I got a big wakeup call this past winter. My doctor said that if I didn’t take better care of myself, I was finally going to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, as my A1C was right borderline diabetic range. This is something I’ve been trying to avoid for a while, but it was getting beyond my control. My father has Type 2 Diabetes and my mother has been able to lose weight so she has a safe A1C. My teenage son has Type 1 Diabetes (which is quite different than Type 2, but still means that he needs to control his blood sugar). I had Gestational Diabetes during my last pregnancy 9 years ago and I do not want to go back to taking insulin. I needed to commit to really changing things. One of my changes is that I’ve replaced sugar in my baking and cooking with SPLENDA® and SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia as my sweetener. The no-calorie sweetener in SPLENDA® Sweetener products, including SPLENDA® original (yellow) and SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia, does not impact blood sugar levels. Sugar does! Read on to see what I’ve done for my health and to get my Lightened Up Zucchini Bread (3 WW SP on blue) recipe.

Why SPLENDA is My Go-To Sweetener + 2 WW Smart Points Zucchini Bread Recipe

I’ve been doing the WW online plan and I love it. It’s the perfect time to start!

For me, the threat of Type 2 Diabetes meant that I had to cut down on all sugars. So what I’ve done is to use SPLENDA® as well as SPLENDA^®Naturals Stevia when I create in my kitchen. Did you know that SPLENDA has zero calories? So instead of adding any sugar, I now use SPLENDA instead. For me, this helps me save calories and lose weight. With my son’s Type 1 Diabetes, I use SPLENDA or SPLENDA^®Naturals Stevia  so the zero sugar sweetener will not spike his blood sugar. We both get sweetness, but SPLENDA is zero sugar! I definitely call that a win/win! 

Will you be hungrier if you use a low-calorie sweetener? Research proves that low-calorie sweeteners do not increase hunger, appetite for sweet foods, or result in overeating, weight gain, or obesity.

Because I’m now following WW (Weight Watchers) and using their Smart Points System to make better choices for myself, I decided to tackle making a sugar-free and no oil zucchini bread. 

You’ll need:

3 cups all-purpose flour or use white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup no sugar-added applesauce

2 cups SPLENDA or SPLENDA NATURALS STEVIA 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini (which is 3 small zucchini or 2 medium sized zucchini)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cooking Spray  

Instructions

Use cooking spray on either one 9 x 13 glass pan or two 8 x 8 inch pans.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Grate zucchini and blot out some of the moisture with a paper towel. 

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and SPLENDA NATURALS STEVIA or SPLENDA together in a large bowl. I did cut down the sweetener for this recipe, but you can do a 1:1 swap out for sugar with SPLENDA.

I used a corded hand mixer to really get this beaten well. 

Add dry ingredients to the liquid mixture, and beat well.

Stir in zucchini and nuts until well- mixed.

Pour batter into pan. I like to use a pyrex pan.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until an inserted knife in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan and cut into 24 pieces. 

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Lightened Up Zucchini Bread

Author The Mama Maven

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour or use white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup no sugar-added applesauce
• 2 cups SPLENDA or SPLENDA NATURALS STEVIA
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini which is 3 small zucchini or 2 medium sized zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts optional
• Cooking Spray

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Use cooking spray on either one 9 x 13 glass pan or two 8 x 8 inch pans.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Grate zucchini and blot out some of the moisture with a paper towel
• Mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and SPLENDA NATURALS STEVIA or SPLENDA together in a large bowl. I did cut down the sweetener for this recipe, but you can do a 1:1 swap out for sugar with SPLENDA.
• I used a corded mixer to really get this beaten well.
• Add dry ingredients to the liquid mixture, and beat well.
• Stir in zucchini and nuts until well- mixed.
• Pour batter into pan. I like to use a pyrex pan.
• Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until an inserted knife in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan and cut into 24 pieces.

Each piece is 3 WW Smart Points (13 carbs per slice). 

You can find SPLENDA in any grocery or big box store or online at https://www.splenda.com/. 

References:

1. Magnuson BA et al. Biological fate of low-calorie sweeteners. Nutr Rev, 2016; 74:670-   
      

Get a Pyrex Baking Set

Hand Mixer

Buy Splenda with Stevia here:

Other WW Dessert Recipes:

Lightened Up Red, White and Blue Cheesecake Parfait

Lighter Coffee Frappe

Strawberry Muffins (WW Friendly)

Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts (WW Friendly)

Other WW Recipes:

White Chicken Chili (WW Friendly)

Instant Pot Turkey Chili (WW Friendly)

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The post Lightened Up Zucchini Bread (WW Friendly) appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

If you’re not sure what pre-diabetes is, according to CDiabetes Magazine, “It’s  is a condition in which your blood glucose or A1C levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered true diabetes. But, it does put you at high risk for getting diabetes.”

I’m one of the 80 million Americans with pre-diabetes. And it scares me so much. I’ve been officially considered pre-diabetic for over 4 1/2 years and take a drug to make sure my insulin levels stay level. I actually make too much. During my last pregnancy in 2010, I had to go on insulin for almost 3 months and it was awful. They couldn’t get my dosage correct and my blood sugar would plummet at 2 or 3 am. Luckily, after I gave birth, I went off insulin and have been able to maintain myself.

Greatest risk signs of diabetes? Having someone in your immediate family with diabetes, being overweight, and even having gestational diabetes during a pregnancy, means it may come back later in life.

So, I’m trying to make my odds and my family’s odds of getting it lower. We are trying to make sure we get active, eat right, and watch our sweets intake. I know that my children watch what I do, so I do my best to keep up with them, as we run around the park.

For more info on Cdiabtes Mag, go to the current issue here.

Thank you to CDiabetes mag for sponsoring this conversation.

The post Do You Know How to Prevent Diabetes? appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.