The Sweet Life

Dearest Friends,

I am thrilled to announce the publication of my new booklet Natural & Healthy Sweeteners! It's a compact, 42-pages of cutting edge information on some of the most delicious healthy sweeteners on the planet, including what I consider to be the Low Glycemic Superstars: Agave, Stevia and Yacon (natural sweeteners derived from plants native to Central and South America).

Part One of Natural & Healthy Sweeteners introduces you to sugar metabolism - in plain English! - helping you to understand why it's natural to like sweets and what's wrong with refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Part Two spotlights a selection of healthy and natural sweeteners. You'll find chapters on raw honey (my all-time favorite antioxidant-rich sweetener), xylitol and other polyols, stevia, agave and yacon. If any of these sound mysterious to you, the veil will be lifted when you read my booklet! I discuss history, features and benefits, calories, glycemic impact and uses for all of the sweeteners profiled in Natural & Healthy Sweeteners.

Whether you're still dipping into the sugar bowl or hooked on diet soda (or know someone who is), this booklet is for you! Published by Woodland Publishing as part of the Woodland Health Series, you can find Natural & Healthy Sweeteners on amazon.com (click on the title of this blog to go directly to the order page) or ask for it at your local health food store. If you'd like a signed copy, please send me an email at eat2evolve@gmail.com and we'll set that up! Price is just $4.95 + shipping.

In sweetness and light,
Diana :)

Simple Super Snack: Cacao-Yacon

I discovered yacon syrup when researching my upcoming booklet on Natural and Healthy Sweeteners (to be published Spring 2009 by Woodland Press). And boy, is it ever good!

Made from the starchy root of the yacon plant, a sunflower relative native to regions of the South American Andes, yacon syrup is low glycemic, low calorie and prebiotic as well as delicious. The taste evokes a light, fruity molasses - tangy and delightful.

Yacon and cacao are a match made in Mayan heaven. True, both are on the pricey side, but if you only eat a little at a time, the cost per serving remains low and your supply will last a while. Here's my new favorite quick snack and natural mood elevator using these two superfood treats.

Cacao-Yacon Bowl
Put a handful of whole raw cacao beans, say 6 - 12 beans, in a little dish. Stir in a teaspoon of yacon syrup to coat. Then, eat the sweetly glistening beans one by one, preferably while thinking about mist rising over the ruins at Machu Picchu.

You can find whole raw cacao beans at many Whole Foods stores, your local health food store (if you're lucky) or online. I got my latest bag at Matt Monarch's RawFoodWorld.com for a great price.

Enjoy!