In our eagerness to pump out another video in our new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" series, Christine and I went a bit long with Episode 4. It's not so much that we don't want to do longer videos, but YouTube limits the length to NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES.
I found out this little factoid the hard way last night when I was up until 2AM trying to whittle this thing down to size so we didn't have to record it over again! UGH!
We had recorded a new video yesterday afternoon on artificial sweeteners and what a low-carb dieter can do to get something sweet in their diet. It was the usual fun video and I even started off serenading Christine with my own unique rendition of "Sugar, Awww Honey Honey." Plus, at the end, we gave a BIG shout out to all the wonderful people at my new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum.
Unfortunately, the raw feed went 13 1/2 minutes long and that didn't even count the intro and outro! BOO HOO! Oh well, so I had to chop off the front and the back and leave the primary meat of the video as the totality of the content. It's just a lesson learned for future videos to keep a closer eye on the clock.
So, with that perspective in mind, now you'll understand why it seems the video abruptly begins and ends. Sorry about that, we'll do better next time. Check it out as we talk about Splenda, aspartame, xylitol, maltitol, oligofructose, and erythritol as well products that contain these sweeteners:
Yes, I know about stevia and even included several minutes of the original video talking about this all-natural supplement that's a popular sweetening agent that low-carbers use, but it was part of the chopping block. Perhaps I could do an entire video just on the subject of stevia since it is becoming more and more popular.
Leave a comment for Episode 4 and be sure to rate it and favorite it if you enjoyed what was presented. :) If not, then I'd still love to know what you thought about it.
Just in case you missed any of our previous YouTube videos, here they are:
- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series - Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore - Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet? - Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet?
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube videos so you'll never miss an episode! THANK YOU so much to everyone who has supported us by watching and commenting on our videos. Please send your suggestions for future YouTube video topics to me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
NuNaturals is a company on the cutting edge with NuStevia™
Last month I blogged about how Coca-Cola is pursuing putting the all-natural plant-based Stevia in their diet sodas as a healthier sweetener than the artificially-made chemical aspartame (aka Nutrasweet) that they so readily use in almost all of their calorie-free beverages today. Their crusade represents what I believe is the beginning of the end in the battle for FDA-approval.
With the inevitability of Stevia joining the sweetener market in the United States looming large, one company is already out there leading the charge by producing delicious and healthy Stevia-based products for people to enjoy. It's NuNaturals and they have a full line of stevia and stevia blends that will suit the tastes of anyone who is livin' la vida low-carb.
The quality of these products is unmistakable and I've tried many kinds of Stevia products that were supposed to taste good. Not even close!
NuStevia™ is revolutionizing the sugar alternative industry
Most Stevia products are very bitter, but not NuNaturals. These taste amazing in drinks, used in recipes, and so much more. You can feel confident in sprinkling NuStevia™ White Stevia products on whatever you usually sweeten with sugar for an economic and natural substitute.
For those of you with allergies, you'll be pleased to know NuStevia™ is gluten-free and contains NO soy, yeast, wheat, milk, synthetics, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Cool deal!
Anyone wanting to keep their carbs at ZERO or close to it should try the NuStevia™ NoCarb Blend™ made with just a touch of erythritol. This is the purest form of Stevia you will find anywhere, so it's highly recommended.
If you'd prefer to have a liquid version, they've got that, too!
Of course, there are also liquid versions of NuStevia™, including the hot new Vanilla Stevia Liquid. This does not contain flavorings as other companies products do, but Pure Vanilla Extract from the famous Singing Dog™ Vanilla products.
Liquid Vanilla Stevia is one of the hottest new NuNaturals products
NuNaturals also makes some excellent versions of other popular sweeteners, including Xylitol, Lo Han, and Erythritol. CLICK HERE and check out these sugar alternatives for yourself. I love using them as part of my low-carb lifestyle so that I'll never go back to eating sugar again!
What could be better than a sugar-free, low-carb cherry cobbler?
It's a tradition in many families to take your favorite fruit when it is in season and turning it into a bubbling hot cobbler. Mmmm, mmmm I have so many great memories of cobblers of all shapes and sizes growing up.
But now that you are livin' la vida low-carb, eating cobbler is a thing of the past, right? Well, not anymore thanks to this recipe compliments of our friends at Low-Carb Connoisseur. When you use CarbQuik for the dough and Xylitol for the sugar, then you turn this former high-carb, sugary dessert into a low-carb masterpiece!
Just make sure you don't forget to put a little dollop of whipped cream on top for good measure! You can't help but ENJOY this mouthwatering cherry cobbler recipe!
1. In a food processor, pulse mix the CarbQuik, pecans, Xylitol, cinnamon and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse mix until butter pieces are the size of peas.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk heavy cream, sour cream and egg. Pour evenly over dry mixture and pulse mix until just combined. Pat dough into a flat disk on plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, mix ThickenThin Not/Starch thickener with 1/4 cup filling until smooth. Pour remaining filling into an 8" square or round baking dish. Mix in thickened filling and almond extract.
4. Divide dough into 8 pieces and pat into disks about 3" across. Stagger biscuits over filling. Bake cobbler 25 to 30 minutes, until biscuits are browned and cooked through.
Jigsaw energy bars are worth a second look from low-carbers
There's a relatively new company out there making products for people desiring to live a better, healthier life. They are Jigsaw Health and you may have heard their radio ads for Jigsaw Magnesium on "The Neal Boortz Show" or "The Mike Gallagher Show." I even highlighted company founder Pat Sullivan in this recent blog post.
Of all the products that Jigsaw Health manufactures, one stood out from the rest as something that people who are livin' la vida low-carb could fit into their healthy low-carb lifestyle--Jigsaw Bars. These brownie-like bars are absolutely loaded with wholesome and nutritious ingredients, including a whopping 12g protein, omega-3 fatty acids, cocoa powder (which we learned today has been found in this new study to be good for brain health), vitamin C, pantothenic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, folic acid, biotin, and so much more!
These Jigsaw Bars SHOULD taste good since they are the result of 23 different test phases. Yep, they wanted to create the best possible energy bar for people to try and they think they have the "perfect" one now. People with celiac disease will appreciate that these bars are gluten-free and low-carbers will be pleased to know there is absolutely ZERO sugar in these bars.
However, there are 8g net carbs in these bars, so they should be consumed by those in the later phases of livin' la vida low-carb. Of course, if you want to get creative and cut the Jigsaw Bar in half, even those who are losing weight in the early stages of their low-carb journey can have a healthy and tasty treat with only 4g net carbs and 6g protein. EXCELLENT!
Jigsaw Bars come in two distinct flavors--Chocolate and Almond Coconut. Chocolate is one of my favorite flavors, but coconut doesn't thrill me very much. Therefore, my expectations for each were predicated on this before I even had a chance to eat them. When the time came to bite into a Jigsaw Bar for the very first time, I have to be honest: I HATED IT!
Yep, my intial experience eating one of the Chocolate Jigsaw Bars was a bit disappointing. It wasn't the taste so much as it was the texture--a bit gritty like there was sand mixed in with it. After reading the ingredients label, I realized what that was. They used whey protein crisps that were kinda like Rice Krispies in the center of the bar. Well, that explains the crunchiness.
The next time I tried the Jigsaw Bar, I will admit it was MUCH better than the first time because I didn't notice as much grit this time. I especially liked the fact that it was a high-protein bar that actually tasted somewhat like real food for a change. If you've ever bitten into a typical protein bar that's loaded with sugar, then you know what I'm talking about. Jigsaw Bars are different and thankfully so.
On a whim, I decided to play around with the Chocolate Jigsaw Bar by microwaving it for about 20 seconds. WOW, that was REALLY good! Then I spread a little bit of Sugar-Free Smucker's Raspberry Jam and a dollop of whipped cream on top for a dessert one night. Holy cow, this tastes JUST like a brownie now and the texture is WAY better! These bars are so versatile that they can be consumed hot or right out of the package (although hot is better to me!).
How about that Coconut flavor? Well, it should come as no surprise that it just wasn't my cup of tea. But I'm sure coconut lovers will appreciate it a lot more than I did. I just don't like the texture of coconut...never have, never will!
I do want to make you aware of one thing that the Jigsaw people are actually working on right now. These Jigsaw Bars have the sugar alcohol maltitol in them. GASP! But, but, but...I know, let me stop you before you even ask. Yes, this is the ingredient that I encourage people on low-carb to avoid if at all possible because of the stomach-busting properties it can cause in higher quantities.
But you will be pleased to know that maltitol is not the top ingredient which means it is not as heavily infused in these bars as some of the other products you have tried. In fact, Jigsaw supplements the maltitol with another more pleasant sugar alcohol called Xylitol for a sweet blend of sugar alternatives that substitute well for sugar. After eating one of these bars, I was bracing to have the typical gas and stomach cramps that come from maltitol consumption. It didn't happen and I was happy about that!
Wanna try these Jigsaw Bars for yourself? They have a special BUY ONE GET ONE FREE offer right now and a 100% full-refund satisfaction guarantee. In other words, there's NO risk to try these bars for yourself and see if you agree they are a great-tasting way to supplement your diet with healthy vitamins and minerals as well as hunger-busting protein. Let me know what you think!
It seems that dogs will be dogs and eat just about whatever they can get their teeth into. Unfortunately for Buster, though, that curiousity can be bad news if the item he is eating contains Xylitol because it can cause a sudden drop in your pet's blood sugar which can lead to depression, lack of coordination and even seizures. APCC said this can happen as quickly as thirty minutes after ingesting the Xylitol-based product.
APCC veterinary toxicologist Dr. Eric Dunayer once believed only higher doses of Xylitol would cause problems in canines. However, the latest research has shown that this assumption was incorrect.
“We seem to be learning new information with each case we manage,” he said. “We also have begun to see problems developing from ingestions of products with lesser amounts of this sweetener.”
Just how bad has this problem gotten? In 2005, there were a little more than 170 cases involving pets eating Xylitol products and having medical issues as a result. In 2004, there only 70 such cases. So what about the first six months of 2006? There have already been 114 cases through the end of June.
“It’s difficult to say why there’s such an increase,” an APCC representative explained. “Xylitol products are relatively new to the United States marketplace, so one possibility may be an increase in availability.”
It's true. Xylitol is beginning to be used more and more in a lot of low-carb, sugar-free gums, mints, and other such products. If you are livin' la vida low-carb and use these foods sweetened with Xylitol, then please keep them in a place where your dog cannot get to them. Make sure you read the labels of the products you use to see if they contain Xylitol or not so you can be aware.
This story did not say anything regarding the effect of Xylitol on cats or whether any other sweeteners such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, ACE-K, Sweet N' Low, etc. But it's probably a good idea to keep all of these away from any pets you may own as a safeguard.
There is an excellent resource provided to pet owners by APCC if you believe your pet has consumed anything with Xylitol in it. A toll-free emergency hotline number is available 24 hours a day if you need them:
888-426-4435
Of course, you should also contact your local veterinarian if you need immediate assistance with helping your pet in the event of an adverse reaction to ingesting Xylitol.
On a personal note, that beautiful orange cat you see at the top of this blog post is the latest addition to the Moore household's pet population. Her name is Peaches and she replaces our beloved Millie Jo who died of cancer earlier this year. This kitten is a wild one, too, getting into anything and everything without a care in the world. She's spunky, energetic, and provides Christine and I LOADS of free entertainment! :D I've never seen a cat play with her food like Peaches does. She's our little "stupid." LOL!
I'll be sure that she, Muffin, Ginger and Smokey (the rest of our cat crew!) stay away from the Xylitol. Unless I'm mad at them...JUST KIDDING! Do what you have to do to protect your dogs and cats from this seemingly harmless sweetener.
