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Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe?

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are better known as sugar substitutes. Better yet we can say products that state they are “sugar free”. We definitely see that a lot in our grocery stores and sometimes we think that sugar free is better which may not always be the case because some are not actually natural and are still processed made sugars.

Normally when we use a sweetener we are stopping ourselves from reaching for the good ole granulated sugar that normally get. People go for artificial sweeteners because they do not add calories to your diet and you can use less of it because it provides that sweetness faster than table sugar does. Another plus of using artificial sweeteners is that they do not cause tooth decay and cavities like granulated table does. Also it is a better alternative for those with diabetes and for those trying to lose weight

because they do not raise your blood sugar (carbohydrates).

The FDA regulates the use of artificial sweeteners and it is considered an food additive. So the FDA approves all artificial sweeteners before you see them on grocery shelves.

So whats the 411 on these sweeteners?

Aside the from artificial sweeteners we also have novel sweeteners and sugar alcohols which I just recently learned a little more about. One of the big novel sweeteners that we all have heard about is Stevia and as for sugar alcohols they are still considered carbohydrates because they are naturally found in some fruits and vegetables. Sugar alcohols is not like an alcoholic drink because it doesn’t contain ethanol but it does contain calories. Sugar alcohols do have a laxative effect when consumed in large amounts so you must keep that in mind.

The biggest talk when it comes to these sweeteners is that it is said that they can cause cancer but research has been done and for the most part most of these sweeteners have not been found to be harmful. The most important thing when it comes to sugar is how much of it do you consume and use on a daily basis and this determines how it will effect your health. Moderation is key when it comes to using sugar and moderation is key when it comes to nutrition.

Examples of Natural Sweeteners:

Honey
Molasses
Agave
Coconut sugar
Maple Syrup

Examples of Novel Sweeteners :

Stevia

Examples of Sugar Alcohols:

Xylitol
Erythritol

FDA Approved Artificial Sugars:

Sunett
Equal
Splenda
Sugaree
Sweet ‘N Low

Why is sugar so bad? Sugar is not your friend

The New Normal Exercising At Home

October 12, 2020April 14, 2021Leave a comment

Our physical health is so important and this is no surprise. Exercising has many benefits it keeps you fit, contributes to weight loss, helps you to get stronger and build muscle, and is beneficial to our mental health. With everything going on in 2020 with the pandemic and stay at home orders exercising at home is becoming the new thing. Even though many people were exercising at home way before things changed for us our homes are going to become our new gym.

I will admit I was never into exercising in the past because I always felt like my weight was stable for many years and I didn’t need to lose any weight. I thought exercising was all about weight loss but it isn’t theres so much more to it and it makes you feel good. These days with being a mom and into my first year of motherhood I am still working on time management and fitting in time for myself to get things done but below I will share with you some the exercises I am doing at home.

After giving birth I lose a great amount of weight going from 162 pounds down to 146 pounds. Most of my weight was baby weight! But as time went on and I started getting my appetite back I was eating pretty much anything and then when quarantine started I gained all my weight back. It has been a struggle for me to shed the weight but I am trying very hard to get it under control. Right on my main focus is burning calories and cardio exercises.

Here are some of my favorite cardio exercises ( and I’m sure some of your favorites too!)

1. Jumping Jacks – jumping jacks is one of the most classic exercise moves I know. I remember doing jumping jacks in Kindergarten! when we had gym and pretty much all through elementary school during gym time. Jumping jacks are fairly easy but you can get tired easily. But I love it because it is a quick calorie burner and depending on your intensity and how many jumping jacks you can do, you can even burn more calories. Start off with a set number and gradually increase the number. So first start off with 50 then increase to 100 then 150 and so on

2. Burpees – I don’t know if this is a favorite of everyone but I love doing burpees. For me it’s a better alternative to doing push ups and allows for full body movement. Depending on the intensity of this you can also burn some calories really fast.

3. Squats – Now I know this is a sure favorite for everyone. They are easy to do but they do hurt after a while lol my legs get tired easily but I love how versatile you can be with a squat doing it in many different ways for example a jump squat

4. Jump Ropes – This is my new favorite thing and I should have purchased one way before this. Jump roping is an instant fat burner and you can literally burn 150 calories in 11 minutes so imagine how much you can burn doing twenty minutes of jump rope probably close to 400 calories!

5. Side to Side High Knees – The way I do this is a run side to side doing high knees and increase the intensity as I go along

For now those a my top 5 calories burners but I will be adding many more to the list. Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite stay at home workouts!

Be well and stay safe.

I was a little late on getting my workout equipment since when quarantine had started I had so much trouble finding workout jump ropes in stores. I was able to finally get one through Amazon. Click the link below if you are looking for a nice workout jump rope

Planning A Party During COVID-19

October 5, 2020April 14, 2021Leave a comment

DIY caketopper using cardstock paper designed using phonto app on android and iphone

My husband and I had the special task of planning out a special day. My son’s first birthday party! The challenge was how were we going to do it in compliance with all the Guidelines for COVID 19.

The good thing was that we had planned to have it outdoors at a park so that was perfect for social distancing, which we visited before hand so we could know how much space we were working with. We couldn’t actually reserve any spaces so we just had to hope that the section we wanted wouldn’t be taken the day of the party ( which it wasn’t thank goodness!)

All DIY

We decided on a DIY babyfirst themed party because my son loves babyfirst tv. We didn’t want to have to spend such a large amount of money so we decided to do things ourselves. Supplies was pretty simple because most things we already had on hand such as crayons , markers, and pencils. Other supplies we needed were canvas holders, canvas, black printer ink, and color ink. Ballons , food trays, cupcake holders, hand sanitizer, napkins, paper towels, and cardstock paper. We also got banner paper to create our own banner. We went to stores micheals crafting , dollar tree, and amazon online for supplies.

We wanted to keep things pretty much contact less so there was too much touching going on and everyone had the option to take their food tray home or their cupcakes home. We also reserved a table and set up a handwashing station so that everyone was able to wash their hands. For this we used hand sanitizer , hand washing soap and a spray bottle filled with water to wash off the soap and paper towels.

For the desserts I made the cupcakes myself and was able to put each cupcake in a cupcake holder so that they were not left out in the open. We pretty much kept the cake covered until it was time to cut the cake.

For food we kept it simple and only had six dishes rice and beans, chicken party wings , fried chicken, mac and cheese, fried fish, and salad which my family was able to help me prepare. As for drinks they were served as is we did not have cups to minimize contact and touching.

All in all the party turned out great and everyone was able to social distance which was a relief for me. We had the right number of people and were able to carry out the party safely.

Below I will share links for items that I used ( these links are affiliate links )

Stay safe everyone!

Canvas Pack on Amazon

Cupcake Holders

Balloon Stand

Food Trays ( I got mine from family dollar but saw something similar on amazon)

Balloon Stand Center Piece