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Teaser Excerpt from The Paleo Approach: The Trouble with Stevia

March 11, 2013 in Baking Ingredients, Is It Paleo?, Sugar/Carbs, The Paleo Approach Excerpts

I get often get asked why I do not endorse the consumption of stevia (see my post Is Sugar Paleo? for more information on what sugars/sweeteners I do endorse). So, as I found myself including a section on the trouble with stevia for The Paleo Approach, I felt like this was a good topic to include as a book teaser on the blog. I have a section of Chapter 3 that describes the role that sugars, blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, fructose, sugar alcohols and nonnutritive sweeteners play in propagating inflammation in autoimmune disease. This excerpt is included as a standalone text box following the subsection on nonnutritive sweeteners.

This excerpt is from Chapter 3 (The Diet Link to Autoimmune Disease chapter).

Stevia is often recommended as a natural sugar substitute because it comes from the leaf of a plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). It tastes sweet on the tongue, requires very small quantities to sweeten baking, and contains no sugar. While some experts advise caution against purified and manufactured forms of stevia, green leaf stevia is typically endorsed. On the surface, it sounds like a perfect solution. However, I do not recommend the consumption of stevia, even in its most natural form. The chemicals responsible for the sweet taste of stevia are called steviol glycosides (there are at least ten different steviol glycosides present in the stevia plant). Purified/manufactured forms of stevia often isolate one or two of these steviol glycosides whereas green leaf stevia (which is simply the dried and powdered leaves of the stevia plant) contain all ten.

Steviol glycosides are synthesized in the same pathway and end up being structurally very similar to the plant hormones gibberellin and kaurene. This means that steviol glycosides have a hormone structure. The majority of toxicological studies establish that stevia is safe, however there are some studies showing that it can act as a mutagen and may increase the risk of cancer (these studies are in the minority and tend to use quite high concentrations, so they are readily discarded in discussions of the overall safety of consuming stevia). Whether or not stevia causes genetic mutations is not the only cause for concern, however (even if safety studies focus on this particular property). For those with autoimmune disease, in which hormones have such a dramatic impact on disease development and progression, the impact of consuming stevia on hormone regulation is relevant.

There is evidence that steviol glycosides have contraceptive effects in both males and females. In particular, one specific steviol glycoside, called stevioside, has been shown to have potent contraceptive properties in female rats, implying that stevia may have an impact on estrogen, progesterone or both. In another study, male rats fed stevia extracts showed a decrease in fertility, reduced testosterone levels and testicular atrophy, potentially attributable binding of steviol glycosides with an androgen receptor. Although no studies have been conducted evaluating the impact of stevia on fertility in humans, the stevia plant was traditionally used to control the fertility of women by the Guarani Indians in southern Brazil. While small and occasional consumption of stevia likely has little to no impact on general health, it should not be consumed on a regular basis especially by those with altered hormone balance and dysfunctional immune systems.

Brusick DJ. A critical review of the genetic toxicity of steviol and steviol glycosides. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Jul;46 Suppl 7:S83-91.

Mazzei Planas G and Kuć J. Contraceptive properties of Stevia rebaudiana. Science. 1968 Nov 29;162(3857):1007.

Melis MS Effects of chronic administration of Stevia rebaudiana on fertility in rats Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1999 Nov 67(2):157–161

Melis MS. Chronic administration of aqueous extract of Stevia rebaudiana in rats: renal effects. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1995. July 47(3):129–134

Oliveira-Filho RM et al. Chronic administration of aqueous extract of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni in rats: Endocrine effects. General Pharmacology: The Vascular System. 1989. 20(2):187–191

Tags: androgen, balance, baren, estrogen, female, fertility, genotoxic, glycosides, green, healhty, hormone, inflammation, leaf, male, mutation, non-nutritive, nonnutritive, paleo, Paleolithic, Pregnant, primal, progesterone, Raw, safe, safety, sterile, sterility, stevia, steviol, subsitute, Sugar, testosterone
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Thanksgiving Frittata (Bacon, Red Pepper, Spinach and Black Olive)

December 3, 2012 in Breakfast

My oldest daughter and I had the flu this Thanksgiving. I did not have the energy to cook and both of us were still on thin ice when it came to solid food. I ended up whipping up this frittata for the three healthy members of the household (my mother-in-law who was visiting, my husband, and my youngest daughter) and it was a hit! It was also beautiful, with colors that make me think this would be a delightful Christmas morning breakfast or brunch. We also laughed because my daughter’s class learned the Albuquerque The Turkey song for their Thanksgiving Feast at school and the punchline of the song is that they ate scrambled eggs for Thanksgiving dinner instead of turkey (because Albuquerque is such a great pet). We weren’t that far off!

I have taken to keeping my freezer well stocked with US Wellness Meats sugar-free nitrate/nitrite-free uncured pastured pork bacon. This bacon is so ridiculously flavorful and, because it’s pastured and uncured, it’s very healthy! It’s also very handy for food emergencies.

Ingredients:

½ medium yellow onion (or 1 small onion), finely diced
1 ½ cups red bell pepper, diced (about 1 large pepper)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
6oz bacon (about 6-7 thick slices)
1 cup sliced black olives(equivalent to a 3.8oz-can)
8 eggs, beaten

Heat an oven proof skillet (I like to use my 12” cast iron frying pan) over medium high heat and turn on broiler (on high) to preheat oven.
Cut bacon into small pieces (I like to use scissors for this job). Add bacon and onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and onion is fully cooked and caramlized (8-10 minutes).
Add pepper and olives to pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until pepper is cooked (4-5 minutes). Add spinach and stir to wilt, about 1 minute.
Add beaten eggs. Let cook on stove top 1-2 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
Place skillet in oven and broil until eggs are completely cooked, puffed up and starting to brown on top (about 7-10 minutes, varies oven to oven so watch carefully).
Serve and enjoy!

Tags: ancestral, bacon, Breakfast, brunch, Christmas, Diet, dinner, easy, eggs, Fast, frittata, green, low-carb, olives, Onion, paleo, Paleolithic, pepper, primal, quiche, Recipe, red, spinach, supper, thanksgiving
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Beet and Kohlrabi Greens Chips

November 12, 2012 in Chips, Side Dishes, Snack Foods, Snacks, Veggies

When you buy beets and kohlrabi, don’t throw out the greens! And if you though green smoothies and braised mixed greens were the only thing you could do with them, here’s another idea for you!

These are very similar to my kale chips recipe. Really, you can make a chip out of any substantial leafy green. I have enjoyed chips made with mustard greens, broccoli leaves, the outer leaves of Brussels sprouts, turnip greens, collard greens and of course all varieties of kale. I like the combination of beet and kohlrabi greens because the sweet beet greens balance out the excessively bitter kohlabi greens so well. You will once again note that I am using coconut oil for my chips. Olive oil works, but I don’t like cooking with olive oil if I can avoid it (and I really do love the flavor that coconut oil gives). Another note about these chips: they don’t keep very well (neither do my kale chips). We always eat ours immediately. If you want to make chips that will keep, it’s best to use a food dehydrator (see this post for directions).

Ingredients:

8 cups of greens
2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
½ tsp salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.
Tear beet and kohlrabi leaves into 1½”-2” pieces, removing any thick stems. Wash leaves well (beet leaves especially can be very sandy). You need to thoroughly dry the leaves (you can use a salad spinner, a clean tea towel, or paper towels). This is really important so you don’t end up with soggy leaves. Place leaves on a rimmed baking sheet.
Melt the coconut oil in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop. Pour over the leaves and then mix to coat using your hands (massage it into the greens to coat thoroughly; also moisturizes the hands beautifully!). Sprinkle with salt to taste and place in the oven.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until crisp (check often in the last few minutes).
Enjoy!

Tags: baked, beet, brussel, chip, coconut oil, collard, crisp, dehydrator, easy, green, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, olive oil, oven, Recipe, sprouts, turnip
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Japanese-Inspired Whitefish and Noodle Soup

September 19, 2012 in Fish and Seafood, Soups and Stews, Soups and Stews

Looking for delicious ways to get more iodine-rich seaweed into your diet? Look no further! This delicious soup is quick to make (you can even use frozen fish if you need to) and is very nutrient-rich.

This soup is based on a traditional Japanese dashi (broth). Udon or Soba noodles are replaced by kelp noodles. If you haven’t tried kelp noodles yet, they are so much fun! They have a fairly firm texture (almost crunchy, but not quite) and are super long. They have a mild flavor that I think works really well with Asian flavors (which is why they feature in my chow mein recipes as well). I buy mine from amazon but you might also find them in an Asian market. Traditional dashi stocks for noodles have rice wine or vinegar and soy sauce added for flavor. In this recipe, these are replaced with their paleo equivalents of coconut water vinegar (also sometimes just called coconut vinegar) and coconut aminos. These are both available online and locally I can buy them at Whole Foods. You can also find kombu kelp and bonito flakes (dried fish) online, at Whole Foods, in some grocery stores and Asian markets.

Any seafood tastes delicious in this soup and you could easily replace or supplement the whitefish with shrimp, squid, scallops or a mix of your favorites. I also like the addition of some greens to make this soup a complete meal. You can use whatever you happen to have on hand, but I think a sweeter green (like spinach, chard or bok choy) works especially well. Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

2 pieces of kombu kelp (roughly 3” squares)
1 cup of lightly packed bonito flakes (about 1/3 oz)
4 cups water
2 6-7oz tilapia, hake or cod fillets (or any other whitefish you like)
1 lb kelp noodles
2 Tbsp coconut aminos or reduced-sodium tamari soy sauce
1 Tbsp coconut water vinegar
4 cups loosely packed greens (spinach, chard, snow peas, kale, beet greens, bok choy, nappa cabbage, etc.)

Place kombu and bonito in water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop greens and cut the fish into 1-2” cubes. Rinse kelp noodles as per package directions.
Pour broth through a strainer lined with cheese cloth or paper towel to remove bonito and kombu (if you have a superfine mesh strainer that would work too).
Return the broth to the heat and add the coconut aminos and coconut water vinegar.
Add the fish and simmer 5 minutes until fish is cooked through. If you are using tougher greens add them at the same time as the fish (e.g., bok choy, cabbage, snow peas, kale). For more tender greens, add them after the fish is cooked and simmer 1 minute to wilt (e.g., spinach, chard, beet greens).
Add the kelp noodles and simmer 2-3 minutes for them to soften and absorb some of the flavors of the soup. Enjoy!

Tags: dashi, fish, green, japanese, kep, low-carb, meal, noodle, quick, Recipe, Soup, white, whitefish
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