Over the last few weeks, we mentioned reasons why you may want to avoid Sugar, the detriments OF Sugar, and also why you should avoid Soft Drinks in general...
We mentioned why you should curb sugar use in your children, why you should stay clear of processed kids cereal that’s FULL of sugar & even why
We also mentioned why it’s so important to pass up that cheap, inexpensive processed food for better, whole foods. Crazy, right? A coupon blog that tells you to stop clipping and be more choosy with what you buy. (Trust me.. I know..)
While that may not sit well with some of you, others may already realize dangers AND after effects of feeding your body and your children too much sugar.
It’s incredibly challenging to look at grocery ads, sales, clip coupons and even shop at ANY store now without realizing that over 80% of the items within are FULL of sugar. It’s true, and what holds most people back may be unwillingness to change. Or, it could be that they underestimate the dangers… Or it could also be that they feel like it’s impossible to eat food without going TO the store.
But in the end, it really can be done – and it’s really not any more expensive than what many may think. It’s more of a mindset than anything, once you establish that mindset, it’s a commitment to do better for yourself.
The cost of eating better isn’t necessarily more. But the adjustment from couponing for all those items to avoiding them altogether is hard for some – jumping in without a strategy or plan to save will cause you to spend more. But you don’t have to spend more. You just need to know how to best save. You can do it.
Did you know
………that sugar AND processed foods are just as addictive as heroin or cocaine? (Src)
Sugar is found in 74% of all packaged foods you find in store. (Src)
Why you Crave More Sugar
Sugar cravings are a result of habit – they can also be the result of allergies (food), fatigue (tired?), and for some, even hormonal changes – especially for us women.
In the case of food allergies, people crave what they are allergic to – as it helps them avoid symptoms associate with withdrawal. When you are tired, your body wants a pick me up – unfortunately sugar temporarily supplies that, but it ALSO stresses your body. In the end, it only makes your condition worse, not better.
In the case of Premenstrual Syndrome, your body relaxes to shed the lining of your uterus. As it relaxes, YOU feel more relaxed, and you feel the need for chocolate or bread/type items – those foods help your body relax and therefore lead to a better mood.
Your body feeds off sugar – the more you eat, the more you want. The more your body has, the worse your gut is.
Check out some of the sugar values in these all time popular foods – you won’t believe it.
- 1 Snickers Bar — 30 gr.
- 1 bowl Cap’n Crunch — 24 gr.
- McDonald’s Chocolate Shake, Medium — 111 gr.
- Mountain Dew, 20 oz — 77 gr.
- Nutella, 2 Tbsp — 21 gr.
- Yoplait, 4 – 6 oz — 27 gr.
- Yoplait Light, 4 – 6 oz — 14 gr (STILL high!)
How Much Sugar is Recommended Per Day?
- Brown Sugar
- Corn Sweetener
- Corn Syrup
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Honey
- Molasses
- Raw Sugar
- anything ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose..)
What’s most important to understand is that your product labels list the ingredients in the product in order of quantity — therefore when looking at Nutella, you will see that they market it as a Hazelnut Spread with {Skim} Milk and Cocoa. Yet the label on the item actually shows that sugar and Palm Oil are the top 2 ingredients. Yuck.
Artificial Sweeteners
Last time we mentioned that Soda is something that everyone needs to cut from their diet, we had a series of comments that diet soda is actually “good” for you because it’s Diet, and secondly, it has NO sugar.
That couldn’t be more incorrect.
Companies market diet soda with artificial sweeteners to make it seem like they are nutritious, when in fact that could be farther from the truth.
Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Saccharin and Sucralose) are all approved to use in food and beverages, and are quite honestly very dangerous for your health, too.
Splenda is chlorinated sugar – and even more, it is a chemically altered item that your body will NOT recognize. Unlike sugar, Splenda isn’t designed to be recognized by your body. Therefore, your body does not know how to deal with it – it accumulates in your body over time.
If you eat it on a regular basis, then your body will store that chlorinated sugar in other areas, causing toxicity of your cells. (Src) Despite its health concerns, Splenda is approved by the FDA – who claims that it’s safe for ingestion.
What you have to realize though in this case, is that the FDA approves a lot of things that eventually are pulled off the market. The studies that are done by the FDA are usually funded, or done by companies that have a vested interest IN Splenda. Not to mention the studies conducted are usually done with rats and not with humans, so they downplay the results.
Cutting back on Sugar
Cutting back on sugar can be done – several ways in fact.
#1 – Avoid Processed Food – Avoiding processed food in store (anything in a box), and opting for a focus on fresh vegetables and whole foods is a great start.
If you know your weakness are those items, then just don’t bring them home from the store.
#2 – Drink Water – Drinking water does wonders for the body – most people don’t drink even a fraction of what they should be taking in daily. Drinking water helps curb your appetite and helps reduce your sugar cravings. Even better, go a step further and add the juice of a lemon (or, read our post HERE about using Essential Oil in your water, too!)
#3 – Sleep More – Getting a restful sleep helps your body in so many ways – it reduces stress, and helps curb your cravings to eat sweets. Not only that, you will have better focus during the day. Serotonin is a happiness hormone and can be achieved through two things: diet and exercise.
#4 – Keep Fruit & Vegetables available – Pick up vegetables and have them available in the fridge to snack on during the day – the more you make fresh, nutritious food available (this goes for kids too…) the more apt they are to reach in for that instead of prowling the house looking for snacks that lack nutrition.
#5 – Eat Balanced Meals that will help you balance out your blood sugar. You might want to eat a small salad each day along with fresh vegetables, a portion of lean meat. Make the vegetables a larger portion of your dinner plate with a smaller serving of meat.
There are other solutions as well – some Essential Oils (Dill, Coriander and Ocotea) are great for curbing sugar cravings too.
It’s important to understand that conventional food IS always going to be cheaper – it’s highly processed and often times heavily supported by tax subsidies. Manufacturers aren’t going to tell you sugar is bad – why would they? It would hurt their bottom line.
The government is not going to make changes – after all, there is TOO MUCH money to be made in heavily subsidized food, not to mention health implications that result in money for doctor visits and prescriptions.