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Last week, I had a class for some local readers full of chemistry secrets for healthy eating.

I know many of you wished to come, but we have readers all over the world, so not every was able too 🙂 I shared some behind the scenes on snapchat (Add: alexisroch) and Instagram.

Here is a brief recap on some important points we discussed plus some great questions that were asked! If you want more chemistry secrets for healthy eating, don’t worry, we are working on a great new project to share soon 🙂

 Topics for Chemistry Secrets for Healthy Eating:

Sugar

The first part of the class we discussed sugar. I talked about some of the topics in this post about added sugar vs natural sugar.

A few were curious about agave syrup. I mentioned that briefly in the above post. Agave is very processed by the time you get it into syrup form. It is also researched to have a high glycemic index, just like regular table sugar. So, it is better to stick with a more natural sugar source like honey or maple syrup.

Stevia

Everyone wants to know more about stevia. This post on stevia has some great tips about it.

Along with stevia, some of the questions were about other zero-calorie sweeteners like sucrolose and aspartame. Almost all of these sweeteners are chemically manufactured, so they can cause digestive issues. You have to be cautious about “healthy snacks” because so many of them have sucrolose to keep the sugar content low.

Always check labels for “sugar alcohols” because these can be artificial sweeteners.

Reading Labels

Many of the ladies who came brought their snacks with labels so I could dissect it for them. They were blown away by how many of their snacks they thought were healthy, were actually full of artificial preservatives, soy, and additives.

It was fun digging into all these labels and explaining what the chemicals actually were.

This post on what’s really in your healthy snacks has some more information.

A few other preservatives I brought up were trisodium phosphate and tripotassium phosphate. Both of these are found in many cereals especially kids cereals. Phosphates should be limited in your diet because they can cause numerous health issues. Phosphates have been studied to have a connection with high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease. Avoiding them is best.

Just some pictures from the class.

Other Questions:

What type of protein powder do you use?

I don’t eat dairy for rheumatoid arthritis, so I stick with plant based proteins. It can be hard to find one that has good ingredients without containing soy. I use this one and this one. Both are pretty good without a bad aftertaste.

Another clean protein option is plain egg white protein powder. It has no added ingredients except egg whites for protein! My husband has trouble getting in protein, so this is something he always adds to his diet.

Do you take a probiotic? Which one?

I do take a probiotic occasionally if I need it. This is the only one I have used that actually helps me. Most others I have tried have not been a good experience! :0

What are your thoughts on gluten-free and dairy-free eating?

One of the things I cut out years ago was dairy. I first tested to see how it helped rheumatoid arthritis, and it was helpful for me. I occasionally enjoy frozen yogurt, but the majority of my diet is dairy-free. Many people don’t have an issue with dairy, but you still need to watch out for the type you use. Dairy has become highly processed over the years, so make sure you are buying a high quality milk that’s organic.

I read a research article about 10 years ago linking enzymes in dairy products to triggering auto-immune diseases or aggravating them. When I stopped using dairy for many years, my auto-immune disease was better overall.

I also limit gluten because I don’t eat much bread. Gluten is found in wheat products which I don’t eat often. Again, gluten can be an issue for people who have a sensitivity to it. I also have friends who have various auto-immune diseases and limiting gluten has helped their symptoms.

[Tweet “Chemistry Secrets to #healthyeating #health #dairyfree @chemistrycachet”]

We will be putting together more of these classes because everyone enjoyed them so much!

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you have too!

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