Abbey Sharp

Last Updated November 22, 2019. Published June 6, 2016 By Abbey Sharp 9 Comments

Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding | Healthy, Vegan, Gluten Free

This amazing Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding was created with the Peanut Bureau. It’s healthy, vegan and gluten free and will quickly become your go-to nutritious snack, breakfast or dessert.

Y’all know I love my peanut butter and banana combination recipes, but I’m equally obsessed with peanut butter and jelly. I mean, my growth as a child literally depended on a steady stream of the stuff. Recently, I’ve gotten really into Chia Pudding as a great vegan, non-dairy, gluten free snack, breakfast or dessert and this recipe adds even more nutrition with the benefits of peanuts!

I love using peanuts in this recipe because they not only add amazing flavour and great luscious body, but they help pump up the staying power even more. Thanks to their hunger-crushing combo of fibre, protein and healthy monounsaturated fats, I literally can eat this after my morning workout and stay full until lunch.

Did you know that 1/3 Canadians eat peanut butter right out of the jar? I have a feeling that it’s actually a lot more than that, but I know some of us are shy to admit it.

If you’re looking for a classier way to enjoy your PBJ, then you’ll love this Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding.

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How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding

It starts with my go-to chia jam that I actually just posted on the blog last week. It’s literally amazing on everything but I specifically love it layered into this chia pudding parfait because it’s low in sugar but packed with protein, fibre and healthy fats.

Then I make my peanut butter chia pudding. I start by gently heating soy milk in a pan, melting some room temperature peanut butter and a little maple syrup into it, and whisking the whole thing together until smooth. Once it’s all combined, I add in my chia seeds and let the mixture sit in the fridge overnight. This is literally the hardest part so I try to make it RIGHT before bed so I don’t have to pine over it for too long.

$A pinterest image of chia pudding with the overlay text \"Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding.\"$

The next morning, I assemble my peanut butter and jelly chia pudding! I layer the peanut chia pudding with the sweet cherry strawberry chia jam and a handful of chopped peanuts for added texture and crunch and I am officially a happy girl.

What are your favourite ways to enjoy the nostalgic combination of peanut butter and jelly? Have you tried making this peanut butter and jelly chia pudding? Leave me a comment below with some of your go-tos!

$A pinterest image of chia pudding with the overlay text \"Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding Healthy, Gluten Free, and Vegan.\"$

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding | Healthy, Vegan, Gluten Free

This amazing Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding is healthy, vegan and gluten free and will quickly become your go-to nutritious snack, breakfast or dessert.

Prep Time4

Cook Time5

Total Time4 5

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Abbey Sharp

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened vanilla soy milk
2 tbsp natural peanut butter room temperature
2 tsp maple syrup or to taste
6 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup chia jam
1/2 cup peanuts crushed

Instructions

In a small saucepan, heat the soy milk on medium low until it almost starts to simmer. Add in the peanut butter and maple syrup and whisk until combined. Transfer to a container and set aside to cool. Add in the chia seeds and refrigerate overnight.
The next day layer the chia pudding, chia jam and crushed peanuts in parfait glasses and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal

Disclosure: This recipe was made in paid partnership with the Peanut Bureau, however, all opinions are genuine. This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase from the link, I make a small commission that adds no cost to you, but helps me pay for my blog! Thanks for your support.

Abbey Sharp

Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.

www.abbeyskitchen.com/about-abbey/

Last Updated September 1, 2022. Published June 1, 2016 By Abbey Sharp 28 Comments

Sugar and Cancer – The Sugar Feeds Cancer Myth & Facts

The sugar and cancer connection has been a question for quite some time. Type “cancer and…” into Google and the word “sugar” or “carbs” will inevitably pop up. It’s a common belief that “ sugar feeds cancer cells” and that you need to completely eliminate carbs from your diet to reduce your risk. So we wanted to attack this concept head on to look at what the research says. Does sugar feed cancer? Let’s take a look.

Sugar Feeds Cancer?

Thanks to the internet’s wide buffet of pseudoscience-peddling “experts”, a lot of people believe that sugar feeds cancer. The main rationale is that sugar raises insulin levels and possibly other growth factors that may influence cancer cell growth. Many cancer cells have insulin receptors, which make them respond more than normal cells to insulin’s ability to promote growth. So does that mean sugar feeds cancer? Let’s look at the basics first.

What is Sugar?

When you hear the word “sugar”, do you think about the sweet, white, powdery granules in your kitchen pantry? Or perhaps you think about gum drops, candies, doughnuts, desserts, and all sorts of sweet goodness?

The reality is, “sugar” is the same as the all-encompassing, umbrella-term “carbohydrates”. Carbs include both “simple sugars” (monosaccharides: one glucose unit) and “complex carbohydrates” (polysaccharides: a chain of multiple glucose units) found in a wide variety of foods. The type of sweet, granular table sugar you might be very familiar with is a refined carbohydrate source from the sugar cane plant that is composed of sucrose. It’s commonly used to sweeten juices, soft drinks, sauces, salad dressings, condiments and desserts. In contrast, complex carbs are found in foods like breads, pastas, grain products, and fruits and vegetables. Typically, complex carbs also come with beneficial fibres that help slow their digestion, reduce blood sugar spikes and keep you feeling satiated for longer.

The Sugar and Insulin Connection

Carbs, either simple or complex, are our bodies preferred source of fuel. When we eat any kind of carb, it gets broken down to its simplest form (glucose) for our body, absorbed into the blood stream and raises your blood sugar levels. The pancreas responds by releasing a hormone called insulin which acts as a “key” that opens the “lock” of the cell, allowing for glucose in the blood to enter and be used by the cell for energy. I don’t care what the bro at the gym says, carbs are super important! Even if you found a way to completely cut out carbs, your body will make glucose from other things you eat such as protein or fat, leading to potential malnutrition, muscle loss and slowed metabolism. That is definitely not what we want.

The problems come into play when you exceed your body’s needs for carbs again and again and again. If we continually put stress on our pancreas to produce more and more insulin, either because we are consuming an excessive amount of sugar or because we have body fat that makes it hard for the insulin to reach the cells, we can end up in a state of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance (along with hyperinsulinemia and increased IGF – 1 /insulin-like growth factor-1 levels), are the hallmark traits of Type 2 Diabetes. The connection here is that epidemiological studies suggest that diabetes sometimes hand in hand with some types of cancer by potentially promoting the growth and development of tumours (here and here).

Sugar and Cancer – Pancreatic

A large meta-analysis examined the connection between sugar and pancreatic cancer, suggesting that high blood sugar and high insulin levels likely play a role in its development. When reviewing various cohort (planned) studies, there was no association found on the effect of diets high in total carbohydrates, sugar, or high glycemic index on risk of pancreatic cancer. Likewise, previous epidemiological studies have not been able to specify the exact types of carbohydrates (e.g. sucrose, fructose, glucose) linked to pancreatic cancer. However, the results of the 10 cohort studies analyzed have suggested that a high consumption of fructose (the type of sugar in fruit) may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance and pancreatic cancer.

Sugar and Cancer – Prostate

A new longitudinal study looked at the diets of over 3000 volunteers since the 1970s and found that diets with a higher glycemic load (most notably from pops and fruit juices) were associated with 88% higher risk of prostate cancer. This study, of course, can’t speak to cause and effect and was conducted on an almost exclusively Caucasian population, so there is definitely a need for more research in this area.

Sugar and Cancer – Endometrial

You may have heard that hormone-dependent cancers like endometrial and breast cancer are linked to sugar consumption since it’s often thought that sugar messes with our hormones. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 system (IGF – 1) receptors have been theorized to give rise to rapidly multiplying cancer cells, suggesting that they may promote cancer growth and cancer cell survival. Some evidence has suggested that increased estrogen from excess body fat and diabetes may help increase the risk of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women. Having said that, aside from there being a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes with a greater consumption of sugary drinks, on the whole, there isn’t much evidence out there on the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and endometrial cancer. Studies have either found a very weak or moderate influence of sugar in fruit juice, sweet, baked or starchy foods on endometrial cancer risk or no difference between those who drank sugar-sweetened beverages and those who did not. In other words, there may be a connection between sugar and endometrial cancer (i.e. obesity and diabetes), but it’s in no way cause and effect.

Sugar and Cancer – Breast

In the area of breast cancer, one study suggested that breast cancer patients who increased their consumption of carbs for about 2 years after diagnosis had a higher risk of recurring breast cancer incidences, but the findings were not statistically significant. Another recent headline claimed that a high sugar diet increases one’s risk of breast cancer and lung metastasis. The researchers of the study proposed that fructose in particular was “responsible for facilitating cancer production and growth.” While this does seem promising, this particular study was done on mice, which right away tells us that this cannot automatically translate the results to humans. This is an important jumping off point for future research on sugar and cancer, but nothing to write home about quite yet.

Types of Sugar on Cancer

Now, I know what you’re all saying. What about refined added “bad” white sugar compared with “healthy” or “natural” sugar? Remember that all sugars are identical chemically and broken down in our bodies into glucose. Complex carbs are digested more slowly because they have to be broken down and are bound with beneficial fibres, while simple carbs spike your blood sugar and insulin faster because they’re already in their most simple form. If the proposed link between cancer and sugar is insulin and blood sugar, the form of sugar may be really important! This is why researchers performing a prospective health study investigated the effect of different sugar types, such as fructose, sucrose, added sucrose and added fructose, along with total sugars on cancer risk. And still, with the exceptions I mentioned in the sections above, there was no clear association found between any of the dietary sugars analyzed and the risk of colorectal, pancreatic, breast, endometrial or prostate cancers.

A more recent study found a looked at the impact of simple and complex carbs on cancer outcomes. The researchers in this new longitudinal study found that consuming low glycemic foods like legumes, non-starchy vegetables, most fruits, and whole grains was associated with a 67% lower breast cancer risk. On the other hand, regular and higher consumption of processed carbohydrates like sugary beverages was associated with a 3 times higher risk of developing prostate cancer. As shown in the difference between whole, unprocessed complex carbohydrates (usually low glycemic) and refined, simple carbohydrates (high glycemic) on cancer risk, it’s suggested that we shouldn’t focus too much on total carbohydrates, but rather, the type of carbohydrates we consume.

What I believe is likely happening here is that while we can’t necessarily say for sure that ANY one type of sugar feeds cancer on its own, it may be that specific dietary pattern may help reduce your risk. For example, people who consume a diet high in pulses, and whole grains, but low in refined sugars may be better at managing their weight and blood sugar levels. Again, it’s only speculation because it’s difficult to draw conclusions from cohort or observational studies, so clearly we need more rigorous research in this area of sugar and cancer.

So Should we Avoid Sugar and Carbs to Reduce Cancer Risk?

Let’s review this sugar and cancer link. Bottom line? Sugar doesn’t feed cancer cells any more or less than sugar feeds ALL of the cells in your body. Avoiding all sugar can do more harm than good since your healthy body cells require carbs to function properly and will do anything it has to do (including breaking down your muscle) just to get it. What we do want to be more mindful of is consuming an excess of sugar and refined carbohydrates which are linked to weight gain, and may indirectly increase your cancer risk over time. With the evidence we have now, we cannot make a solid claim that cancer has a sweet tooth for sugar, but there are a few good practices we can adopt to reduce our risks of chronic disease like cancer.

Choose high fibre, low glycemic index foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These are our beautifully fresh and natural, whole, unprocessed foods.
Listen to your body for those satiety and hunger cues to prevent overeating or binges. Remember, your body will let you know what you need. You will want to nourish your body and take good care of it, and that looks nothing like starving or overfeeding yourself!
Engage in regular physical activity. Be active and do something that you love! It’s time to start investing in your health.
Enjoy protein and healthy fat with your carbs to help slow down their absorption. This will leave you feeling satisfied and energized throughout the day.
Spread out your carb intake throughout the day to reduce insulin spikes. This will give you balanced blood sugar levels without the mid-afternoon slump!

What do you think about the connection between sugar and cancer? Are you trying to cut back on carbs out of fear of cancer? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts and don’t forget to share and subscribe above!

$A pinterest image with sugar with the text \"Sugar and Cancer | The Sugar Feeds Cancers Myth & Facts.\"$

Research by RD2B Rachel Shim

Abbey Sharp

www.abbeyskitchen.com/about-abbey/

Last Updated October 4, 2021. Published May 9, 2016 By Abbey Sharp 21 Comments

Is Leptin Resistance the new Insulin Resistance? How Hormones Are Making You Fat

The topic of discussion today is resistance! Vive la resistance! Okay, so maybe not that kind of resistance, but rather the body’ resistance to certain hormones. Most of us have heard about insulin resistance but what about its sister-hormone, leptin resistance? Both are driven by sugar intake, and both are linked to weight gain and loss. Let’s take a closer look.

Insulin vs. Leptin

Insulin is produced by the pancreas’ beta cells and is the “key” to unlocking our cells to let glucose (aka. sugar or carbohydrates we eat) in so they give us energy to do things. In healthy people, insulin is tightly regulated via feedback loops, but can be out of whack as is in the case of diabetes. Leptin is known as the satiety hormone (meaning, it’s released when we’ve had enough to eat) but it has been consistently linked to obesity. For years, science has perhaps oversimplified the weight loss equation to a simple caloric deficit equation, but we now know that the regulatory mechanisms are not well understood. Instead of obesity seen as the body’s lack of weight regulation (resulting in extreme overweight), it may be more appropriate to view obesity as a defense of an elevated body weight. In other words, our body tends to “protect” its preferred weight.

(To be) Obese or not obese, that is the question!

[ATTENTION Fat Shamers] Please take note that research suggests that gaining weight is way more than just a lack of will power (find out why fat shaming doesn’t work here). You may want to stop reading if you refuse to let your current views on fatness get challenged. Keep reading to find out why!

There are various factors that influence obesity. Simply saying “they’re too fat because they eat too much” is a) super rude and b) quite more complex. Factors influencing obesity are multi-faceted and range from obesogenic environments that provide energy-dense foods to sedentary lifestyles, long-term excess calories to genetic predisposition. And yes, we can choose what we eat and how much we exercise, but we do not choose our genetic makeup. It is one thing to do all the right things to lose weight like eat well, get adequate sleep, exercise, quit smoking yadi-yadi-yada… but maintaining that weight loss in people who are just not predisposed to maintain that weight loss is a whole other story. To give you just one evidence-based example, a large meta-analysis of US studies found that after 4-5 years, only 23% (~3kg) of participants’ initial weight loss was maintained. This may be where insulin resistance and leptin resistance come into play.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin allows glucose (aka. the carbs you eat) to enter our cells for energy metabolism. Insulin is like a key and its corresponding cell receptor is much like the lock. When the two make nice, glucose enters the cell to be used as fuel. However, in insulin resistance, the key and lock mechanism become out of sync. Let’s get a bit more silly here. The pancreas is like a hopeless romantic guy who can’t get a clue that the girl he is crushing on (the cell) isn’t into him. The guy (pancreas) sends more flowers (insulin) to the girl in hopes that she accepts his love (glucose). But the girl (the cell) just keeps resisting his advances. The guy keeps sending flowers only to be denied, and eventually he becomes exhausted and gives up. An exhausted and lonely pancreas can no longer produce sufficient insulin to keep up with insulin resistance. Since the rejected glucose is left outside the cell, higher than normal blood levels can damage the body over time. Serious complications can include neuropathy, blindness, and cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance best describes type 2 diabetes which we know can be linked to lifestyle and dietary habits. In contrast, Type 1 diabetes is when the body produces no insulin so it has to be supplied in the form of a vital injection. Given that 80-90% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, it has been suggested that the solution may lie in weight management and hormonal balance. Excess body fat actually increases the risk for insulin resistance, which helps explain the relationship between above-average weights and diabetes. I like to think of that excess fat as being overbearing father figures- they get in the way of the guy’s advances towards the pretty girl. It’s harder for insulin to make it through a convoluted stuffy quarters when there is physical fat blocking the way, and this is one reason for insulin resistance.

Leptin Resistance

Leptin is a hormone produced in adipose tissue and it is responsible for satiety or how full we feel after we eat as well as regulating energy-expenditure and weight loss. This curious hormone has a negative feedback to energy intake, which simply means that leptin levels rise as you consume more food. Leptin levels fall when you’re hungry and you’re needing to conserve energy. In obese individuals with insulin resistance, leptin levels have been correlated with the amount of fat on the body. The more fat you have, the more leptin you have drifting around your body. You would then think that the more leptin you have in your body, the fuller you naturally feel and perhaps the less you would eat. Could this be the cure for obesity and binge eating? Unfortunately, I’m not the first to think of this. Researchers found that giving diet-induced obese people leptin injections didn’t counter obesity. But it did lead to the discovery of leptin resistance. It’s the same concept as insulin resistance. When you overeat, your leptin levels are chronically high, but your body becomes less able to recognize that satiety because of a variety of complicated mechanisms. These mechanisms are not yet fully understood, however, research on developing a leptin sensitizer may be in the works. A sensitizer would act by making the body more responsive to leptin’s signals to reduce hunger, thereby decreasing dietary intake and ultimately leading to weight loss. Leptin resistance is still not fully understood, but these pathways may open up targeted therapies for the obese population.

Leptin Resistance and Weight Loss

Early rodent studies suggest that when rats lose weight, their leptin levels drop, which in turn decreases their energy expenditure and increases their appetite (makes them hungry again). In another rat study, it was found that leptin was not effective in helping subjects maintain weight loss. As a result, they would just REGAIN any weight they had lost. DAMNIT!! I also recently wrote about the Biggest Loser contestants and the impact their extreme weight loss had on their leptin levels. This area definitely needs more research to understand the role of leptin on human physiology as the majority of studies appears to be in animal models. Now you are hopefully starting to appreciate why losing weight is not as easy as just eating less and moving more.

Research on rats with leptin resistance suggests that a combination of caloric restriction and exercise is more beneficial than either intervention alone at reducing leptin resistance. Other drugs have been found to be effective in lowering leptin resistance, so while leptin as a stand alone treatment will not work, it may in fact be effective when coupled with a joint pharmacotherapy.

How Does Sugar Play into Insulin and Leptin Resistance?

What do we know about sugar? For one, it makes desserts awesome. But sadly, secondly, it is energy dense and lacks nutrients other than carbohydrates. It is definitely something to be enjoyed, but not overindulged in. We know that limiting added sugar to 10% of our daily intake is recommended, which amounts to about 48 g of sugar based on a 2000 kcal diet. That’s not a whole lot – having just one can of pop would use up 85% of our daily recommendation! Sugar sweetened beverages like pop, fruit juice and your Grande non-fat Frapppuccino (which by the way exceeds the recommended 48g), are not only high in sugar and calories but they aren’t particular satiating. So 200 kcal from your Starbucks drink and 200 kcal from a quarter cup of almonds will yield completely different satiety ratings. The almonds may keep you full for a few hours, while the drink may spike your blood sugar and leave you ravenous soon after. The issue with this is that we may then overeat to compensate for our lack of satiety, despite having already consumed an adequate amount of energy (aka. calories). Fibre, on the other hand, helps us to feel satiated and is abundantly found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pulses, and whole grains. While fibre containing foods contribute carbohydrates, they also contribute wonderful things like phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Now at this point there may be little we can do to directly modify our hormones that influence our weight, but we can certainly influence our diets to get the most satiating bang for our caloric buck. In the case of diabetes, eating lower glycemic foods is recommended to delay the sugar rush that comes with carbohydrates so that the pancreas is not overloaded. It’s also important to enjoy a balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate at meals and snacks to help reduce the sugar load at any time. Insulin’s partner in crime, leptin, is also a hormone we cannot much change ourselves but we may be able to hijack its ability to signal when to eat. There is yet to be a Metformin equivalent created for obesity, but when it is made, maybe they’ll call it “Leptformin” (BTW I’m trademarking that). Until then, we need to slow down, and tune into our unique hunger and satiety signals to guide when to eat and when to stop.

Small dietary changes in the home could add up over time. Just as excess weight doesn’t appear overnight neither can it disappear overnight. The equation to solving the obesity epidemic is clearly more than 1+1=2, but answers are emerging as researchers continue to investigate this phenomenon.

A few Quick and Dirty Take Aways

Aim for 25-38 grams of fibre each day to help you feel full, keep you regular, and manage weight
Stay within the 10% of caloric intake from added sugar. If you are craving sweets, grab a piece of juicy fruit to satisfy your craving.
Keep healthy foods close at hand in the home and keep only single-serving sized treats at hand.
Get in at least 150 minutes of weekly activity throughout the week that you enjoy. With the wonderful weather headed our way, biking, hiking, and outdoor activities can make exercise even more rewarding.
Do not take for granted the internal hormone regulators we have within us! Be kind to them and respect their role in regulating your body.

$A pinterest image with soda, sugar, and diabetes testing tools with the text overlay \"Is Leptin Resistance The New Insulin Resistance? How Hormones Are Making You Fat.\"$

Contribution by RD2B Shane Kwong

Abbey Sharp

www.abbeyskitchen.com/about-abbey/

Last Updated October 4, 2021. Published May 6, 2016 By Abbey Sharp 11 Comments

Top 5 Foods That Burn Fat – What Science Says Works

It’s nearly impossible to scroll through blogs or flip through a magazine without seeing something like “Foods that Burn Fat – Page 12.” They seem easy enough- a sprinkle of hot pepper here, a cup of green tea there and my body fat will melt right off! Maybe not so much. Luckily for you, I’ve gone through the research (or lack thereof) of the top five popular foods that burn fat and ranked them in order from least (5) to most (1) effective.

Top 5 Foods that Burn Fat

Foods the Burn Fat #5: Hot Pepper

If it’s burning my tongue it must be a food that burns fat, right? Wrong. The active ingredient that makes hot peppers hot, and supposedly causes fat burn, is called capsaicin. Research has found it to increase fat oxidation (that’s the process of our body breaking down fats) by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, decrease hunger, increase body temperature, and energy expenditure. Capsaicin has also been found to increase resting metabolic rate decrease energy intake, and cause the body to turn for fats for fuel instead of carbs. Though these studies have found hot peppers to be very effective, the populations studied are not always comparable to North America and the effects were greatest in those who don’t commonly eat spicy foods. Finally, it’s important to note how much capsaicin you need to consume to see any benefits. Studies had participants consume up to 10g of hot peppers, which is about 1/4 cup! Hot pepper is delicious, and it’s a great way to flavor foods without tons of extra salt or oils, but it’s not one of the best foods to burn fat.

Foods the Burn Fat #4: Omega 3s

Omega 3s are the super healthy fats found in fish, nuts, and some vegetable oils. They have a number of benefits, and apparently fat burning is one of them. Research looking at fish oil supplements, which contain omega 3s, supports their ability to decrease body fat mass and increase fat oxidation. After two groups were given either fish oil supplements or a placebo, the fish oil group saw a decrease in their body fat mass and an increase in their resting metabolic rate. Though they are advertised as being fat burners, very little research in has properly investigated the individual role of omega 3s in humans. Omega 3s are great to have in your diet, especially since the typical North American diet is much higher in omega 6 fatty acids, but we can’t conclude that they are inherently foods that burn fat.

Foods the Burn Fat: #3 Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is unique because of its high ratio of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) compared to other types of fats. MCTs are broken down differently because they go straight to the liver to be metabolized first. This is said to be the reason coconut oil is a fat that won’t make you gain weight. Studies found having a diet high in MCTs compared to other fats slightly increases energy expenditure and fat oxidation. It has also been found to increase dietary induced thermogenesis, which is the energy needed to break down and store the nutrients after eating. Other studies found MCTs to increase satiety, therefore decreasing intake at meals later in the day, but were overall ineffective in weight loss. According to this research, MCTs are actually pretty great, but coconut oil isn’t made purely of MCTs so it’s hard to know how the whole food (and not just one component of it) influences weight. Not to mention it is mainly made of saturated fats and can pack in quite a few calories. Try including coconut oil in your diet, but no need to have it by the spoonful thinking it’s a food that burns dat. It’s important to consume a variety of different fats and oils as all have different benefits and uses.

Foods the Burn Fat #2: Coffee

The caffeine in coffee is responsible for keeping us awake during those early morning meetings, and apparently also for melting off our fat. Studies found 300mg of caffeine a day (that’s roughly 3 cups) to be associated with an increase of 80 calories burned per day. They also found that men who had 5 cups of coffee a day had a smaller waist circumference compared to those who drank decaf instead. Calling coffee drinks foods that burn fat may be related to caffeine’s ability to increase adrenaline and release fatty acids. However, constantly drinking coffee causes us to build up a tolerance to it, meaning we are not as affected by it over time. Enjoy your morning cup if you like it, but don’t forget about caffeine’s negative affect on sleep and ability to increase, blood pressure, risk of gastric reflux (aka heart burn), and stress hormones.

Foods the Burn Fat #1 Green Tea

Green tea is probably the most commonly known ‘fat burning food’, and the research does support its positive (though small) benefits (I’ve written about it a lot here). Compounds called polyphenols are the active components in green tea that have been studied extensively and found to increase fat oxidation and energy expenditure. They have also been shown to push the body to use fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Research suggests that these polyphenols prevent absorption and accumulation of fats by preventing digestive enzymes from doing their job. This all sounds great, but there are a few things to note about green tea products as foods that burn fat. First, the effects are minimized in very low calorie diets, so if you’re already skimming back on the calories green tea won’t be very effective. Second, many of these studies had participants consuming green tea extract, in some cases in amounts equivalent to about 7 cups of tea a day! Yikes! Green tea is delicious and full of antioxidants, so sip away at tea time, but I wouldn’t recommend it as an exclusive food that burns fat.

Like many nutrition claims, this one has very little truth behind it. Sure these foods are great for you and are filled with of great properties, but don’t hold your breath waiting for the pounds to melt off. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (it’s important!) for a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle it all comes down to moderation. Consuming these foods in the amounts necessary to call them foods that burn fat would likely be far from moderate. We’re talking about 3 cups of coffee, 7 cups of green tea and enough hot peppers to turn your mouth on fire. Um, no thanks. My recommendation would be to try including these foods in your diet because they’re delicious and great for you, not because they’re foods that burn fat.

What foods have you heard help you burn fat? What foods do you like to incorporate into your diet as fat burners? Leave me a comment and be sure to share this post with friends who are trying to lose fat in time for Summer!

Contributed by RD2B Olivia Cupido

Abbey Sharp

www.abbeyskitchen.com/about-abbey/

Last Updated October 27, 2021. Published May 4, 2016 By Abbey Sharp 11 Comments

Preserves 101 + Best 15 Jelly, Salsa, Sauce, Pickle, Jam Recipes

We are getting into warmer weather, which means finally, local crops will start to grow! The farmers markets are in full swing, the fresh salads are looking surprisingly tempting, and we may even have a bumper crop for making preserves.

But What are Preserves?

Preserves are goodies we can or bottle (with important food safety precautions) that allow us to eat out-of-season ingredients all year round. They include salsas, pickles, jellies, jams, sauces and other delicious treats.

Why Bother Making Preserves?

I love making preserves because it means you get to eat your favourite foods all year long, even when they’re not in season. It means you can save a lot of money in December when you desperately want homemade salsa, but our local tomatoes taste super bleh. And it means our food is more nutritious, because when we buy out of season produce that is shipped from afar, the transit time results in nutrient loss. Sounds like a win, win to me!

Canning Healthy Preserves 101

The key is to prepare delicious healthy preserves is to use a canner and follow these steps.

I place a canner rack in the bottom of my canner and fill the canner half full with warm water. I heat the water to 140 F if I’m adding raw foods (ie. salsa, pickles), or 180 F if I’m canning cooked foods (ie. jelly).
I fill my jars, and top with the lid and ring band, and load them carefully into the canner using a jar lifter. I always make sure the jar is sitting up right.
I make sure the water is 2 inches above the jars. If it’s not, then I’ll add more boiling water as needed.
Heat the burner of my Frigidaire stovetop on high, I cover the canner with its lid and heat until the water boils.My Frigidaire freestanding induction range boils water in less than 2 minutes, so I keep an eye on it because this happens fairly quickly.
Once boiling, I set the timer for the total minutes required in my recipe to properly can the food. If the water level ever goes below the cans, I just top it off with a bit more boiling water.
Once the time is up, I turn off the head, remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes before removing the jars using the jar lifter.
Then, very carefully, I will remove the cans from the canner, being carefully not to tilt or tip the jars over. I let them cool on a towel or cooling rack for at least 12 hours. Once they’re cooled, you can remove the ring bands, wash the jars, label them and store them in a cool dry place (mine go in the closet!)

Are you ready to make preserves? Check out my top 15 healthy preserves recipes from fellow food bloggers and dietitians!

Smart Nutrition – Chipotle Salsa

Eat Chicago- Preserved Lemons

Avocado a Day Nutrition- Fermented Pickles

Mom’s Kitchen Handbook- Homemade Jam

Tastes Better From Scratch- Applesauce

Tastes Better From Scratch – Raspberry Jam

$Mason jars of tomatoes with the text overlay \"Hot to Can Tomatoes.\"$

Tastes Better From Scratch – Canned Tomatoes

$Mason jars of peaches with the text overlay \"Canning Peaches step by step guide.\"$

Frugal Living- Canned Peaches

$Three mason jars of pickles with the overlay text \"Dill Pickles Canning Tutorial.\"$

Simply Live Love – Dill Pickles

Foodie Crush- Dilly Beans

Food in Jars – Sweet Cherry Rhubarb Jam

Food in Jars – Grapefruit Jam

Heart Beet Kitchen – Fiery Roasted Salsa

Little House Living- Strawberry Jam

Little House Living- Rhubarb

Mountain Mama Cooks – Triple Berry Jam

Hoosier Homemade – Italian Pasta Sauce

What are your favourite preserves to make? Have you tried any of the healthy preserves in this round up? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think!

$A pinterest image of jars with the text overlay \"Preserves 101 and the Best 15 Jelly, Salsa, Sauce, Pickle, Jam Recipes.\"$

Disclaimer: This post was developed in partnership with Frigidaire, however, as always all opinions are genuine.

Abbey Sharp

www.abbeyskitchen.com/about-abbey/

Last Updated October 4, 2021. Published April 20, 2016 By Abbey Sharp 11 Comments

Prosciutto Bacon Wrapped Dates with Manchego Filling & Wine Glaze

DISCLAIMER: This post was developed in sponsored partnership with Corby Spirit and Wine Limited, however, as always, all opinions are genuine.

These prosciutto bacon wrapped dates with manchego filling and wine reduction are created using our sponsor, Corby wines and will make any party special.

But let’s be honest, bacon doesn’t exactly come with a classy connotation. But prosciutto bacon is a whole other game. Prosciutto bacon says, “hey, I taste amazing AND I am a sophisticated single bite.”

The key to a tasty one-bite hors d’oeuvre is to pack a lot of flavour into a small bite. You need different textures, opposing flavours and it needs to look so good, you pretty much want to make a full meal of them. This is clearly why bacon wrapped dates have always gone over so well.

So, what if We Add Cheese & Wine to the Bacon Wrapped Dates Party?

Introducing my Manchego Stuffed Prosciutto Bacon Wrapped Date with Cabernet Reduction. These baby bites maybe sound a bit indulgent, but thanks to their itty-bitty size and crazy pants flavour, they’re really quite light- especially in comparison to the traditional puff pastry hors d’oeuvres and deep-fried calorie bombs. They’re also gluten free, which I am finding to be more and more important in your holiday spread.

At a dinner party, I like to pair these bacon wrapped dates with a Cabernet like the one by Buried Hope that features rich plum and cassis flavours, and a nice level of tannin. The jammy rich flavours of this wine really does help balance out the salty manchego and prosciutto beautifully.

Now I know I said these were portion controlled. They are, I didn’t lie – but they’re so delicious you’ll likely need to park yourself on the opposite side of the buffet to avoid hogging them all to yourself.

If you’re having a holiday wine party, then you definitely will need a few varieties and appropriately paired snacks. Definitely check out my recipe for Red Wine Cherry Bruschetta and my White Wine Mushroom Bruschetta, as well.

What are your favourite party snacks to pair with your favourite wines? Don’t you love bacon wrapped dates? Leave me a comment below and I’ll try to lighten it up!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Prosciutto Bacon Wrapped Dates with Manchego Filling & Wine Glaze

These prosciutto bacon wrapped dates with manchego filling and wine reduction are created using our sponsor, Corby wines and will make any party special.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer

Servings: Dates

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Abbey Sharp