Four Ways to Minimize a Sugar Rush!

     This is a guest post from a new team member, Treva Yaccino.  She’s the CEO & Lead Holistic Health Nutritionist of Living Tree Health and Wellness.

    You can read, learn, and be coached by Treva at: http://www.livingtreehealthandwellness.com/

  Treva will be a regular contributor to Be Physically Better in the area of Nutrition.

 

We have all heard at some point that we shouldn’t eat too much sugar. Although this great advice may be in the back of our minds when we reach for a soda or cookie, it’s easy to push it aside or justify it. You don’t eat dessert too often so one little cookie won’t hurt, right?

The problem with this thinking is that unfortunately we are getting way more sugar than we even realize in our everyday foods, even “healthy” foods!

 

Sugar is added to almost everything we eat. Cereal, bread, juice, dried fruit, meat, yogurt, even condiments! With all this added sugar in our diet, we may be eating more “dessert” than we originally thought.

It’s estimated that American’s now eat about 150 pounds of sugar every year, about 22-35 teaspoons a day! This overdoes of sugar leads to so many diseases and simply throws our bodies off balance. The high levels of sugar in our systems lead to the following:

• organ disease
• digestion issues
• diabetes
• depression
• arthritis
• weight gain

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that sugar affects you on a cellular level. Take your immune system, for example. Sugar decreases the amount of white blood cells that help fend off bad bacteria and infection. Consuming the normal 30 teaspoons of sugar of a day can cut your disease fighting ability in half!

No wonder we feel sick all the time! So, even if you’re not a big dessert person, it’s time to become proactive in cutting out the sugar.

 

Here are Four Ways to Minimize a Sugar Rush!

 

1.  Read the Label… Like REALLY Read It!

• How many grams of sugar are in a serving?
• What is the serving size?
• How many servings do you generally eat in a sitting?

For instance, most 24oz sodas are considered 2 servings, so be sure to double the grams of sugar if you are drinking the whole thing.

Reading the label may be a foreign concept for those of us who are busy. You don’t need a biology degree. Simply look at the label and ask the above questions.

 

2.  Watch Out for Cereal

Most “Kids” cereal can easily pack in 15 grams of sugar in a cup. If you do choose cereal, look for less than 5 grams of sugar a serving, and keep it to one serving!

Cereal is a necessary evil and often because we’re just too lazy to make something else especially in the morning. There are three compelling reasons why breakfast is a no brainer. Check them out here. (and cereal is not on the list…)

Again, if you’re a “Serial Cereal” Eater, look for less than 5 grams of sugar per serving and eat just one serving.

 

3.  Avoid Sugary Drinks

Soda, Vitamin water, Gatorade, Iced teas, and (dare I say it) Starbucks!

Even fruit juices can have added sugar, on top of the sugar that already comes from the fruit.

Also, don’t be fooled by diet drinks. Sugar substitutes have very similar effects as regular sugar on the body.

Is this true of you? Monitor your intake for a week and make the necessary adjustments.

 

4.  Buy Food in Their Most Natural Form

If it comes in a box, bag or can it’s mostly been processed and sugar has been added.

Buy fresh or frozen fruit INSTEAD of canned fruit in heavy syrup. Why? because, lets be real, syrup is just another word for SUGAR.

This can be a challenge if we bring food into the office each work day. But it’s possible and worth it.

Think ahead and avoid buying food from the vending machine or sandwich shop when possible.

 

Closing Challenge…

As motivated, busy professionals, it is SO tempting and easy to justify your actions with a quick sugar fix. But reaching your potential means Making the Healthiest Choice and minimizing or even eliminating sugar.

Here’s a tip! Satisfy your sweet tooth with a piece of fruit, which contains fiber and nutrients or some dark chocolate.

 

Trust us… your body will thank you!

BONUS! Here is a healthy and tasty recipe to help you avoid sugar! Just click —> Banana Nut Chia Muffins!

Sugar simply affects too many areas of your mind and body within a given day at work and is worth determining its effect on your productivity.

 

Closing Question…

What healthy decision can you make today to eliminate some form of sugar in your diet today?

For more information, check out:

http://www.livingtreehealthandwellness.com/