Sugar, How Sweet It Is......Or Is It?

 

Do you ever have a hunkering for something sweet?  Do you think about it all day until you satisfy it?  After you have something sweet do you feel a rush from the sugar, almost euphoric?  Then within an hour of eating the sugar you start to crash and you feel tired, fatigued, and lethargic and grab for another piece of candy or something.  Research shows that a high intake of carbohydrates, including sugar, releases a feel good chemical in the brain called serotonin.

Maybe you're sitting there thinking "who cares, what harm can a little sugar really do to me?"  Cravings, binge eating, weight gain, and heart disease are just a few problems that sugar can cause when eaten in excess.  It also causes an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, elevated triglycerides, and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels.  It has also been linked to depression, migraines, poor eyesight, autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis, gout, and osteoporosis.

Twenty years ago the average person consumed about 26 pounds of sugar per year.  According to the USDA, today the average American consumes over 135 pounds of sugar a year.  That's about 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily, the equivalent of 350 calories which means over 8,000 teaspoons a year.  That's double the recommended amount!  The American Heart Association recommends that we limit our daily sugar consumption to 7% or less of our daily calorie intake.  That's about 6 teaspoons (100 calories) for women and 9 teaspoons (150 calories) for men. 

So keep in mind when you are thirsty or hungry, one 12 ounce can of regular soda contains 8-10 teaspoons of sugar, and a glazed donut contains 6 teaspoons.  At least half of the sugar we consume comes from high-fructose corn syrup found in fat-free foods like salad dressings, soft drinks, fruit drinks, and sports drinks.  The rest is in our diet from foods like ketchup, teriyaki sauce, chocolate milk, cookies, cakes, ice cream, and cereals.  And even when you think you're eating "healthy", foods like yogurt and instant oatmeal can pack as much as 20-30 grams (5-7 teaspoons) of sugar. 

With Halloween being the "kick off" to the "candy season" and the holidays following, there will be gatherings and parties with all kinds of food and drinks full of sugars and carbohydrates.  No need to have anxiety about this.  Plan ahead by bringing a healthy recipe to the party and embrace the time with friends and family and enjoy yourself at the gatherings.  Then the rest of the day and days to come, be aware of what you are eating.  Start reading food labels, plan ahead what you are going to eat, and make sure to put exercise in your schedule.  For some healthy recipes visit www.get2thecorefitness.com and click on the Healthy Eating tab. Enjoy!

Let's Get Up and Move

Are you having a hard time fitting in exercise?  You are not alone......  A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that less than 1/2 of Americans engage in the minimum-recommended amount of physical activity of 2.5 hours a week.  That's an average of 21 minutes per day, 7 days a week.  You may be asking, "what does that look like"?  It simply means moving at a moderate level, raising your heart rate between 65% - 85% of your maximum heart rate.  Don't know what that means? ...... Make sure your heart is pumping and your breathing has become more rapid.  Even if you can't fit all 20-30 minutes in all at once, that's okay, you still receive benefits by doing two or more shorter burst of exercise throughout the day.  Think of exercise as leading an active lifestyle.

A simple way to be active is walking, something you don't have to think about.  So when you are sitting at your desk for long periods of time, get up and take a quick walk to clear your head, move a little bit, and give you more energy.  Another good time to walk is if someone really makes you mad, walk away and go "blow off some steam".  This usually gives you time to process everything and think more rationally before you say something you wish you would not have (maybe more of us should park our cars on the side of the road and walk a bit after someone cuts us off!).  Take the stairs whenever possible and see if you can beat your quickest time going up them.  Or try driving part of the way to your destination, park the car, and walk the rest of the way?  Exercise can even be fun with the whole family.  You can go for pre or post dinner walks, crank up the music and boogie down, and during TV commercials challenge each other to do squats, push-ups, and sit-ups/planks.  Work in the yard and garden, play in the back yard, and walk or run for charity together. 

                                                      

Walking and exercise have many benefits.  They help you feel full of energy, relieve stress, improve sleep, and build strength and endurance making your body more efficient.  Therefore, helping you feel good about yourself.  Fighting colon and breast cancer are some benefits of walking that you may not realize, but it also helps with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even depression.  I know it's easy to spend a lot of time sitting in front of the computer or television, and it's the same for our kids too.  So let's take advantage of spring time, the warmer weather, and longer days of light to fight the urge to slouch on the couch.  Instead, let's get up, move, connect with our friends and family, make exercise part of our lifestyles, and last, but not least, set an example for the kids in our lives!