Oh, sugar… it has always been there for us. Growing up as a kid, I was always rewarded with sugar; after I left the doctor's office I was given a sucker; for Valentine's Day, I was given chocolates; if I was upset, sugar would be there to make me feel better.
Although, you probably know that too much sugar isn't good for you, there are probably some sugar facts that you did not know. And I have some tasty recommendations for you to easily avoid excess sugar intake.
1. Each teaspoon of sugar packs in 20 calories. Imagine this, each can of regular soda contains about 12 teaspoons of sugar, which is 1/4 cup of sugar per 12 ounce can! That is roughly 170 calories per can of soda.
Here is the crime: That 170 calories and 1/4 cup of sugar is wasted on just sugar. My recommendation to you is to get rid of that daily can of soda and replace it with a few tall glasses of water! Keeping your body hydrated will help maintain level energy.
2. Although sugar gives you energy, it is short lived. For example, one medium sized cookie packs in around 200 calories. Yum, that was tasty… but now what? You are probably still hungry and in about an hour, tired!
Here is the crime: Unfortunately, that delicious cookie doesn't provide anything your body needs to operate from day to day. These calories are called "empty calories". Replace that cookie with a healthy, nutrient dense snack, such as vegetables and hummus. Now, you will be full, energized and satisfied rather than crashing after about an hour after eating a cookie.
Here are my recommendations to slash your sugar intake to a minimum;
• Enhance your dishes with spices, not sugar. The H3 Eye-Opener Oatmeal does not have any added sugar; we add cinnamon instead (it will give you a sweeter taste). Think cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg or all spice.
• If you are baking muffins or cake, do not add all of the sugar, add only half. This will reduce calories but will not reduce flavor.
• If you are craving something sweet, first reach for fruit. Strawberries, apples or oranges should help you tame that sweet tooth.
Karla, may I repost your article for our fit42.net site? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteStevia has changed my sweet life.
ReplyDeleteIt's best role is in lemonade and sweetening yogurt. Read the stevia label, though, as there is a product that combines stevia with dextrose and markets it as stevia in a packet. Here are some of the benefits:The herb is sold in some South American countries to aid diabetics and hypoglycemics. Research has shown that a whole leaf concentrate has a regulating effect on the pancreas and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. Stevia is therefore useful to people with diabetes, hypoglycemia, and Candidiasis.
Other traditional uses of stevia are: lowers elevated blood pressure (hypertension), digestive aid that also reduces gas and stomach acidity, and for obesity. The herb acts as general tonic which increases energy levels and mental acuity.
Stevia has been shown to inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay, making it an excellent addition to tooth pastes and mouthwashes. Many people have reported improvement in their oral health after adding stevia concentrate to their tooth paste and using it, diluted in water, as a daily mouthwash.
Hi Stacy, I manage H3Daily and spoke with Karla about this post. We'd love for you to share this post with other blog readers. Feel free to re-post, we just ask that you give us a shout out with a link. :-) Thanks for reading!
ReplyDelete