Beth, thank you for this! Such a good read!! Few questions - 1. how do I find unprocessed cheese? We buy blocks or slices of cheddar cheese for example. 2. Would you consider a homemade muffin to be a refined baked good? 3) by adding maple syrup to a muffin, would that be considered "added sugar"? Thanks again!
You are so welcome! 1. Cheese should be made from milk (sheep, cow, goat typically) and cultures and/or rennet only and be made using a fermentation process to be an unprocessed cheese. Anti-caking agents, colorants, additives, anything labeled as cheese food, cheese products, singles or "slices," cheese spread, or cheese in a can would constitute processed cheese. Just check the label of the cheese you buy and see if it is just milk and cultures! 2. A homemade muffin made with refined white flour and refined white sugar or cane sugar is a refined baked good. A muffin made with metabolically healthy ingredients that support blood sugar balance is different altogether. 3. Maple syrup is considered added sugar, yes, but the unrefined kind. When I craft a recipe using maple syrup, I combine ingredients such as fiber, protein, and fat to offset the maple syrup and keep blood sugar stable. For those with diabetes or pre-diabetes, I always give alternate sweeteners for maple syrup so that they can avoid sugar altogether.
Thank you for your response!! I will look at cheese more carefully! I bake muffins with mostly almond or coconut flour. None of the ingredients are refined. 😅
Thank you for this thorough and thoughtful information. It paints a much clearer picture regarding cholesterol and heart health,and helps me understand it much better. So helpful!
You make an important point that increasingly we are learning that there are differences in how individuals respond to saturated fats and the complex relation to (artery-affecting) cholesterol; you give us great direction on how to focus our diets
I’ve found it so difficult to wade through the regular heart association type recommendations vs the more health lifestyle based ones. I really appreciate all your time and effort to bring nutrition based and science backed solutions for those of us interested in learning how to fuel and strengthen our bodies for longevity. ☺️
I feel the same way about the American Diabetes Association- when organizations like these take money from pharmaceutical companies, soda companies, processed food companies, and seed oil manufacturers, objectivity is lost.
Beth, thank you for this! Such a good read!! Few questions - 1. how do I find unprocessed cheese? We buy blocks or slices of cheddar cheese for example. 2. Would you consider a homemade muffin to be a refined baked good? 3) by adding maple syrup to a muffin, would that be considered "added sugar"? Thanks again!
You are so welcome! 1. Cheese should be made from milk (sheep, cow, goat typically) and cultures and/or rennet only and be made using a fermentation process to be an unprocessed cheese. Anti-caking agents, colorants, additives, anything labeled as cheese food, cheese products, singles or "slices," cheese spread, or cheese in a can would constitute processed cheese. Just check the label of the cheese you buy and see if it is just milk and cultures! 2. A homemade muffin made with refined white flour and refined white sugar or cane sugar is a refined baked good. A muffin made with metabolically healthy ingredients that support blood sugar balance is different altogether. 3. Maple syrup is considered added sugar, yes, but the unrefined kind. When I craft a recipe using maple syrup, I combine ingredients such as fiber, protein, and fat to offset the maple syrup and keep blood sugar stable. For those with diabetes or pre-diabetes, I always give alternate sweeteners for maple syrup so that they can avoid sugar altogether.
Thank you for your response!! I will look at cheese more carefully! I bake muffins with mostly almond or coconut flour. None of the ingredients are refined. 😅
Thank you for this thorough and thoughtful information. It paints a much clearer picture regarding cholesterol and heart health,and helps me understand it much better. So helpful!
I am so very glad you found it helpful, Tina!🧡
You make an important point that increasingly we are learning that there are differences in how individuals respond to saturated fats and the complex relation to (artery-affecting) cholesterol; you give us great direction on how to focus our diets
Thank you, Ellen. I like to give people actionable tips and meal ideas, always!
Thank you for the information and especially the clarity!
I am so glad you found it helpful, James!
Thank you for explaining this topic so well! I appreciate your insights and actionable examples of what a heart healthy diet really looks like.
I am so glad you find it helpful, Angie! This one took me a long time to research and write so it makes me happy to hear it is useful!🧡
I’ve found it so difficult to wade through the regular heart association type recommendations vs the more health lifestyle based ones. I really appreciate all your time and effort to bring nutrition based and science backed solutions for those of us interested in learning how to fuel and strengthen our bodies for longevity. ☺️
I feel the same way about the American Diabetes Association- when organizations like these take money from pharmaceutical companies, soda companies, processed food companies, and seed oil manufacturers, objectivity is lost.
A post to bookmark! So informative and the links to the supplemental article is helpful too. Thank you Beth!
What a wonderful guide, Beth! Thank you ❤️
This is excellent Beth! Thank you!
Beena, you are so welcome!🧡
Excellent summary! Thank you for creating this and adding the article links as well.
You are most welcome, Amy!🧡