There are many factors that affect our health and fitness. At the top of the list I put nutrition. This may come as a surprise from a movement instructor but nutrition directly affects our fitness, health, emotions and stress levels. So to improve these things, we need to take a good look at the foods and drinks we consume on a daily basis. The good news is that tasty food can also be healthy it just takes an informed consumer.
But, with so much conflicting advice out there it can be hard to know what to eat.
One of my passions is researching how to eat more healthily. What to eat, when to eat, how to eat, etc.
Today I would like to share with you some interesting points about a food commodity that is one of the leading causes of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic health diseases. You may have guessed….it’s sugar and yes I also mean fruit sugar (fructose). It’s everywhere, hidden in cereals, fizzy drinks, health bars, fruit drinks, crisps, ready meals, salad dressings, yogurt, pasta sauces…the list goes on and on. And of course it’s often the main ingredient in cakes, puddings, ice cream, chocolate bars, energy drinks and children’s candies.
As I work with clients and talk to them about their diets I find,
Three common misconceptions about sugar:
1.Many people don’t realize how much sugar is hidden in foods. When we stop to read the label and see the first 2 then the 4th and 6th ingredients are all varieties of sugar…that’s when to put it back on the shelf! Begin to question what you eat. Usually there are healthy alternatives to even the tastiest snacks.
2 Many believe that fruit juice, fructose and fruit are healthy. The occasional whole piece of fruit (with the skin, fiber and natural water content) is undoubtably wholesome. However fruit contains fructose…the most damaging of all sugars. Fruit juice is concentrated fructose and definitely something to cut down. It’s also easy to consume vast amounts of dried fruit as a snack again thinking your being healthy. These all count as sugar which is a major contribution to so many chronic health conditions.
3 Many believe synthetic sweeteners found in diet drinks, chewing gum and low fat foods are okay. The opposite is true and many of these are seriously damaging to our health. More about this topic in the future.
So, how do we cut down on sugar when we have a sweet tooth, have grown up eating loads of sugar and find it hidden in so many foods?
Here’s a few steps you can begin right away.
1 When you have the urge to eat something sweet, start with a glass of water. We are usually de-hydrated and not just peckish. Wait 15 minutes and then decide if you still need the snack. You have probably forgotten about it.
2 For the next couple of weeks, allow a little extra time when shopping to read the labels. You maybe surprised to see how much sugar or synthetic sweeteners are included. Sugar often comes in three or four different forms so its important to read the whole list. Then decide for yourself if you are going to buy it or leave it.
3 Begin to reduce the amount of foods and drinks that are high in sugar including fruit sugar. Again, read the labels.
4 Also reduce the amount of diet drinks, chewing gum and low fat foods that you consume. Fat isn’t the problem, it’s sugar that does the damage.
5 Another great way to help reduce sugar is to start making and sharing your own cakes, cookies and chocolates. This is one of the reasons I decided to produce the raw chocolate e-book that is on the members page of the website. I set out to create recipes that are genuinely healthy and delicious, yet don’t compromise our health. More recipes to follow soon.
6 If you have sugar in tea or coffee, try substituting with a tiny amount of natural sweetener like stevia or my favourite, lou han guo. This is a fruit from China, that is 300 times sweeter than sugar yet has none of the dangers and won’t spike your insulin levels. It has been around for centuries and is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat coughs, sore throats and inflammation. You can also reduce the amount of sugar by half when baking a cake and replace with a small amount of luo han guo. Experiment!
So in summary we need to gradually reduce the foods and drinks we know contain high levels of sugar. This include sugar substitutes and fruit products. The key focus is to consider your health in the long run. Its simple, but starts today….gradually reduce all forms of sugar. This will definitely help your fitness too.
