How much sugar should you consume a day?

I get this question from my clients a lot. When it comes to sugar, just how much is too much?

Before we attempt to answer this question, learn this single most important nutrition fact:       

1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar

Now let's consult the American Heart Association's sugar guidelines:
Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons a day.
Women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons a day.
(And kids, my guess is no more than 4-6 teaspoons a day?)

Ready to do a little Math?

1 8 oz. Noosa yogurt has 30 grams of sugar, which is almost 8 teaspoons.

Answer: If you are a woman and if you eat a tub of Noosa yogurt (and absolutely nothing else that contains sugar in it), you've already exceeded the daily recommendation of sugar intake according to the American Heart Association.

Do we see the picture here? We are not even talking about ice-cream, sodas and candy, we are talking about seemingly "healthful" choices like yogurts made of "farm-fresh whole milk" from "family-owned dairies" in Northern Colorado.

And how about Naked Juices, Kind Bars, Vitamin Waters, flavored milks and cereals the most well-intentioned moms feed their kids?

In That Sugar Film, Damon Gameau (the Australian, sugar version of Morgan Spurlock in "Super Size Me") decided to be a human guinea-pig when he put himself through a grueling 6 week diet consuming the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day. He did not eat desserts or "junk foods", but a "low-fat" diet of cereals, yogurts, sports drinks and juices most people find perfectly healthy and acceptable.

The result? Weight gain, pre-diabetic and fatty liver disease symptoms.

His message? Sugar is hidden in a lot of foods that are commonly perceived or promoted to be healthy.

Let's do a little more Math. Let's say you buy a plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.  The sugar content of 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup equals a little over 1 teaspoon of sugar. Now would you add 8 teaspoons of honey in your yogurt? You wouldn't, would you? Then why would you eat a pre-sweetened yogurt with 8 teaspoons of sugar in it?

What to do? Memorize this : 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams. Read labels. Don't let anyone sweeten your foods for you!

maca chocolate balls

A snack that boosts your energy instead of draining it, a treat that looks like truffles and tastes like a decadent indulgence - these power balls are flour-free, sugar-free and packed with protein and healthy fats.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almonds + 15 almonds reserved
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• a pinch of salt
• 3 Tbsp maca powder
• 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Medjool dates
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp water + more if necessary

Method:

1. Add 1/2 cup almonds, walnuts and salt to food processor. Blend till very fine to the texture of sand.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Blend again, until mixture begins to thicken and stick together.
3. Check texture by pinching a bit between your fingers. It should be sticky and able to keep its shape. If mixture is too dry, add more water.
4. Pour mixture in a bowl. Shape mixture with your hands into mini golf balls. Place 1 almond in the center. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

pecan power balls

I love making these balls so much because I can improvise with whatever nuts and seeds I have on hand. I might have pecans but no walnuts, hemp seeds but no chia, peanut butter but no almond butter......When it comes to these balls, anything goes. Substitute away!

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp ground pecans, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans*
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed^
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp almond butter
• a large pinch of salt

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine and thoroughly mix together all ingredients (except finely chopped pecans) until they form a dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until dough is firm but still pliable.
2. Spread chopped pecans on a plate. Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of dough and, with wet hands shape it into a ball. Roll it into chopped pecans until fully coated. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have about a dozen of them.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

* To make ground pecans, use a grinder or food processor. The texture should be coarser than flour and similar to sand.

^ Because I use flaxseed a lot for my morning oatmeal and smoothies, I dedicate a small coffee grinder exclusively for grinding flaxseed so I don't have to clean up the grinder after each use.

Coconut Dessert

My family does not have a dessert habit. Usually we have a piece of fruit if we feel like something sweet after dinner. If I want something more elaborate, this is my go to sweet treat.

Half a banana, chopped pineapples, the secret is a dab of Anita's unsweetened coconut yogurt, a few chopped nuts as toppings. Simplicity is heaven!

Overnight Oat Jars

Looking for the best rush-out-the-door summer breakfast? Try these make ahead oatmeal jars. As a fan of batch cooking, I assemble a few at a time so during the hectic moments in the morning, all you need to do is to open the fridge door and grab a jar. You can even eat it while you are dressing, on your way to work or when you are settled at your desk. Leftovers make a good afternoon snack!

A lot of my recipes are really formulas that you can customize to your liking. This is how it goes.

Choose an unsweetened, plain yogurt, coconut yogurt, cow or goat milk kefir. My favorite brands these days are Anita's Coconut Yogurt, Green Valley Organics lactose free kefir and Redwood Hill Farm goat milk kefir. I want to emphasize PLAIN and UNSWEETENED because most yogurt products out there contain 15-30 grams of sugar easily per 8 oz. serving.

Mix together 6 oz. of yogurt / kefir of your choice with 1/3 cup of rolled oats and 1 tsp. of chia seeds. Kefir tends to be runny but if you are using a yogurt that is too thick, add a little nut milk to create your desired consistency. Taste the mixture for sweetness.  Add a handful of shredded coconut and / or 1/2 tsp. of maple syrup / honey if necessary.

Put half the yogurt / oats mixture into the jar. Layer with mixed berries and chopped nuts. Repeat 1 more time.

Close the jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 or 4 nights.

Mix well and enjoy a no fuss breakfast the next morning!

Guilt and Grain Free Banana Bread

I never got into baking because I cringe every time a recipe calls for sugar, 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup at a time. My hand is frozen and wouldn't pour the crystals into the batter.

I am finally learning to make treats with no "added" sugar. This banana bread is sweetened only by dates and well....bananas. I think it is absolutely delicious. But I don't like too much sweet to start with. If you are used to loads of sweets, your taste buds might require more to feel satisfied. If you start cutting down your sugar consumption, you might in time be sensitive enough to taste the subtle sweetness of this bread.

Wet Ingredients:

• 5 Medjool dates (pitted)
• 5 Tbl. warm water
• 3 very ripe large bananas
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3 eggs

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 Tbl. coconut flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a bread pan with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, combine dates with warm water (make sure dates are pitted). Process until you have a nice date paste. Add bananas, vanilla and process until just combined.
3. Add coconut oils and eggs. Process until evenly distributed.
4. In a large bowl, put in almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
5. Combine processed wet ingredients with dry ingredients.
6. Pour batter into the bread pan and sprinkle coconut flakes on top for garnish.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until edges have browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut and serve.

Home made oat bars

If you are just as fed up as I am with most energy bars out there due to their extremely high sugar contents, I urge you to try these simple oat bars. No added sugar whatsoever and only a fraction of the sweetness. Trust me, you can train your taste buds to tolerate less sugar by consuming less. Eventually you will desire less, without the need to call upon your willpower.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl:

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbs ground flax seed
• 1 1 /2 cups of raisins and pumpkin seed mix OR slivered almonds and raw cacao nibs (try mixing in chocolate chips if you want to lure your kids into eating them)

In a blender or food processor, mix 1/2 cup of almond milk with 4 large, ripe bananas.

Combine the dry ingredients with the banana mix. Press into an oiled 12x9 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

When cool, slice them into bars. Although they are crunchier straight out of the oven, I store them in the fridge as a go-to snack for the whole family for as long as they last.

"Casual" cookies

They were meant to be "cashew cookies", but my friend thought of a better name for them - a casual nibble with zero guilt, because they are gluten free, flour free and with no added sugar whatsoever. Eat them for breakfast, snack or dessert.

They really are yummy, seriously!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of raw, unsalted cashews
• 1 cup of unsweetened dried coconut
• 2 large bananas
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of almond milk

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2: Grind cashews in food processor with some small chunks remaining.

Step 3: Transfer to a bowl and mix in shredded coconut.

Step 4: Combine bananas, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt in a food processor and blend to create a thick, brown paste.

Step 5: Pour the paste over the cashew-coconut mixture. Mix well.

Step 6: Add almond milk to add more moisture to the mix.

Step 7: Scoop 1 Tbsp of mixture at a time to cookie sheet. Flatten them and make sure they are not too thick. You should have about two dozen cookies.

Step 8: Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool completely and store them in the fridge.

Baked chickpeas snack

It is much easier to eat well for the main meals, but a healthy snack? Forget about it!  There are very few healthy, unprocessed options out there other than nuts and fruits. But here is one - baked chickpeas or garbanzo beans. My daughter LOVES it (but she also loves kale and leaves in general...)!

I wish I could tell you that canned chickpeas work just as well in this recipe, but they don't. So I would start from scratch, soak the dried beans overnight. Make sure there is at least 4 or 5 inches of water above the chickpeas because they expand big time. (Now walk away and go to bed.)

The next morning, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a large pot and cover with a few inches of water, boil for 1-1 1/2 hours. If you have a pressure cooker or vacuum cooker, cook according to instructions. When chickpeas are cooked, drain again.

Dry the cooked and drained chickpeas with paper towel. Spread them on a baking tray. Drizzle olive oil on top. Mix well. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until crunchy and crisp.

Remove from oven. While they are still hot, mix in salt and desired spices like cayenne, cumin or chilli powder. Let cool and transfer to an air-tight container. They should keep in room temperature for about a week.

Protein Powerhouse Smoothie

Before you throw in that protein power, think nuts and seeds! You get a rich protein shake with all the good fats and oils, without any processed ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Fruits - a mix of frozen berries, goji berries and half a banana
• Nuts - cashews (but why not almonds, walnuts or pistachios?)
• Seeds - a mix of pumpkin, chia, ground flax (try hemp, sesame)
• Liquid - home-made almond milk (you can use any nut milk, quinoa milk, anyone?)
• A tsp of coconut oil
• The secret ingredient - a sprinkle of organic cacao powder
• Honey for extra sweetness

Be creative! Have fun with it!