NATURALLY SWEET: XYLITOL

You could easily forgive anyone for thinking that Xylitol sounds like a dangerous artificial sugar, as the name just screams chemicals and synthetics.  I was very sceptical before I started using this sugar and therefore did my research and then some. The sweet truth about xylitol may surprise many. 

I was helping a good friend out at her Green Tea Hawaii stall just yesterday at the Bulimba festival when I discovered that many people in Brisbane (or at least in the Bulimba-Hawthorne community) shared my initial apprehension about Xylitol. Just a bit of background for you: Green Tea Hawaii is a a highly concentrated form of green tea and the superfood noni that contains the same antioxidant value as 45 cups of regular green tea. Just 1 serving a day provides you with numerous health benefits, such as increased energy, increased metabolism, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and a reduction in muscle damage, to name a few. Two servings of Green Tea Hawaii a day, one 15-30 minutes before breakfast and another 15-30 minutes before lunch or dinner will assist in both weight loss and weight control, in conjunction with a healthy diet and active lifestyle. I could talk all day about Green Tea Hawaii and what positives it has done for my body, however that is not the point of this post. The point is that as we discussed the numerous health benefits, our experience with the tea and what exact ingredients were involved, people's noses got wildly out of joint about the fact that there was just 5% sugar or sweetening blend in the entire tea or just over 1/2 a gram of sugar in one serving. A small amount of this 5% contained xylitol, one of my favourite sugars, which made people even more apprehensive. I'm not hear to preach at all about what you should and shouldn't be drinking, but I desperately do want to share the very interesting benefits I have discovered over the past several months about xylitol and why I use it and love it. 

The Facts

• Xylitol is a low kilojoule sugar substitute 
• It is found naturally in fibrous fruits, such as plums and vegetables, such as corn. Commerical forms of this sugar are found in birch and other hardwood trees
• This natural sugar is also found in our bodies, in human tissue
• Xylitol contains 40% less kilojoules than many other sugars on the shelves, therefore making it a great choice for people with diabetes and those wanting to lose weight 
• It contains hardly any carbohydrates
• It has a low GI of 7, whilst other sugars have a GI of 100, which means that these sugars enter the blood stream a lot quicker than xylitol
• Xylitol is absorbed by the body very slowly, making it a natural insulin stabiliser. As it is absorbed at a slow pace you avoid the 'sugar spike' that you experience by consuming other sugar products, which results in a severe drop in blood sugar and a desire for more sugar
• Due to this slow absorption, xylitol reduces sugar and carbohydrate cravings
• Extensive research has revealed that xylitol has a positive effect on oral health. Xylitol actually assists in preventing streptococcus mutans, the primary bacteria that causes dental cavities, from cultivating in teeth as xylitol inhibits the growth of bacteria, whilst other sugars enable this growth. 
• Because this powerful sugar prevents the growth of bacteria, it also encourages aural (ear and hearing) health. A 2004 study revealed that xylitol impairs the bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae, one of the leading causes of ear infections. The study found that by damaging this bacteria, xylitol assisted in inhibiting the bacteria from multiplying. 
• This naturally-found sugar also actively restores minor dental damage
• Xylitol has no unappetising bitter aftertaste, like you find with artificial sweeteners

You can buy xylitol in health food stores, as it is not currently a big enough household name in Australia to be stocked in major supermarkets. However I am hoping that with more Australians trying this natural sugar the demand will have an effect on the supply and we will find this sugar much more accessible. 

If you want to find out more about Green Tea Hawaii, head to https://www.facebook.com/AlohaHealth?fref=ts or alohahealth.com.au. 

x Emily 

GREEN SPLIT PEA/LENTIL SOUP

As the evening wind becomes more persistent, a slight chill appears in the air. I embrace this change of seasons, as it means that soups are able to be eaten without sweating or wilting. I adore this time of year, when the sweltering Brisbane summer has passed and the sun shines brightly without melting you. I had a strong desire to make soup last night and turned to one of my Natural Cooking cookbooks by Heidi Swanson. Heidi always includes a decent amount of soup recipes in her books, however the Green Lentil Soup caught my eye as the colour looked both unusual and extremely appetizing at the same time. My partner despises soups as he seems to think they are basically water or thin stock with boring vegetables in them, therefore when he saw me preparing dinner he let out more than a few sighs. However, when the soup was served to him with warm toasted gluten-free bread, he polished it off within 3 minutes and told me it was ‘really yummy’ 4 times. I wholeheartedly agreed. This is the soup to change anyone’s previous conceptions about soup being boring, unsatisfying or bland. 


INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil
• 1 1/3 cup of green lentils or green split peas, rinsed (I used green split peas but I imagine using green lentils may result in a very similar taste but a slightly more green colour of the soup)
• 1 medium brown onion (100-120g), finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
• 5 cups vegetable stock or water (I used Massel vegetable stock)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee 
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• Optional- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1/2 cup (125ml) light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Place the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter/ghee/coconut oil, onion, garlic, chilli flakes and sea salt in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir often, until the onion is soft and transparent. This should take 2-3 minutes. Add the 5 cups vegetable stock or water and reduce to a simmer, covering, until the lentils/peas are tender. This can take anywhere from 20-50 minutes depending on your lentils/peas and your saucepan. In the case of my cooking, it took 35-40 minutes for the peas to become tend.

2. Whilst the lentils/peas are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter/ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it lightly brown. Add the curry powder and smoked paprika (if you wish, as paprika will give the soup a smoky, woody quality that some love and some despise) and stir constantly. When the butter mixture starts to smell fragrant, remove the pan from the heat. 

3. Remove the lentils/peas from the heat when tender and stir in the coconut milk. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor. If you want the consistency of the soup to be a little chunky, only puree for a short while. I pureed the soup until it was smooth, and this only took around 30 seconds. Pour into individual bowls, and drizzle the spiced butter on top, stirring into the soup. If you made the soup with water instead of vegetable stock, you may need to add more salt. Sprinkle the chives on top and serve with warm toasted bread, if you desire.  

Serves / 4 as a main meal, 6 as a side 

x E

SUPER GREEN STIR-FRY

A super, natural green-packed stir fry was on the cards for lunch and dinner tonight. As the seasons slightly change in Brisbane (if you can even tell the difference between the end of summer and the arrival of autumn in my adopted hometown) I find myself getting a little rundown and somewhat sick. Whenever I feel my immune system lapsing a little, I try to feed myself with as many vegetables as I can, as my dear mother always used to do by combining a minimum of 10 vegetables in a soup or stir-fry. Hence the recipe below was born. The inspiration came from Heidi Swanson’s cookbook, ‘Super Natural Cooking’, my new obsession, as frequent readers may attest. Whilst I am a cook who likes to chop, dice, grate and slice as she goes, I highly recommend that you get all the mundane chopping over and done with before you start the actual cooking process in the wok. It makes the stir-frying process so much easier and you will have a much smaller chance of overcooking any ingredients. More fresh herbs can be used, such as coriander, mint and/or chives and vegetables can be added, such as green capsicum, green onion, asparagus etc.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken breast, cut into even strips
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into even sized florets
• 150g snow peas, trimmed and washed
• 150g green beans, trimmed and washed
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons cashews, roughly chopped
• 100g green spinach leaves, washed 
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons plum sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
• Optional - 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, shredded

COOKING 

1. Pour 1 cup brown rice into a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covering, for around 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. 

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a wok and swirl to coat. Add chicken strips and stir constantly, until chicken is white in colour and no pink flesh remains. Remove chicken from the wok and place in a bowl. 

3. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in the wok and again swirl to coat. Add broccoli florets, snow peas, green beans, chilli flakes, ginger and garlic and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add cashews and spinach leaves and stir for 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts. Return the cooked chicken to the wok, add the lime juice and plum sauce and stir well for 1 minute, tossing the liquid among the vegetables and chicken. 

4. Remove from wok and place cooked green vegetables & chicken on a bed of brown rice. Stir in fresh  basil if desired. 

Serves / 4 

x E