted (I was thinking about making it since Margaret's son John told me about making it with whole wheat couscous).

Now, here it is, 3:45 in the afternoon and visions of sugar plums (well candy, cakes, cookies, etc.) are dancing in my head.  Sigh.  The very second you tell yourself not to have something, your brain sets out to kick your butt about it.  How rude! 

So, to help keep my mind on the prize, here is the list of things we're working to change.  I think it is critical to remember that we're doing this because we WANT to. We WANT to feel better and not have to take medicines. We WANT to have great energy.  Truly, I find that I like foods that are better for me and that nectarines are just as comforting as biscuits and gravy.  But there is all of that history sitting in my brain telling me that nothing satisfies like a Snickers.

Foods to maximize:

• Fruits (fresh, organic and local whenever possible) Fall is a wonderful time for apples, pears, late season plums, grapes and some berries. 
• Vegetables (fresh, organic and local whenever possible) Fall vegetables include: spinach, kale, pumpkin, acorn and butternut squash, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and many more.  Visit your local farmer’s market to see what is available. Canned tomatoes are very good for you. Most other vegetables are healthier when purchased frozen rather than canned, if not available fresh.
• Whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat and grain breads, quinoa and other grains)
• Beans and legumes (hummus, soups, canned beans with no sugar or corn syrup added, dried beans, lentils, peas, nuts – especially raw almonds) When eating nuts, eat no more than ¼ cup per day.

Foods to minimize:

• Meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs and other animal based food).
• Dairy (milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, ice-cream, sour cream, cream, Starbucks milk based drinks, milk shakes and other cow/goat/sheep milk products)
• Sweets (cookies, cakes, candy, sugary drinks, ice-cream, sweet rolls, triple caramel macchiato, hot chocolate, donuts, cupcakes and other sugary snacks)
• Foods containing corn syrup (hamburger and hotdog buns, sliced white breads from the bread aisle in the grocery store, many canned foods and drinks, many frozen meals) READ THE LABEL BEFORE YOU BUY!
• AVOID: Artificial sweeteners. Stay away from aspartame, saccharine, splenda, sweet n low, equal.  Keep real food in your body!
• AVOID: Fake fats (olestra and olean). Stick with vegetable oils such as olive and canola oil.

Foods to use in moderation:

• Sweeteners: Honey and maple syrup are excellent sweeteners.  Stevia and agave nectar are the current low calorie sweeteners. (I don’t know enough about these to recommend or warn against.)
• Nuts and avocados: While these are very high in nutrients, they are also very high in fat. Both should be limited to no more than ¼ cup per day.
• Dark chocolate: This stuff is really good tasting and great for you, in moderation. Limit to 1 ounce per day.

Linda's Terrific Banana Bread
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce or apple butter
1/4 cup honey
1-2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mash bananas and mix all wet ingredients together in a bowl.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Place in a lightly oiled bread pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Add stuff for entertaining combinations. (Not all in one loaf, but any of the following ingredients are great with this recipe.):
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (I like mine dark, but most folks will be happier with the 2 tablespoons), 1/2 cup of nuts, 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips, 1/4 cup of ginger chips, 1 cup of chopped fruit such as strawberries or cherries, 1 cup of blueberries.