It's 2pm in the afternoon and you are craving one of those donuts that your colleague picked up this morning at Krispy Kreme. You have been thinking about it all day long. You are actually salivating just at the very thought of it. Finally you decide to go for it. You ate the donut, felt the rush and excitement while your mouth watered while eating it. GREAT, right? But at 2:30-2:45pm, the rush is over and you just want to find the closest bed available to take a power nap. You are tired, sleepy and worst... HUNGRY! You really want to go for the rest of that box of Krispy Kreme!
You are not alone, we all have been there, feel that and done that! Sugar is a Drug, and that's why once you get hooked, you need more. It's not rocket science. The more you get, the more you want and it's a never ending cycle.
I'm not trying to lecture you on eating sugar! I'm living a clean eating lifestyle, but very seldom I eat sugar(the bad kind). Not because I look forward to it, I do it when there is a special occasion.
Today, and only if you are interested in reading it, I would like to share with you why I quit eating sugar. (refined sugar, anyways!) And most importantly, I would like to share how AMAZINGLY GOOD I feel since I brake the SUGAR habit!
Why SUGAR is bad for you?
Oh well, there are tons of reasons. Mainly health related reasons. What about if I tell you that sugar consumption is link to obesity, diabetes, inflammation, heart disease, cancer, just to name a few. I can tell you personally that eating only natural sugars really changed my life. My joints and back pains improved 100% since I change my eating lifestyle. Not to mentioned the level of energy I gained since the change. There are tons of articles that talk about these very topic, and I will be including some at the bottom of my blog for your reference. Remember "knowledge is power", educate yourself so you can make better decisions.
Where in the "label" is SUGAR?
Let me start by saying that not all sugars are created equal. Natural sugars are OK. Our problem with sugar and many other foods is MODERATION... yes! and don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about. It's obvious that we are adding sugar to everything these days, and to make the situation a little bit more complicated, the sugar is added before we even buy the product. You will be surprised by the many names "SUGAR" uses on labels.
- Barley malt
- Beet sugar
- Brown sugar
- Buttered syrup
- Cane juice crystals
- Cane sugar
- Caramel
- Corn syrup
- Corn syrup solids
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Carob syrup
- Castor sugar
- Date sugar
- Demerara sugar
- Dextran
- Dextrose
- Diastatic malt
- Diatase
- Ethyl maltol
- Fructose
- Fruit juice
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Galactose
- Glucose
- Glucose solids
- Golden sugar
- Golden syrup
- Grape sugar
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Icing sugar
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Maltodextrin
- Maltose
- Malt syrup
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Muscovado sugar
- Panocha
- Raw sugar
- Refiner’s syrup
- Rice syrup
- Sorbitol
- Sorghum syrup
- Sucrose
- Sugar
- Treacle
- Turbinado sugar
- Yellow sugar
AMAZING! Right? So, how you know which ones are good and which ones are bad? The answer is NATURE or as close as natural as possible. Honey, Maple Syrup, Molasses are great options, but they are high in calories, so you have to exercise moderation. Stevia (and its many brands) is another very close to a natural option, excellent for weight loss because it's low or non calorie. Look for a brand that offers a low calorie count and very little extra artificial ingredients.
During your next trip to the supermarket, take a moment to read some labels, you will be surprised where you will find some form of sugar. Alcohol, Breads, Deli Meats, Ketchup, Granola Bars. Another good advice, if you don't understand what the ingredient is, or if it has a chemical name... DON'T BUY IT!
The Artificial cousins of SUGAR!
You know them... Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, Xylitol, NutraSweet. I'm going to be short and sweet with this one. They are artificial, they are not good! They have to go! I know what you are thinking in this very moment, and I know it because I was there few months ago. How can I quit my EQUAL? My problem quitting artificial sweeteners wasn't about the 0 calorie benefit, my problem was deeper than that... I LIKED THE FLAVOR OF EQUAL! (Yes, it was an addiction!!)
I started to use Stevia for almost everything but coffee. Coffee with Stevia didn't tasted good to me. To my surprise after few weeks, I had to adjust the amount of Equal I put on my coffee until I started to drink coffee without sugar at all. And you know why? Because I couldn't stand the flavor of Equal after few months on clean eating! Believe it or not!! I'm telling you, you can change or break any habit if you are focus, determined and strong.
SO NO SUGAR FOR ME, FOR REAL? FOR EVER?
I would love to say YES! No sugar for you ever, just to see your faces!! But because this is a blog, I won't get that satisfaction. The answers is no, we dont have to go to that extreme. Just stick to what's natural as much as you can. Let me give you few examples, based on my daily decisions on how I handle and consume sugar.
Example 1
MILK
Most milks have sugar, it's a natural component of milk. Just make sure you pick options that are low fat, unsweetened or plain. That way you are avoiding artificial, added sugars. EASY RIGHT?
Example 2
CHOCOLATE
I like to have chocolate once in a while, so I choose Dark Chocolate - 70% or higher cocoa. The higher the percentage of Cocoa, the lower the added sugar content. YES! it has added sugar, but I'm ok with it because I have a piece or two with my coffee when I'm going through a craving phase. SEE? I'm not killing you here, right?
EXAMPLE 3
CARBOHYDRATES(HEALTHY CARBS!)
Our bodies need carbohydrates to function. Carbohydrates have sugars. But when sugar is consumed as a carbohydrates you are getting lots of others nutrients, so it's ok. The important thing is to see what kind of sugar the carbohydrate has, always choose a natural or clean option. The trick with carbohydrates is moderation. You don't need a truck of bread in other to function. Moderation!! Moderation!! (Examples of carbohydrates - FRUITS, GRAINS, VEGETABLES, etc.)
BOTTOM LINE
When you modify your diet, consume a moderate amount of sugar and cut all the added/artificial ones, you are going to notice amazing changes. Your taste buds will change, you will have a level of energy you won't believe, and most importantly you are going to start losing some weight. (if that's what you want!)
Few weeks into my eating lifestyle change I decided to treat myself with a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream at Baskin Robbins. It didn't taste the same. I didn't enjoy it as I used to. I was in shock but happy! Now, if I want to trash my eating, I just try to make it count!! :) Do I eat bad sugar once in a while? YES! (especially if I'm in Puerto Rico!) But I try to enjoy every bit of it, even though it doesn't feel as good as it used to anymore.
I don't miss sugar, believe it or not. I appreciate more what I have now. I'm more energetic, my brain is sharp, not foggy, and I feel like WONDER WOMAN!
READING & EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL!
Just as a disclaimer, I'm not an expert on nutrition, I'm just sharing my life experiences and hoping those experiences can help my friends and love ones!!
If you want to learn about Clean Eating and how it can help better your life, you have several options. Look for Tosca Reno's book - The Eat Clean Diet - Recharged. You can access their website as well for recipes and additional interesting information.
If you are looking for clean eating recipes, these are my favorite websites:
HAPPY EATINGS!! :)
DORA
