Sugar addict? This no-bullsh*t app should sort things out for you

Jan 4, 2016

If you're cutting out sugar to start your (dreaded) January detox, or simply just want a healthier new you, then this app could have the answer to all of your problems.

We'll admit we all have a sweet tooth here at SHEmazing HQ, but everything is good in moderation, right?!

That attitude is all well and good – if you can manage to figure out what a "moderate" amount of sugar actually is.

A new app called Change4Life Sugar Smart can help you to see how much sugar you're really consuming every time you eat. The app works by scanning a barcode of a product, which then shows you how many grams or cubes of sugar are in each product.

It even gives you a little breakdown to make things a bit clearer, like one cube of sugar is the equivalent to 4 grams of the sweet stuff.

We reckon you'll soon be put off reaching for that extra biscuit/glass of wine/leftover Christmas chocolate once you realise exactly how much sugar you're taking in.

Want cookies like Kylie? Here’s the recipe to make them for yourself

Oct 20, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We may not have a house worth more than €2m, or a bounty of flash and expensive cars but at least we can match up to Kylie Jenner's cookie standards.

The 18-year-old reality star posted a stylish plate of cookies the other day and now you can make them too!

A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 17, 2015 at 10:53am PDT

Just follow this delicious recipe from McKinney's if you want your Halloween night to be as fancy as the Kardashian/Jenners (well, you can try anyway):

Ingredients:

100g butter, at room temp
115g McKinney's caster sugar
1 medium egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
250g plain white flour

For Icing:

McKinney's roll out icing
Orange, black and purple colouring
McKinney's icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190*C.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until combined.

3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again.

4. Next, beat in the flour at a low speed to mix. Once mixed, form into ball of dough with your hands and lay on floured work surface.

5. Roll out the dough to approx. 1/2cm thick and cut out shapes using Halloween cookie cutters.

6. Lift carefully onto a lined baking tray and bake for 14-15 minutes until golden.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray.

8. Break off some of the white McKinney's roll out icing and knead until it softens.

9. Dust your work surface with McKinney's icing sugar and roll the white icing out into a thin layer. Cut out the same shapes you used for cookies.

10. Lift off the work surface carefully. Put a few tiny dots of water on the back and then stick onto your cookies.

11. Tear off three more pieces of McKinney's roll out icing and colour one piece orange, one black and one purple.

12. Design your cookies just like Kylie for that Keeping Up With The Kardashians feel.

Adam Levine thinks there should be MORE celeb wedding crashers

Oct 15, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Maroon 5's Sugar music video was a huge hit with fans everywhere.

The video, in which the band crashed real life couple’s weddings with surprise performances pretty much melted hearts everywhere.

It also impressed NBC so much that the US network is turning it into a television series.

The David Dobkin-directed video, which rounded up almost a billion YouTube views, featured the group surprising brides with a serenade at their weddings.

The director will stay on board to direct NBC's Untitled Adam Levine Show spin-off, with Adam stepping in as a producer.

Each potential episode is going to feature a different celebrity surprising a fan at a significant life event.

Where do we sign up? Surely Beyoncé should be on hand the next time we successfully visit the ATM and see that coveted comma in our bank account?

Or maybe Ed Sheeran could be there to serenade us the next time we make it through our morning commute successfully before we’ve even had our first cup of coffee.

NBC described the series, saying:

"A couple about to get married suddenly discovers that a world famous recording artist is leading the house band. An Emmy Award-winning actor becomes an unexpected guest of a bachelorette party.

Working with a team of improv experts who create the element of surprise, these stars give their fans a moment together they will never forget and turn their already special event into something extraordinary."

Adam currently works with NBC as a coach on The Voice and is also developing a song writing competition for the same network. He is also responsible for breaking the heart of this poor child with her marriage to a Victoria’s Secret model.

The sugar swaps that you need to try!

Jul 7, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Here are some great ways to swap your favourite sugary treats for some snacks, that are not only tasty but low in calories too! Yay!

Ice Cream – Frozen Yoghurt
Hard to resist, especially during the summer months, but we all know that those sweet ice-cream treats can really build up over time. So why not swap your favourite ice cream for a frozen yoghurt alternative. Most fro-yos are 0% fat, a third of the calories but still as refreshingly sweet as your favourite ice-cream treat.

Sugar – Fructose
No it’s not a chemical component, but actually a more natural and healthier alternative to sugar. Fructose is the natural sugar found in fruit (hence the name), it’s cheap, twice as sweet as sugar (so you only need half the amount), and is now available in most grocery stores! So what’s not to love?

Vanilla Latte – Cappuccino
You don’t have to stay away from coffee to cut sugar from your diet, but just swap your favourite drinks for healthier ones instead. Cappuccinos are surprisingly lower in calories especially if you opt for the sugar-free options. If you want to go all out, swap the dairy for some soya milk instead.

Digestive Biscuits – Hobnobs
You don’t have to stay away from your biscuit treats, but just swap it for something else instead. Oats are usually the best when it comes to biscuit treats, and hobnobs are no exception. Just make sure not to do overdo it on the packet at the same time.

One or two sugars? Find out why the sweet stuff is so addictive

Jun 30, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Have you ever wondered why once you eat one biscuit you want to finish the whole packet? Watch this video to find out why sugar is so addictive – maybe knowing the reason why will help you curb the habit!

Say goodbye to downing a whole carton of fruit juice in one go

May 19, 2014

by Amber Saunders

So, downing the entire carton of fruit juice when hungover will soon become a thing of the past, as new guidelines suggest we can only consume one glass of fruit juice a day. *Sad face*

With concern about the effect that sugar in some fruit juices can have on our health, health officials are warning people to stick to one glass of juice a day.

According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey by Public Health England, people are consuming unsafe levels of fruit juice and need to keep it in check.

Although chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone believes fruit juice is a good way of getting your “five portions of fruit and vegetables per day” she adds: “it should only be drunk once a day and with a meal because it can be high in sugar and can cause tooth decay.”

Oh dear, guess we’ll have to find a substitute for apple juice to help us get over our hangover…

5 ways to sweeten your food without sugar

Apr 15, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Many people are trying to cut down on their intake of sugar for health reasons but sometimes it can be hard.

Here are some great alternatives that will ensure you still get your sweet fix!

Each alternative does still contain natural sugars and so should also be eaten in moderation.

1. Honey
Honey adds a great sweetness as well as a subtle flavour to coffee, tea or porridge.

2. Agave syrup
This syrup comes from the agave plant and is a lot sweeter than honey meaning you need less. However, it is very high in fructose so don’t overdo it.

3. Dates
Dates are a great addition to granola or baked goods that need a sweet kick.

4. Maple syrup
This yummy syrup isn’t only for your pancakes! Use it like you would honey.

5. Brown rice syrup
Derived from brown rice, this syrup has a great depth of flavour.

6. Coconut sugar
This sugar alternative is made from the sap of the coconut flower. It is great for baking and has a lower Glycemic Index than regular sugar.

Cinnamon toast – breakfast perfection

Apr 2, 2014

by Amber Saunders

This recipe could be the world’s easiest but yet delicious of all.

If you have company over for breakfast and the fridge is bare – all you need are four everyday ingredients.

It also takes less than five minutes to prepare!

What you’ll need:

Serves 2

2 slices of white or wholemeal bread
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Butter

What you’ll need to do:

In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Toast the bread until golden and warm
Working swiftly, butter the toast.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
If you want it to caramelise further, stick it under the grill for few minutes.

Useful baking substitutes

Feb 25, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Picture this: you have gone through the list of ingredients needed to make your favorite dessert and just as you get to the end of the list you realise you don’t have the thing that will make or break your speciality.

Not a good feeling is it?

Well luckily, there are ways around it and you don’t necessarily need to have the exact ingredients on the recipe.

Here is a list of some of the most common baking substitutes:

Instead of 100g of self-rising flour: Use 125g all-purpose flour plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instead of 120g of whole-wheat flour: Use 1/8 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons wheat germ
Instead of 240g butter/sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to equal 240ml
Instead of 310g of molasses: Use 150g dark-brown sugar plus 60ml of water OR 340g of honey
Instead of 1 whole large egg: Use 2 egg yolks plus 1 tablespoon cold water
Instead of 230g butter: Use 218ml of vegetable oil
Instead of 240g of yogurt: Use 240ml butter milk

Is sugar killing us?

Feb 10, 2014

by Amber Saunders

At some stage or another it seems as if everything is bad for us but now it would seem doctors and health experts around the world finally agree on one thing – white refined sugar is killing us.

With a massive rise in obesity and diabetes worldwide and in Ireland, is our massive consumption of sugar the root of these problems?

Sugar is in almost everything that we eat including chocolate, sweets, all fizzy and juice drinks, cereals, even beans and ketchup have high levels of sugar!

While we have learnt to check the calories and grams of fat on the products that we eat, are we ignoring the biggest threat of all to our health – the sugar content?

We can tackle our intake of sugar by checking the foods we eat and trying to eat less processed food and eating more fruit and vegetables. Swap white, refined sugar for raw honey or agave syrup.

Try to avoid sweeteners as they are laden down with chemicals – yuck.

How to pick yourself up after a day of bad eating

Feb 5, 2014

by Amber Saunders

It’s easy to fall off track every now and again, but when a day of bad eating is followed by a very guilty conscience, things can get pretty ugly. We have a tendency to go overboard and think that starving ourselves will make up for all the bad eating the day before.

Since this can be very dangerous, it’s better to choose a healthy route:

Get rid of sugar, salt and bad fats from your diet.
Get a good bit of protein and fiber into your meals because slow-releasing carbs will keep you going for longer and stop you from getting sugar cravings (which we’re trying to avoid).
Get moving! A bit of physical activity will not only keep you away from those sweets, but it will also release feel-good hormones and keep you smiling.
Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep. This will balance out the hormone that tells you when you’re full with the one that lets you know you’re hungry.

Guilt-free snacks

Feb 1, 2014

by Amber Saunders

There’s nothing worse than the feeling we get after overindulging. It can make us feel bloated, sluggish and hopeless.

If you’re tired of feeling this way and want to start the New Year with a clean slate, take a look at the feel-good snacks below.

Get some protein into you.
The right amount of protein can help you feel fuller than most carbs and it’s better for you. Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese are both great sources of protein and energy.

Replace Tayto with popcorn.
Popcorn is a great alternative for crisps. It’s a low-calorie snack that will keep you going without having to feel bad after.

Stack up on vegetable sticks.
You can chop up some carrots and bring them with you to college or work. The more healthy food you have easily available, the less likely you are to eat junk food.