Sugar Solutions

Aug 22

Where do we begin with sugar?

The average American is eating 152 pounds of sugar each year, which translates to about 3 pounds of sugar (or 6 cups) each week. THIS IS TOOOOO MUCH! No wonder we SICK, FAT and NOT THRIVING!

Sugar

Spikes your dopamine, requiring you to eat more sugar to get that ‘sugar high’ effect
It increases your risk of systemic, silent inflammation and weight gain
Too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance (the precursor to diabetes and heart disease)
Weakens the immune system
Creates fertile ground for cancer, dementia, depression, infertility, acne and more
When it comes to the gut and your microbiome, it fuels candida (yeast) overgrowth
Is highly addictive
Is hidden under a bunch of names on your ingredient label: cane sugar, brown sugar, brown rice syrup, beet sugar, date sugar, grape sugar, glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, dextran, dextrose, sorbitol, corn syrup, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup (HCFS), fructose syrup, corn sugar, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, barley malt, caramel, carob syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, lactose, molasses, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar

Are you addicted to sugar? It is hidden in almost everything you eat! How does one avoid sugar? I want to share my tips on cutting back to almost ZERO sugar here. It isn’t the easiest thing to do, but there really is no nutritional value to these added calories. And although the natural sugars such as honey, maple syrup and coconut sugars have some healing properties, one must consciously make wise choices when needing a hint of sweetness.

Slow and easy wins the race in my world! In an ideal world, you might eliminate it all at once, but when I eliminate things all at once, I rarely succeed (except for when I quit smoking cigarettes.) .

I bought the book, I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson. Her book offers some great tips and will literally walk you through an 8 week sugar detox program.
I highly recommend switching over to the three mentioned above: honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and even better Stevia, monk fruit or xylitol (these still should just be used in moderation as we are trying to re-train our tastebuds). There are loads of recipes on the internet, as well as in Sarah’s book that use healthier alternatives to sweeten desserts. Another book I love for desserts is Sweet and Naturalby Meredith McCarty.
Avoid artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, any diet sodas)
Start eliminating packaged foods because they almost ALL have sugar! Eliminating packaged food would be ideal, but let’s face it, we live in today’s world which is why I encourage, along with most of the functional medicine world an 80/20 or 90/10 lifestyle!
Aside from packaged foods, I would begin to reduce any and all baked goods as these foods send a message to the brain to crave more sugar. They also tend to be the foods we reach for when we are seeking comfort! They are pick me ups when we are down and out, and on the opposite side of that coin, they are used as celebratory foods as well. The more we eat them, the more we crave them.
Implement the CROWD OUT eating technique. Eat so many good, healthy, wholesome, REAL foods that you don’t even have room for the sugar. AS you eat more wholesome and healthy foods, the body will naturally begin to crave healthier and more wholesome foods.
Add Super Foods! I love Your Super powder mixes and right now through the end of Black Friday you can enjoy 25% off your entire purchase! These products are non-gmo, certified organic, super clean, soy free, dairy free, gluten free; and free from sweeteners, fillers, additives, preservatives and anything artificial.
Increase your protein and healthy fats. Fat and protein fill us up! They send the message to the brain that we are satiated while helping to curb the cravings. Get used to grabbing a handful of nuts in the afternoon instead of the quick sugary snack bar to get you through the afternoon. Choose fats like ghee and coconut oil. You can even eat ghee by the spoonfuls. They have some delightful flavors out there.
If you are really wanting something sweet, keep some 85% dark chocolate around (well, anything above 72%) for when you get desperate. Desperate times can call for desperate measures, like that afternoon when you are feeling like you want to pull your hair out! I’d rather reach for a square of dark chocolate, or a nut mix I have made at home with some 72% dark chocolate chips than something store bought that is likely not as healthy.
Be gentle with yourself. One step at a time. Honor your mind, body and spirit! And when you fall off, just imagine you are a small child. What would you do if a small child feel down, or fell off a horse? You would likely take them by the hand, help them back up, kiss their hurts, and hug their little bodies. Imagine that little child is you and just LOVE yourself up!