In the last post, I wrote about how one do a kickstart to clean eating. Today, I am going to write about a hidden food that is highly addictive and found in just about every food you put in your mouth. The food I am talking about is sugar.
Sugar is naturally found in fruits, milk, honey, and certain veggies (carrots are one of them). However, most of our sugar consumption goes far beyond that of fruits and milk. Sugar is added to many of the foods we eat daily such as bread, cereals, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, salad dressings, and most other processed foods like cookies, crackers, candy, sodas, and sauces.
This is a HUGE concern as our sugar consumption has significantly increased over the last 20 years. On average, a person consumes 135 pounds of sugar a year. That's more than I weigh! Not to mention that it is detrimental to our health. Sugars effect our insulin levels and it depresses the immune system. The obesity epidemic in this country is a result of such processed and sugar-laden foods we consume daily and in excess.
I admit that I have a sweet tooth. You can put salty snacks and fried foods in front of me and I don't have a problem with refusing them. Now, put a cookie, cake, or pie in front of me and I struggle with temptation. I have had to learn to say no and replace my unhealthy sugar cravings with healthy ones (sliced apples with cinnamon, fresh berries, or homemade healthy cookies-made with coconut flour, oat bran, wheat bran, truvia, protein powder, cottage cheese, shredded coconut, and walnuts.)
So, how can one kick this habit without going into shock? First, make the choice. It is totally your decision. Second, be an avid label reader. Sugar-free and fat-free doesn't mean that is doesn't contain any sugar. In fact, the opposite is true in most cases. It may contain more sugar and calories than the non-diet brand and more than your body needs or can process. And remember, what your body cannot use immediately for energy is stored as fat. Third, if you crave sugar, start eating natural sugars like those found in fruits and veggies. Begin to taste foods in their natural state instead of covering them in sauces, condiments, gravies, or sugar. Fourth, replace sugar and honey with stevia/truvia or try brown rice syrup or xylitol (in moderation). Natural sweeteners that don't pack on pounds or calories and don't affect blood glucose levels like HFCS or table sugar. Fifth, start gradually. Unless you can handle doing things cold turkey, I would suggest by starting slowly as you will experience withdrawals.
My next post will continue with sugars and I will include a couple of recipes to help with those cravings.
http://www.rheumatic.org/sugar.htm
