Eating less sugar is your number one health benefit!
Is your ‘sweet tooth’ playing havoc with your New Year resolutions?
Are you are trying to lose weight or have a ’dry January’?
It’s probably that quick sugar fix or alcohol cravings that test your will power!
So why is sugar so bad for us?
Simply, the more we have – the more we want!
However, not all sugars are the same – it is glucose abundant in processed foods, pastries, biscuits, confectionary, chocolate and drinks that really affects our health.
Glucose is very quickly absorbed into your blood, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.
Of course it’s the quick sugar rush that gives us a burst of energy – not for long though!
Insulin is released to get the excess sugar out of your blood causing a rapid drop in blood sugar.
Making us feel tired, irritable, anxious, ‘foggy’ with difficulty concentrating and headaches.
Excess glucose metabolised by the liver is stored as fat around the middle.
Eventually the liver is over worked – and fat is stored in the liver – leading to a ‘fatty liver!
‘Fat around the middle’ is a 21st consequence of a high sugar diet, leading to metabolic syndrome.
Many of today’s chronic diseases, diabetes, heart disease, weight gain are strongly linked to metabolic syndrome.
In fact, cancer, polycystic ovaries, depression and late life cognitive impairment have all been linked to metabolic syndrome.
So how to quit the sugar cravings
Plan and be prepared
Eat snacks & small meals 3-4 hourly
Always eat breakfast
Always eat protein with every snack or meal
Choose slow release energy foods.
Natural fruits especially apples, pears, strawberries, grapefruit
Eat more nuts and seeds- perfect snacking
Replace ‘white’ pasta, bread, flour rice with whole grain brown.
Fill half of your plate with vegetables that grow above the ground!
Make ¼ of your plate whole grain pasta, whole grain rice or root vegetables (that’s vegetables that grow below the ground)
Make 1/4 of your plate protein ( meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, lentils, pulses, tofu, nuts, seeds)
Avoid processed food & make a habit of reading labels
What about drinks?
Water, herbal infusions & fruit teas have zero sugar
What about artificial sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners will have zero effect in your blood sugar.
However, they will NOT help you lose your sweet tooth
If you just want to add a little sweetness to a healthy diet or cooking choose the following:
Stevia, Xylitol or local honey