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CUTTING DOWN ON SUGARLast week we talked about how to cut out the excuses on exercise and then how to make that move to just do it; get up and get moving. This week we are going to look at sugar intake: The negative impact it has on our body and our overall health, and what we all can do to lower our intake to improve our overall health. Are you ready? Let’s go!Did you know that eating too much sugar is one of the worst things you can do to your body? That is a true statement. It can and does have negative effects on your health. Sugar has been shown to contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and tooth decay. Sugar is naturally found if some foods, of course - foods like fruits and vegetables. But this type of sugar has little effect on your blood sugar and is actually considered very healthy. Fruits and vegetables also contain loads of vitamins and minerals.The danger comes from the added sugars in processed foods. Think about this: The average American eats around 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day. This is so much more than the recommended 6 tsps for women and 9 tsps for men. YIKES! Let me give you an example of what 17 tsps of sugar looks like: 4 grams of sugar = 1 tsp of sugar. OK, so just looking at one product - Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars. 1 bar = 12 grams of sugar. That is 3 tsps of sugar in one of those little bars. So that bar has ? the recommended amount of sugar for the entire day for women and 1/3 for men. Quite an eye opener when you see it that way isn’t it? What I would like to do is provide you with some suggestions on some simple ways to stop eating so much sugar. Deal? And I promise they are earth shattering to your daily routines. Well, at least I don’t think so :0) 1. Cut back on sugar-filled drinks. Some of the most popular that contain mounds of sugar are pop, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit drinks. Many of these are so-called healthy but can contain as much as 12 tsps or more of sugar. Your body doesn’t recognize calories from drinks in the same way it does from food. And drinks don’t take up space in your belly like food does; they don’t make you feel full, so individuals who take in a lot of calories from drinks don’t eat less to balance those calories. The end result is weight gain. Studies have consistently shown that reducing your intake of sugary drinks can help with weight loss. Here are some great suggestions for replacement drinks for the pop and energy drinks:Water -?It's free and has zero calories.Sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime:?Homemade soda.Herbal or fruit teas:?Drink them hot or cold with ice.Tea and coffee:?Of course my favorite, but do your best to stick to unsweetened tea or coffee with stevia or truvia and almond milk or just plain black.2. Avoid sugar-loaded desserts. Most desserts are loaded with sugar, which in turn causes blood sugar spikes and leave you feeling tired, hungry and craving more sugar. If you are really feeling like you need something sweet, try these awesome alternatives:Fresh fruit:?Naturally sweet and full of fiber, vitamins and minerals.Greek yogurt with cinnamon or fruit:?Rich in calcium, protein and vitamin B12.Dark chocolate:?LOVE THIS! Know that in general, the higher the cocoa content, the lower the sugar.A handful of dates:?They're naturally sweet and extremely nutritious. Dates are awesome snacks and oh so healthy!!Swapping sugar-heavy desserts for fresh fruit not only reduces your sugar intake, it also increases the fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in your diet.Food For Thought: Desserts such as ice cream, cakes and cookies are loaded with sugar and provide little nutrition. Switch to fresh or baked fruit to reduce your sugar intake and increase your fiber, vitamin and mineral intake.Let me see if I can surprise anyone. One more suggestion for you to lower your sugar intake – eat full-fat food. Why? Because low-fat and fat-free options are higher in sugar. Yes, it is true. If you have been told that fat is bad, it may seem natural to reach for these substitutes, especially if you are trying to lose weight. However, the unsettling truth is that they usually contain more sugar and sometimes even more calories than their full-fat counterparts. Example: A 4 oz serving of low-fat vanilla yogurt contains 4 tsps (16 grams) of sugar and 96 calories. The same amount of full-fat plain yogurt contains just over a tsp (5 grams) of naturally occurring milk sugar and only 69 calories. As I stated earlier, high sugar intake has been shown to cause weight gain. So when you are trying to cut your sugar intake, it is often better to choose the full-fat version instead. There is SO much more I could say about this subject; I have just scratched the surface. The bottom line is the average American consumes more than twice the recommended maximum amount of added sugar per day. Excess sugar in the diet can be incredibly harmful and has been linked to many chronic diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Do yourself a favor and choose a diet based on whole foods, rather than highly processed alternatives, to be fully in control of your sugar intake and not consume an excess amount of it.Make it a great day all! See you next week!!Tammy Cowden & Chance, too! Cutting Out the ExcusesOK so I know not everyone was born to run, loves to run, or even likes to exercise. I get that. But in order to lead a healthy life, exercise does need to be a part of it. And for whatever reason, human beings are amazing at rationalizing, even justifying certain behaviors. What do I mean? Here are a few examples: Do you prefer sweatpants to sweating, TV time to walking or jogging on a treadmill, and crunching on chips to performing actual crunches? Have you ever said “well, I already made one bad decision, so today is ruined. ?I’ll start tomorrow.” I believe many have. If you truly want to make some changes and Cut Out the Excuses, there can’t be any more of the “I’ll start tomorrow” because tomorrow will never come. Today is YOUR DAY! Are you ready to get started for real? In order for you to lead a healthy life, you need to get your head straight and understand a few key facts. Exercising for an hour is GREAT and depending on what you did, you probably burned 300-400 calories or more. But that doesn’t mean eating 1,000 calories of junk food justifies your work by saying “I earned this.” That is a losing battle. Tell yourself right now You are going to stop doing this! You ARE Worth It!Please understand your nutrition is 80-90% of your success (or failure) when it comes to losing weight and getting healthier. When I talk to members at the Y, this is what I stress first – diet, every time! Exercise does not have to mean run on the treadmill for 4 hours and be absolutely miserable. Your heart doesn’t know what you are doing, only that you are exercising. So choose something that you enjoy. There are lots of options. Exercise is anything that elevates your heart rate and takes your body outside of its normal comfort zone.Hear me please - Every decision you make counts and every choice you make adds up.??One bad decision won’t ruin a day. ?One day off won’t and doesn’t ruin a week. If you think about your decisions, they will and can take you closer or further away from your ultimate goal. Yes or yes?Moving right along…If we combine these 4 Facts we are left with this:Exercise is truly a bonus. It helps your heart get stronger, can help build muscle which burns more calories, usually gets you outside the house and absorbing vitamin D (sun), and brings you a long list of other health benefits.Exercise is not an excuse to eat unhealthy. Change your mind set. Instead of “I earned this” start telling yourself: “If I’m going to exercise, I might as well make it worth it by eating right too.” Doesn’t that make more sense? Exercising on a daily basis can be a constant reminder that you are working on you; that you are continuing to make good choices which is a win-win! And remember – You Are Worth It!Benefits of Exercise as We Age and Brain HealthExercise can improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills. To begin with, it increases your heart rate, which promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that can enhance the growth of brain cells. In addition, the ability of exercise to prevent chronic disease can transfer into benefits for your brain, since its function can be affected by these diseases. Regular exercise and physical activity is very important in older adults and as we age since aging – combined with oxidative stress and inflammation – promotes changes in brain structure and function. Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function, have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and possibly have improved thinking among people with vascular cognitive impairment.If everything you have read thus far has not sold you on Cutting Out the Excuses and getting you moving then I don’t know what will! Now is the time – it is time for YOU!! Let’s get moving!God speed all. See you next week!Tammy Cowden & Chance, too! Correction to last week’s article—I stated “ideally you want to eat a larger breakfast and a smaller meal for dinner. That is correct! However, later in the article I stated the incorrect percentage for breakfast. The percentage of your daily energy and nutritional needs should be 40% for breakfast, not 25%. My apologies! ................
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