span style=”font-weight: bold;”"The truth about sugar alcohols and the people who are sensitive to them…”span style=”font-style: italic;”/span/spanbr /br /I know that sounds like the teaser advertisement for an upcoming talk show but the truth is there are a few things you should know before consuming sugar alcohols (often used in sugar-free products) with reckless abandon.br /br /Oh I know all about the side effect of sugar alcohols. I can’t touch them without some intestinal side effects. Several of my friends have recently experienced bad times in the bathroom – and it may have been due to consuming these sugar alcohols.br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”A Primer on Sugar Alcohols/spanbr /Sorbitol, and other sugar alcohols can be found naturally in some fruits and plants and they are used as low-calorie sweeteners in various food products because they aren’t easily digested. This group of sugar replacers (which includes sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and isomalt, in addition to maltitol) is touted as being particularly helpful to people with a href=”http://diabetes.webmd.com/artificial-sweeteners-diabetes-patients”diabetes/a because only a portion of it is digested and absorbed. And the part that is absorbed through the intestinal tract is absorbed slowly, so there is little rise in blood sugar and little need for insulin.br /br /But, the fact that these sugar alternatives aren’t easily digested helps explain why they have been known to produce gas, bloating, cramping and diarrhea in some people. This is thanks to the part of the sugar alcohol that isn’t digested or absorbed. It goes through the intestinal tract and starts to ferment and attract water into the intestinal tract. A certain, individualized amount of discomfort, ranging from gas to diarrhea can result, depending on the amount consumed and each person’s intestinal tract.br /br /Anyone with a href=”http://www.webmd.com/ibs/default.htm”Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)/a or other intestinal sensitivities is perhaps most at risk for these not so subtle side effects. That said, what do gastroenterologists have to say about sugar alcohols- are they seeing problems with their patients tolerating them?br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”A Gastroenterologist Weighs in on Sugar Alcohols/spanbr /Gastroenterologist and author, Shekhar Challa, MD agrees that these symptoms arise due to sugar alcohol not being absorbed or partially absorbed. He believes the side effects can be worse in patients with IBS, but wanted to clarify that people can have symptoms even if they do not have IBS. Most of the time Dr Challa’s patients don’t know that these sugar alcohols are making their IBS or intestinal symptoms worse.br /br /”span style=”font-style: italic;”One theory which is getting more traction is this, around 20% of people with IBS may have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth),/span” explains Dr. Challa. “span style=”font-style: italic;”These patients perhaps have more symptoms as any non absorbable sugars are actually broken down by the small bowel bacteria causing symptoms of IBS…the bacteria essentially “feast” on these sugars./span”br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”A Dietitian Weighs in on Sugar Alcohols/spanbr /I wanted to know if dietitians have found these sugar alcohols (and sugar-free products) to be helpful for their clients with diabetes or those wanting to lose weight. Susan Dopart, MS, RD, a dietitian in private practice and author of span style=”font-style: italic;”A Recipe for Life/span, has found that most everyone she works with has had the same experience. She doesn’t recommend them to anyone, but especially cautions diabetics who tend to have sensitive systems in general. One sugar free chocolate may be okay, she explains, but more than that leads to severe stomach cramping and crisis in the bathroom.br /br /I can speak from personal experience that cramping commences about an hour or two after consuming a dose of sugar alcohols, apparently due to gas that is forming in the intestines. So for some of us, along with the uncomfortable cramping, smelly gas is also likely to ensue.br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”/spanThe American Dietetic Association advises that more than 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol per day can cause diarrhea. You can see the total amount of sugar alcohol in a serving of each sugar-free product by reading the nutrition information label. For example, the Dove Mint Crème product has 17 grams of “sugar alcohols” per 5 pieces or 40 grams of a href=”http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-dieters-and-diabetic-persons-guide-to-buying-chocolate”chocolate/a.br /br /You’ll find sugar alcohols in sugar-free chocolates and other sugar-free confections, including gum and mints, and some lower calorie frozen desserts. They are popping up though in all sorts of reduced calorie products, so check that label if you think you are sensitive to them!br /br /a style=”font-style: italic;” href=”https://member.webmd.com/newsletters/newsletters.aspx”The WebMD Healthy Cooking Newsletter/a span style=”font-style: italic;”- recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox./spandiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19040050-8736242637649609837?l=blogs.webmd.com%2Fhealthy-recipe-doctor’ alt=” //div

Are you more tired lately? I can hear a resounding “YES” from a lot of you out there. Life these days seems to be more challenging than ever. Who wouldn’t be tired if you work all day and care for your home, spouse, and children (and sometimes parents) all at the same time? Our state of mind and a href=”http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/how-food-affects-your-moods”mood/a can also influence our energy levels and our energy levels can influence our mood.br /br /We need a href=”http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/toll-of-sleep-loss-in-america”quality sleep/a to start us off. Then we need a balanced supply of nutrients and energy to fuel our day. Let’s zero in on a few ways to fight fatigue with your fork and cup!br /br /Here are some general suggestions to a href=”http://women.webmd.com/family-health-9/slideshow-energy-mood-boost-diet”fight fatigue with food/a:br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM…FOR a href=”http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts”CAFFEINE/a/spanbr /When are you most fatigued during the day? Is it an hour or two after you typically have a lot of coffee/caffeine? Keep in mind caffeine can start having effects in your body 15 minutes after it’s been swallowed but six hours later, half of the caffeine can still be circulating in your system.br /br /If you take in caffeine without food, it can bring you up – only to send you crashing down shortly after. This happens to people who are particularly sensitive to caffeine (that’s me!). It depends on the person, but sometimes mini doses of caffeine (like the amount on tea or half decaf/half caffeine coffee) works beautifully in the afternoon.br /br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”DON’T SKIP MEALS, ESPECIALLY BREAKFAST- AND KEEP THEM BALANCED/span.br /It tends to be the a href=”http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/slideshow-sleep-foods”high carbohydrate foods that encourage sleepiness/a (potatoes, pasta, beans and rice, vegetables), which is why sometimes it is suggested that people suffering from insomnia issues include them in the evening meal. Instead of turning to a highly processed breakfast with mostly refined carbohydrates, start your day with a nutrient rich, higher fiber breakfast with at least 5 grams of protein. A morning or midday meal with some carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and fat is more likely to digest more slowly, satisfying hunger through the morning and providing the body with a more constant supply of energy.br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”KEEP ALERT WITH a href=”http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources”PROTEIN/a/spanbr /Carbohydrates can induce a feeling of comfort, calmness and perhaps sleepiness. High protein foods can do the opposite. High protein foods contribute the amino acid tyrosine which the body uses to make two brain chemicals known for inciting mental alertness – epinephrine and dopamine. But keep things lean and avoid large portions. You’ll get more of the beneficial amino acids and less saturated fat if you choose lean protein foods. For example, if you eat a large sized steak that’s heavily marbled, it may actually make you sleepy because it will be hanging out in your stomach for a while getting digested.br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”MODERATE SIZED MEALS DO THE TRICK/spanbr /Avoid eating a href=”http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate”large meals/a and don’t fill up on high fat or sugary foods. They tend to leave you feeling sluggish. Generally it’s the richer meals (higher in fat) or the larger meals (size wise) that cause our body to divert some of it’s blood into the stomach area to aid in the digestion process which then decreases the amount of oxygen getting to your brain (making you sleepy). What’s the answer? Eat small-sized meals every three or so hours instead of eating large meals a couple times a day.br /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;”Here are a few non-food suggestions/span:br /ullia href=”http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/default.htm”Regular exercise/a is your best defense against fatigue. If you feel too tired to exercise vigorously, try taking a short walk./liliMake sure you are getting enough a href=”http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/default.htm”sleep/a. Sleeping undisturbed the first 4 hours of the night is crucial. /liliDeal with a href=”http://www.webmd.com/balance/default.htm”emotional problems/a instead of ignoring or denying them./liliTake steps to control your a href=”http://www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management”stress/a level and a href=”http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/health-and-balance-work-life-balance”workload/a./li/ulbr /Do you feel more tired lately? What do you think is contributing to this in your life?br /br /a style=”font-style: italic;” href=”https://member.webmd.com/newsletters/newsletters.aspx”The WebMD Healthy Cooking Newsletter/a span style=”font-style: italic;”- recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox./spandiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19040050-5026803944544296859?l=blogs.webmd.com%2Fhealthy-recipe-doctor’ alt=” //div

Who likes mayonnaise out there? Do you like it enough to use it to make chocolate cake or macaroni and cheese?

After writing a feature article on mayonnaise for WebMD.com, I came across some signature recipes from Duke’s mayonnaise (a favorite Southern brand). If you like macaroni and cheese but don’t want to go through the effort of whipping up a white sauce, you will like Duke’s recipe for Mac & Cheese. The mayonnaise serves as a base sauce for the casserole.

Rarely does frozen pizza taste as good as freshly made pizza from a restaurant or home. But as frozen pizzas go, this one isn’t too bad at all. It doesn’t look as good as the picture on the package, but this convenient pizza was enjoyable to eat and the serving size was very satisfying paired with some fruit or vegetables.

The vitamin that may reduce your chances of developing heart disease and diabetes by 43%.

If you are considered “middle aged” or older, you might want to listen up. According to researchers at the University of Warwick Medical School, high levels of vitamin D could reduce your chances of developing heart disease by 33% and diabetes by 55%, compared to people with low levels of D.

Through a review of 28 studies including almost 100,000 men and women, an association between high levels of vitamin D and a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome was revealed.