After developing and testing hundreds of sugar-free desserts, including candy, I found the best sugar-free sweetener alternative is allulose. It dissolves as white sugar does, and unlike monk fruit or erythritol, doesn't leave desserts grainy, bitter, or with a cooling aftertaste.
How could we keep the benefits of Chris's sad toast-fiber, healthy fats, sustaining carbs-and make something that actually tastes good? Our answer was a cookie. We started experimenting in the Test Kitchen and set out to accomplish two things: It has to taste good and make you feel good. The former came easily, as I've developed hundreds of cookie recipes, including writing a whole book on them. But the latter was more difficult.
A crowd of customers, holding phones aloft, watch intently as Auntie Nid mixes up her bestseller: an iced Thai tea. Condensed milk is poured into a glass, followed by three heaped tablespoons of sugar, and then freshly strained tea. The end product a deep orange, creamy treat is poured into a plastic bag filled with ice. I want to spoil my customers, says Auntie Nid, 68, who prefers to be known by her nickname.
Most of the carbohydrates in these foods - as well as most of the calories - come from starch, of which there are two types: hard-to-digest amylose and easily digested amylopectin. The latter is processed quickly and spikes blood sugar. The former is processed slowly and moderates blood sugar.
The United States publishes the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) every five years. These guidelines have historically been established by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The new DGA for the years 2025-2030 focuses on the overall message of "eating real food." By shifting to a stronger emphasis on limiting added sugar intake in the diet, this marks a pivotal shift in the guidelines that drive American nutrition.
Sugar alcohols aren't inherently worse than regular sugar, they're just metabolized differently. Regular sugar is fully digested and predictably raises blood sugar levels. Sugar alcohols like erythritol are only partially absorbed, so they typically provide fewer calories and have a smaller impact on blood sugar, although some types can still raise it modestly.
In a country where one in five of those over 40 has type 2 diabetes, the foods enjoyed by their grandparents have showed remarkable results in reversing the condition. Diabetes medication is largely unaffordable in Nepal, and type 2 diabetes often sets off a cascade of complications which can include kidney disease, limb loss and blindness. Uncontrolled, it will eventually lead to premature death.
Sorbitol can be metabolized into fructose in the liver, directly linking its consumption to the same harmful pathways that cause fatty liver disease and metabolic dysfunction. This discovery forces a sobering reevaluation of the artificial and alternative sweeteners millions consume daily in an effort to live healthier lives.
This opening episode dives straight into detoxing. From juice cleanses and detox teas to charcoal pills, foot pads, and coffee enemas, Edwards and Baumgardt watch, wince, and occasionally laugh their way through some of the internet's most popular detox trends. Along the way, they ask what these products claim to remove, how they supposedly work, and why feeling worse is often reframed online as a sign that a detox is "working."
As hormones shift during the transition into menopause, many women notice that their energy levels react differently to carbohydrates than they did in earlier years. Muscle mass tends to decline with age when strength training is absent from a routine. Because muscle mass determines how the body uses glucose, maintaining it through regular activity may support steadier daily energy.
Ultra-processed foods are industrially manufactured products that contain ingredients rarely found in your kitchen, such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings, natural flavors and emulsifiers. Numerous studies have shown that these foods increase the risk of a host of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, depression, and obesity. "When people ask me about ultra-processed foods, they're often most confused about grains, carbohydrates, and starches," says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, who leads the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.
It's 9:30 p.m. Snack time. A sacred fourth meal, when I pull out my handwash-only kobachi and drop in a small handful of Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds. I've been eating them for more years than I care to admit, appreciating the mix of natural (high protein and fiber) almonds with a splash of addictive processing (mmm, hickory smoke flavor and maltodextrin) to keep them feeling dangerous.
