DON’T CALL ME SUGAR

Sugar is highly addictive, it’s that simple.

There's no easy way to tell you that it’s simply not good for you.

Every now and then, its ok to go off the rails and let loose and indulge in something sweet, but the hidden facts are that sugar is found in just about every food you eat, and many things you wouldn't even suspect.

Sugar is one of our worst enemies, because it covertly tickles the pleasure centers in our brain, making our desire for it escalate and become extremely unhealthy and addictive. When we consume sugar, neurotransmitters are released in our brain causing the release of dopamine which results in “happiness” chemicals flooding all our senses.
So it’s no wonder when we’re feeling down or depressed that we want to stuff ourselves with cakes, biscuits, lollies or chocolate while watching a chick flick. But there are many other healthier ways we can get the same hit as a sugar high. In fact, these ways are better. And the best one is by exercising.

Old movies are full of scenes where the main characters indulge in binge eating chocolates, ice cream and confectionery, especially after a break up. This type of conditioning really doesn't help us! If we changed our attitudes regarding our cravings to an attitude of really caring and nurturing of our bodies, we’d be much healthier. Why not a bowl of strawberries and blueberries instead of pie? Yes, these fruits still contain sugar, but of the non-refined, natural variety with at least some health benefits.

Most of us are aware of what foods are loaded with sugar, but do we know the foods that have hidden sugar in them? This is where it gets tricky, because there are foods we wouldn't even think of have sugar in them. I've been shocked more than a few times when investigating foods for my health.

Some things we eat look full of sugar.

But most foods which contain sugar manage to hide it.

Sugars are carbohydrates; they provide a source of energy in our diet. Sugar is a term that includes all sweet carbohydrates, although it’s mainly used to describe sucrose or table sugar, a ‘double sugar’. Our bodies break down carbohydrates into simple sugars, such as glucose, that can be readily used in the body.

There are also naturally sweet food items which contain sugar, such as fruit or dairy; but sadly extra sugar is added to all sorts of processed foods.
It’s easy for us to recognise the sugars in foods like chocolate bars, but it is the sneaky foods we don’t suspect have sugar in them that catch us out.
Savoury things like barbeque sauce, or even options we might consider to be healthy choices, like meusli, bread, yoghurt and alcohol.
All these added sugars in our everyday food and beverages can mean that we’re consuming a lot of extra sugar and leave us wondering why we aren't losing weight, especially when we’re led into the false impression that we are eating healthily.

Hidden sugars are everywhere and identifying them is essential for good health. Hidden sugars end in 'ose' and the nearer the start of the list they are, the bigger the amount included: sucrose, dextrose, maltose, fructose, lactose, glucose, honey.

Foods that hold natural hidden sugars come from foods such as fruits, whole grains, dairy, rice, and starchy vegetables like peas, corn, beans, and sweet potatoes.

Of course it would be impossible to remove all sugar from your daily eating. Fruits, vegetables, dairy products and dairy replacements, eggs, alcohol and nuts all contain sugar. To remove too many would leave you with little other than meat and fats in your diet. So consume in moderation.

Some sugar is delectable, but dangerous

So let's get down to it. Over time too much sugar can lead to a greater accumulation of fat, which may turn into fatty liver disease, a contributor to diabetes, which raises your risk for heart disease.
Sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease. Sugar has an acidic response in the body which is also bad for your skin.

When we look at the bigger picture about what damage sugar can do to us from our internal health to our outside appearance there is nothing good about it at all.
For the few minutes it takes to consume a piece of chocolate cake, a cappuccino with froth and chocolate, that short lived joy really isn’t worth it. It’s gone in minutes, you didn't even notice you've had it, or even enjoyed it, or maybe it’s just become a bad habit, but the negative effects live on.
The best thing we can do is to choose healthier options, to think of your food as fuel rather than fun and entertainment.
I can hear you now, telling me what a kill-joy I am! Where's the fun in living like that? Well I'm here to inform there can be.
We base our life around traditions involving eating at the dinner table with the family, our extended family, celebrating occasions, going out to eat with friends, and getting take-away because we’re tired and busy. Of course it’s part of life, but we can still make better choices for ourselves and our families.

And why is it that we always seem to have room in our tummies for a sugary dessert after we are full from dinner? It’s because sugar stimulates a relaxing effect in our stomach, which reduces the sensation of being full. This explains why we can eat a piece of pie, a cheesecake or ice cream even after eating a main course to our stomach's comfortable limit.

Better to drink soda water flavoured with natural fruits, then a sugary fizzy drink in a bottle

It’s time to make adjustments!

A new way of living involves getting organised, doing your research, creating healthy menus, writing lists, shopping at the right places, and perhaps even being the leader and good influencer to those around you that you live with or hang out with.
If our parents had bad or ignorant habits, perhaps we have just gone along for the ride.

Our Mums and Dads may have indulged in macaroons for afternoon tea, but times have changed, and we must change our eating habits.

I’m happy to say I am not one of those children. I spent a large portion of my childhood growing up on an organic vegetable farm on the outskirts of Sydney. Yates Farm supplied most of Sydney with fresh vegetables and seeds. My father was responsible for maintaining the highest quality crops without any pesticides or chemicals and nourishing them with organic matter. All our farm animals, goats, chickens, roosters, horses, all ate an organic high nutrient diet.
Being vegetarian and well versed in what foods feed our bodies for optimal health, my father cooked the best food ever. My mother was also an amazing cook, so I got lucky on both sides.
Processed foods never made their way into our house, the cupboard was almost bare except for the essentials one needed to cook a proper meal. The fridge was where it was at, overflowing with fruits and vegetables, beans, soaking lentils, sprouting beans, and jars of home-made pickled fruits, jams and onions.

The kitchen is the heart and soul of your home, so make it healthy and welcoming

So when it comes to my great health, I thank my parents for their part in my life-long good healthy eating habits.
I remember when I had my first two children, when they were just toddlers I convinced them what foods counted as treats. They really didn't have a clue, the younger years are the years in which we need to establish good habits. My children would sit in the pram watching on as I selected what we needed and I handed them their treats. I’m sure the people around me thought I was crazy and I did get many comments regarding my success with my offsprings. Both children looked forward to the carrot sticks, celery sticks and wholemeal breadsticks. Even today, they tell people how much they loved them when they were children.

Treat yourself or your children every now and then…..but just now and then!

By the time I got to my second two children, I really had it down pat, the two older ones leading by example. One of these children, my third son, has never even eaten a lolly in his entire life by choice and he is now 19! The best thing is he has no desire too and does not feel he is missing out at all. There is no junk or ice-cream in my house, and instead of cow’s milk there is unsweetened almond milk. Of course, not all children are perfect and the 80/20 rule is a good starting point. Encourage them to eat healthily eighty percent of the time and lead by example to be the best you can be. Limit everyone’s junk food to twenty percent, especially if you’re just starting out with this new way of eating.
Do not try and attempt to go cold turkey, as this can lead to binging when the cravings hit. I've taught many clients how to trick their bodies into thinking they have had a whole bowl of dessert by having two spoonfuls, holding them in the mouth for as long as they can and really tasting the flavour, then on the way down telling themselves that the huge bowlful they just had was so delicious. Holding gratitude for the experience and then letting it go.

I’m actually a savoury girl at heart and so I find this no sugar lifestyle very easy. But when I do indulge occasionally I never go overboard as I have the tools I need for self control.

If you are struggling with weight loss or bad health, sugar is the first thing that needs to go.
So how can you reward yourself in a way that will help your new way of eating become a habit?
Phillippa Lally, PhD, a senior researcher at University College, London, published a study that found it actually takes an average of 66 days to break an old habit, that's more than two months to form a new better habit. Lally also reported that the amount of time before a new behavior feels automatic can range between 18 and 254 days.
Knowing this, will inform you of what you’re up against and encourage you to stick with it.

If you want to break a bad habit, stopping it for three days straight is imperative. What you need to do then is replace it with a better habit. You must then continue the positive habit for three days straight, because if you let it lapse it's hard to start again.

When I was growing up, my fridge at home was full of natural, healthy foods and drinks

Eradicating sugar means it won't be easy but it will be worth it. When you finally get to your desired destination, you won't have those massive sugar cravings anymore, and even if you desire something sweet it won't consume you the way it once did.

Rewards are the way to go here as well. You can create a chart or keep a diary of your progress and choose a reward of some kind that you would like to do. Things such as a monthly facial after 4 weeks reduced sugar, a massage, a new top, a cooking party with girlfriends, a movie, there are so many things. Maybe you can even negotiate some sex into the equation with your partner, all in mutual good fun of course.
You never know, you may just find a new sweet spot....

Love & light

~mpowerusleeza~