Posts Tagged ‘Sugar’

Tagatose Sweetener

September 17, 2013 Written by JP

Tagatose is a sweetener currently making its way onto the U.S. market. And, I want you to know more about it before it starts showing up in your local health food stores and markets. Personally, I’m interested in tagatose because it’s all natural, low glycemic and may even impart some significant health benefits. In addition, it’s a prebiotic, meaning that it selectively promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in as well, look for products with names like PreSweet and Tagatesse.

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Posted in Diabetes, Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 4 Comments & Updates

Prolotherapy for Pain Relief

June 12, 2013 Written by JP

In the Los Angeles area, there’s a popular weekend radio problem hosted by a physician who specializes in a form of treatment known as prolotherapy. After hearing the show for the first time, a client inquired about the science behind this unconventional technique which involves the injection of a “sugar-water” solution into joint, ligament and tendinous spaces. How is it possible that injecting a mixture consisting primarily of dextrose and water can help improve inflammatory conditions such as low back pain, osteoarthritis and tendinopathy, while at the same time promoting a healing reaction? Admittedly, this sounds counterintuitive. Injections, in and of themselves, evoke pain. Dextrose, a high glycemic variety of sugar, is typically associated with ill effects. In prolotherapy, this combination is turned on its head. Research reveals that immediately following each injection, localized inflammation does, in fact, occur. However, as time goes on, this initial inflammation shifts to pain modulation and encourages the proliferation of new tissue via the induction of tissue growth factors

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Bone and Joint Health, Exercise | 10 Comments & Updates

Coconut Sugar Review

February 1, 2013 Written by JP

Over the last few years, coconut sugar has become a serious contender in the natural sweetener market. According to proponents, it’s an environmentally sustainable sweetener with several advantages over common “table” sugar. For starters, it’s a rich source of the essential mineral potassium. Beyond that, coconut sugar also prominently features inulin, a prebiotic carbohydrate with a very low glycemic index that may support digestive and immunological health.

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Posted in Diabetes, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 2 Comments & Updates

Healthier Cola Alternatives

September 19, 2012 Written by JP

Most health conscious consumers know that soft drinks such Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola aren’t exactly healthy. Even the diet, sugar-free versions of these beverages are loaded with questionable ingredients. Nonetheless, if sales are any indication, a significant percentage of the population isn’t terribly concerned about the implications of drinking cola on a regular basis. This is, in part, due to the caffeine content. Taste is also a factor. However, not everyone knows that there are delicious, natural alternatives to conventional colas that provide a similar “kick” without the artificial ingredients.

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Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 3 Comments & Updates

White Kidney Bean Extract

August 20, 2012 Written by JP

What if you really could have your cake and eat it too? I’m not asking you to consider a profound philosophical concept, but rather posing the question quite literally. The dream of many dieters is to one day be able to eat high carbohydrate foods without familiar consequences such as high blood sugar, an unhealthful lipid panel and weight gain. Until recently, this was universally accepted as “pie in the sky”. However, nutritional scientists have uncovered certain food based extracts that may, in fact, offer hope in this arena.

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Posted in Diabetes, Diet and Weight Loss, Nutritional Supplements | 10 Comments & Updates

High Fructose Corn Syrup

May 18, 2012 Written by JP

New research from UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine reveals that daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) impairs learning and memory in rats. This finding has lead to a slew of headlines this past week with titles such as, “Sugar Makes You Stupid”. If accurate, this may come as a surprise to anyone who’s encountered one or more of the television commercials financed by the Corn Refiner’s Association. In the slickly produced ads, the prevailing sentiment is that HFCS affects the body in the same way as any other sugar source. In fact, there’s currently a push to rename HFCS to “corn sugar”.

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Posted in Diabetes, Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink | 4 Comments & Updates

Toxic Sugar Alternatives

April 13, 2012 Written by JP

A recent segment on 60 Minutes, the popular news program, examined the health implications of eating large amounts of sugar. According to current estimates, the average U.S. citizen consumes upwards of 130 lbs. of processed sugar per year. Not only is this shocking, but it’s also relevant because experts in the field of nutritional biology claim that up to 75% of all diseases can be prevented by drastically reducing refined food and sugar intake.

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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 12 Comments & Updates

Artificial Sweetener Research

June 29, 2011 Written by JP

At this very moment in laboratories throughout the world there are scientists creating and/or isolating chemicals that the human body will hopefully perceive as sugar. The ultimate goal is to manufacture white crystalline powders that are free of aftertaste, calories and harmful side affects. By achieving this objective, billions upon billions of dollars would be assured. What’s more, consumers, including diabetics, would finally be able to enjoy desserts and sweets of all kinds without fear of health related consequences. Many regulatory agencies in the US and abroad believe such products are already available. They carry names such as NutraSweet, Splenda and Sweet ‘N’ Low. But not all consumer advocacy groups and medical experts agree with this position. Taste issues aside, some of these synthetic sweeteners may not be as safe as they claim.
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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 21 Comments & Updates

Natural Health Resources

July 15, 2010 Written by JP

What is the one thing that attracts and repels people and situations into your life? To my mind, it’s how you view the world. It’s absolutely vital to understand how you really feel about the important issues of life. But from that point on, the decisions you make become even more interesting. Will you choose to surround yourself with people and places that wholeheartedly agree with your outlook? Or, will you invite in other points of view that challenge your philosophical notions? From my perspective, the latter and more difficult of the two options is probably the better way to go. Maybe that’s why I like Twitter so much. Read more »


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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 9 Comments & Updates

Attune Chocolate Bars Review

June 9, 2010 Written by JP

One of my least favorite sayings is, “Everything in moderation”. I think it’s a problematic piece of advice for many people who think they need such guidance in the first place. You wouldn’t tell a mother to let her child eat lead-based paint in moderation. It would be foolhardy to suggest to an alcoholic or drug addict to indulge every once in awhile, provided that it’s done moderately. So why then do family, friends, nutritionists and physicians insist on passing along this ubiquitous adage when it comes to eating unhealthy food? In my opinion, it’s largely rooted in a belief that most people just aren’t capable of doing what’s right for themselves on a long term basis. But I think there’s a better solution. Read more »


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Posted in Food and Drink, Nutritional Supplements, Product Reviews | 19 Comments & Updates

Twitter Thursdays

March 18, 2010 Written by JP

Today I’m announcing a new feature on HealthyFellow.com. Every Thursday I plan to highlight some of the more informative and useful messages I find on Twitter. As you may know, HealthyFellow has a very active presence on Twitter where I share facts, research and tips in addition to what is covered on this site. I also use this form of social media to follow some of the leading health experts in the field. Here are some of the more noteworthy “tweets” that I came across during this past week. (Please note that “tweets” are often written in a short-hand style because you are limited to 140 characters per message.) Read more »


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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink, Nutritional Supplements | 4 Comments & Updates

Soda Alternatives

September 24, 2009 Written by JP

Improving personal health and the health of our communities, countries and the world at large can take place one small step at a time. I was thinking about this the other day and I wondered whether there was a simple change that I could implement and suggest in order to do my part. Pretty much everywhere I go, I see people of all kinds drinking soda. The drinks range from high-calorie to no-calorie, loaded with caffeine or caffeine-free and artificially or naturally flavored. Some of the fizzy pop is as clear as water while other varieties are chemically enhanced to produce any color of the rainbow and beyond. But the one thing that these beverages have in common is that they always contains some questionable ingredients and virtually never provide any nutritional content. In my opinion, a health promoting alternative to such popular drinks is long overdue.
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Posted in Diabetes, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 17 Comments & Updates

The Acne Diet

September 18, 2009 Written by JP

I’m entirely open to seeing a doctor and having appropriate medical tests conducted. I’m even willing to judiciously use medication if it’s truly warranted. But there are many conditions that effect quality of life without threatening mortality. These are the types of health concerns that are often best addressed by natural means. A good example is a common problem that afflicts a large segment of the adolescent population. Acne vulgaris is a skin condition that’s a major cause of both physical and psychological harm. It just so happens that there is an all natural, inexpensive and safe treatment plan that may help abate the suffering. Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements | 26 Comments & Updates