Sugar's goin' around

(cc) Samantha
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/)

So, one of the things I commonly talk about, is sugar. Why? Well, consuming sugar can be dangerous for your health.

Yes there is natural sugar in fruits, so we do get sugar. But, what about all the foods that have sugar added to it, that don't really need it? Why do we do that to ourselves?

Sure eating sugar is fun, and tasty, but it's not good for you. Do you ever realize, when you eat something full of sugar and wheat, you could just keep on eating?

I was just reading, on Dr. Mercola's website, that in 2009, the average American consumes around 180lbs of sugar a year...Can you believe that? Even infant formula has sugar now...Right. A little bit crazy. When you eat too much sugar, your pancreas overproduces insulin. By cutting out sugars, you can normalize your insulin production, and give your body a break.

What do we eat then, if sugar is taking over all of our foods? Think about it, what makes you feel good? Eat a salad, with some veggies. Steam your dark greens, like your spinach, broccoli, kale. Those are best steamed. Go light on the fruits, eat them at night.

With meat, go with grass-fed, grass-finished beef, salmon, not farm-raised salmon, but Alaskan sock-eye salmon is good. Chicken as a last resort, make sure it's free-range. Eggs are great too, don't go for Omega-3 infused eggs, just normal free-range, or pasture raised.

It's hard to get off sugar at first, it's an addiction. The first few days are the toughest, but once you get past those days, you're on the homestretch to low consumption of sugar diet.

Sugar, good or bad?

Sugar! The sweet taste of glory,

but how the hazards and health issues roll in with this ingredient.
Sugar-free? Better? Not in all cases. Some of the sugar substitutes are actually worse than sugar itself.

The best way to go is to cut sugar out. But, you have to be careful. Sugar will sneak its way into your foods, protein bars and yogurt cups. Check the labels before your decide your next snack.
That favorite candy bar of yours, try to find a healthier version of it, and check the sugar in it. Or better yet, cut it out. Just try cutting out sugar for a week, the first few days will be hard. Your body will crave and want everything in sight! Stay strong! The results will most likely make you grin to yourself in the mirror.

However! 

Sugar can be good. After spending a long time working out, during a marathon, or hike, you may begin to feel weak, this is probably the best time to consume sugar. This is when you reach for your sugars. 
When you train, your body burns glycogen - sugar. Your body consumes blood sugar and muscle glycogen, and after your workouts you need to replenish this. Hence, products like, "PowerBar Gel." 
Most protein shakes also have sugars. Check your local health foods, or Vitamin Shoppe for more information on which protein you should be taking. Be aware of your body too, be observant of how you react to workouts, to pre and post-workout products, if you consume any.

Caution! Not all packages tell the truth!

Sometimes we think what our food says on the package is a good thing! But, really, consider what the packaging is telling you, what the product is and what the ingredients are.

Calorie counting might not be the smartest thing to focus completely on. Sugary foods don't always have a ton of calories, but they aren't the healthiest thing for you to eat. Look at the ingredients, consider what you want to really put in your body. Because it has less calories, doesn't mean you should eat it and it's healthy for you.

Some points to keep in mind while shopping:

1.) Sugar free: if you look at something that's sugar free, there most likely is a "sugar free" replacement inside, which might affect you worse than sugar would. Xylitol is something that can be a good substitute. It's naturally produced and is even found in our bodies! (xylitol.org). If you are concerned about cals, it does have 40 percent less calories than sugar.

2.) Wording: Just because something says "organic," doesn't mean it has less calories and that it's the healthiest thing for you.

3.) Low-fat: According to an article I read on Women's Health, (womenshealthmag.com) less fat makes it easier for people to consume more, because they are less guilty about eating that product. But! Remember, certain fats are good for you. Not all are bad fats.

Obesity in Hawai'i

Luckily for our lovely state, we're ranked #49 on the most obese states, at 21.8 percent of people being obese, which puts us behind Colorado, according to an article posted by the Huffington Post.

I guess what could help that is people are all out and about at the beach and running around outside, gotta keep that figure in shape right? Let's keep that up. Though there is a problem of obesity in the nation, we can all help by promoting healthy eating, as well as knowing why we should put and shouldn't put certain things in our bodies.

Easy ways to avoid bad eating habits:

1.) Don't drink your calories: We all love a coffee, smoothie or milkshake on occasion -- or everyday. That's where it adds up...especially the sugar. Too much sugar will make us fat.  Drinking our calories is like drinking more than our days intake of sugar. It's easy to drink up to 400 calories, as well as non nutritious ingredients. To be safe, make your own drinks, you'll know what's in it, and you can alter it without feeling like you're getting on a worker's nerves.

2.) Eat to refuel, not because you're bored: Another big thing, eating because you are bored, and it gives you something to do. Eating is fun! It just is, tasting and enjoying the flavors of different foods. But hey, make sure you're eating to refuel your body, not beacuse you're upset, sad or even happy and think you need a reward. To curb sugar cravings (sugar is like a drug), eat snacks throughout the day, like apples and peanut butter, but of course not a ton of peanut butter. Have several almonds. Make sure these snacks are candy bars, or a bag of Cheetos.

3.) Eat breakfast: Some of us may not be fans of breakfast, but try to grab something, even if it's small. It'll get your metabolism up and running in the morning and keep you from wanting to over eat at lunch. Don't pick something like a donut, or a scone, save that for another day. Eat something with substance. A breakfast burrito on a whole wheat tortilla with some eggs and spinach, or make a kale smoothie. Google some recipe's for some health breakfast ideas, and create a daily plan for what you'd like to eat in the morning, lunch and night. Or just plan breakfast if the rest is too much to think about.

Little things here and there will help you stay healthy, all it takes is the first step to research information and try it out.

The sweet stuff

Majority of the things we eat now days has huge amounts of sugar in it. In just one snack, it have have 20g or more of sugar in it. We don't only get our sugar intake from eating sugary snacks or candy, but also from drinks. Many of us drink our daily intake of sugar and calories.

Eating more sugar causes the body to release more insulin to accommodate all the sugar that was consumed.

 Photo: Remi Taum

Sugar is a addiction. It is what it is, whether we want to believe it or not. Chemically, sugar sparks the rewards center of our brain -- too much sugar causes weight gain and  diabetes.

Like a drug, the more you consumer sugar on a regular basis, your body starts to develop a tolerance. You'll need more and more to get that "fix" on sugar, the same pleasure feelings. This can cause the cutback on sugar to be more difficult. While it may seem all to easy that cutting back on sugar is a pinch, it can actually prove to be tough.

In a previous story I wrote, for the Kapi'o Newspress, I spoke with a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness in Hawai'i Kai, he explained that people coming off a sugar filled diet can be a grump.

To cutback on sugar, shift your diet to a whole foods diet. Cut out carbohydrates. Also, eating fats and proteins slow the process of carbs into the intestines. People tend to shy away from fats and are scared of them, but are less scared of sugars. When sugar, expands the waistline and presents a ton of health problems.

Healthy fats are those found in almonds, walnuts, avocados, and more. People can also get their fats from Omega3's.

Anyway, just keep in mind the amount of sugar and be sure to read the labels, make those things your best friends. Anything you can't pronounce or you see that the list is a mile long, put that food or drink back on the shelf and find something else.

More information: 

Everyday Health
Cut back on Sugar

Energy bars

I've always wondered about energy bars. Do they really give you energy? And, what about all the sugar they contain? They're at grocery stores, Jamba Juice, and on college campuses throughout the nation.

Easily accessible foods that may or may not be good for your body. Plus, with health and fitness becoming a trend now, (hopefully people just want to be healthy for themselves) there are tons of nutrition and energy bars out there to alter/enhance post and pre-workout results. Do they really?

The key is to look closely at ingredients, and know what they are.

Protein Bars: Be careful which of these you pick up. Often times, certain gross ingredients (something like pigs feet) are disguised as something different, some sort of gelatin or collagen. Try to steer clear of that. If you do want to opt for something with protein in it, go for whey, or whey-casein. I was reading in Men's Health that an experiment Baylor University did, reported that men who consumed protein with whey and casein pre-workout, gained muscle quicker than those who just consumed whey.

Sugars: Often times you'll find high amounts of sugar in protein bars. Yes, they might have some energetic boost for you before your workout and some protein, but some of these busters are loaded with sugar. Sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, which is not good for you, at all. When your body tastes something sweet, it automatically believes it's sugar, so to speak, and your blood sugar levels rise. Sadly, this cancels out any benefits you could have gotten from some more whole foods. Like my mom always told me, the less ingredients there are, the better. Usually when the ingredients list is miles long and half the ingredients are unpronounceable, best to put that bar back on the shelf.

Energy- Sometimes do you feel tired after you eat your, "energy bar?" Well, partly, all the sugar you are consuming makes you sleepy, and these bars really don't give you energy. You'll just pack on extra calories. (Don't want that? Opt for something healthier) There are times when you can eat them, like after an intense workout.

sugar substitutes

While there are numerous kinds of sugar substitutes in foods and drinks we consume, though these sugar substitutes can help prevent weight gain in the long run, it doesn't mean you should load up on those substitutes.

Although manufacturers have recognized the common want to lose weight and be healthy, it doesn't mean some of the ingredients in these items are good for you. Also, don't give kids sugar-free drinks, and try to shy away from it yourself.

Even though you may look to a sugar substitute rather than sugar itself, be careful you don't replace it for food.

Also, when the body tastes something sweet, it automatically releases insulin. Sugar and sugar substitutes, when both get into your blood stream, they are processed as sugar anyway.

All in all, take sugar lightly when you think about consuming it. Don't drink too much sugar, and sometimes you won't expect some foods to have sugar when they do. If you buy food with labels on them, be sure to check.

Adrenals!

DON'T eat this please...

Fight or flight??? Which do you prefer?

Well, our little adrenal glands work hard for us, not only assisting us in this fight or flight situation, but regulating our thyroids, hormones and immunity. Those sound pretty important to me.

To keep healthy adrenals, try to avoid or limit your caffeine and sugar intake. those to substances make your adrenals work hard and sustain high levels of cortisol..keeping them from doing their daily job.

They work best with short term stress, healthy adrenal glands release cortisol to help you deal with stress then bounce back, and continue that process. But, unhealthy adrenals have a harder time bouncing back.

Adrenals that are shot, can take four to six months to fully recover, it honestly depends on how fatigued your adrenals can be. Sometimes kidney infections can be caused by fatigued adrenals, since those organs are neighbors. Be kind to your this organ and you'll be fine.

CUT BACK

So, how many of you may think about dipping those carrots, or celery sticks into some yummy ranch or blue cheese dressing? A nice way to dress up those bland orange sticks huh?

Well, I know that sometimes I do get tired of eating plain tasting carrots and like a dip every now and then. Those vegetables are good right, add that into your daily servings of veggies. But keep in mind that if you dip and eat, you're getting a heap of fat, salt and the terrifying -- calories.

Certain foods you eat make you crave those sugars, fats and salts. Of course the more sugar you consume, the more addicted you will get, and it'll be harder to say no when making a menu selection.

Relief is here, it's possible to stop those crazy menu decisions. You just need to know what you're looking for.

Dopamine is triggered in your brain when eating foods high in fat, sugar and salts, according to Prevention.com 

1.) Ask what some of the ingredients are
2.) if you see sugar substitutes, don't get excited, it's just as bad as regular sugar, if not worse.
3.) If you're grocery shopping, read the nutrition labels. It'll help put your mind in perspective after you see what makes up the food you wanted to put in your body later.

Give it a try, start to detox your body of those chemicals and bad things in it. Decrease your sugar intake and you'll feel more energetic.

Ah Sugar..sweet right?

Not quite. It's not the best for you and should be consumed in moderation.

Women have a greater risk in developing cardiovascular disease than men. Us women require less calories than men. Sugar sweetened beverages bring in factors of this disease like high triglycerides in individuals who don't gain weight, according to an article by the American Heart Association.

The reference to sugar-sweetened drinks would be sodas, and flavored waters. Funny because we see so many ads on TV and in magazines about flavored water and how it can quench your thirst.

In the article, those who drank two or more sugar-sweetened drinks a day were more likely to develop the high triglycerides and increase waist size. We definitely don't want to increase waist size if the high triglycerides factor doesn't do it for you.

Don't know what triglycerides are? --> Triglycerides: Lowering them

You, in moderation ladies..In moderation. Water is always best.

Cut Out That Sugar!

Aloha kanaka ma keia la, (hello all on this day)

Please, don't go around eating death everyday. Sugar will seriously do some damage to your body. It's hard to believe because it doesn't seem like we'd consume a lot of sugar every day. Although, if you really stop and think about it, sugar is in everything.

Also, what I found interesting was, there's a lot of info. about there about how grains are good and they provide your body with the needed, fiber....But grains turn to sugar when consumed, and you can get just as much or even more fiber from vegetables. crazy right?

hows that for sugar? (see photo of brown and refined white sugar)

I propose you try to cut down on your sugar intake, limit it..Keep a food journal and how many grams of sugar you eat a day. Though, keep in mind, sugars in fruits and candy are different, as well as the sugars in sodas. Sugar can weaken your eyesight, damage your kidneys, can promote tooth decay (EWW).


Shape.com, a great reference site for me, explains that you really shouldn't have more than 40 grams of added sugar daily for a 2,000 calorie diet, which is 10 teaspoons. For a 1,600 cal. diet, no more than six teaspoons, or 24 grams. It's also reported that majority of the sugar comes from drinks. (i.e. Coke, Pepsi, all those sodas).

Oh right, don't forget that, sports bars, gels and cereals are all sugar, just take a gander at the ingredients, it's quick shocking at times. Sugar is so addicting and is hard to cut, but you WILL feel a difference when you cut back on it.

learn more!