Sugar Sugar SUGAR!

I promised the 15 attentive, health-minded women who attended the Karve Scottsdale Sugar seminar yesterday that I would put up the tips, tricks, and products I recommend for reducing the processed sweeteners we eat and picking some healthier options. Here are some things I recommend:

1. After a meal, drink herbal ginger tea. This helps you digest your food better, as ginger is a digestive tonic, but it also places some space between the meal and a potential dessert. By the time you've finished enjoying the tea and go for the sweets, you might not really want them anymore. Like always, listen to your body and give it a chance to tell you what it really wants. I especially like Yogi Tea's Ginger Tea (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts).

2. Go for GT's Kombucha to alkalinize the system and support general health. The mild sweetness and natural fizziness (from fermentation, not added carbonic acid) mimics a soda feel without the junk and is full of probiotics, enzymes, and amino acids. My favorite flavors are Trilogy (a raspberry, lemon, and ginger blend), but many people really like Grape and Cranberry too. Get them at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Sunflower, and AJ's.

**Aisha, one of the participants at the seminar, informed me that if you get the Sprouts weekly coupons, about once a month you can get coupons for Kombucha for $2.50 each! Thanks, Aisha! **

3. If you really can't get off diet soda and want a relatively healthy alternative (though Kombucha is better), check out Steaz 0-calorie soda. They are sweetened with stevia and erythritol, a sugar alcohol (but not artificial sweetener). My husband loves the raspberry flavor, and having them in the fridge ensures that he won't reach for the diet soda! Now if I could get my father-in-law, who's visiting this week, to drink them instead of diet pepsi I'd be REALLY happy...Find them at Whole Foods, and look for coupons...they're often on sale!

4. Want a substitute for less healthy desserts that are full of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes? Check out Innocent Indulgence! The owner, Alisha, is a registered dietitian who loves sweets and wanted to make them both delicious and nutrient-rich. My all-time favorites are her "cookie dough" and peanut butter squares, both made with sweeteners like agave, stevia, and honey, as well as fruit, nuts, and coconut oil. YUM! Check them out here.

5. If you want to make some of your own raw, natural desserts to keep in your freezer, look at Dr. Ben Kim's dessert section of his website here. I love the raw fudge the best...not quite as good or pretty as the Innocent Indulgence desserts, but still very satisfying when you need something sweet in a flash. Buy raw almond butter at Trader Joe's (only $4.99), and get everything else at Whole Foods or Sprouts.

6. When you're picking the healthier sweeteners to add to coffee, Teeccino (a healthier coffee alternative that's all natural and made from fruits/nuts found here or at Whole Foods), tea, oatmeal, desserts, or anything else, make sure to get them as natural and unprocessed as possible. Go for raw honey and agave nectar, and look for organic plain stevia extract...no need to spend money on fillers or "patented" stevia blends. I get raw agave nectar and honey at Whole Foods and organic stevia and maple syrup at Trader Joe's.

Well, that should be all for now! If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment, feel free to email me at megan.mcnamee.rd@gmail.com. Looking forward to the sugar seminar at K Pilates and Karve Mesa on April 24th!