sugar...

As some of you know, upon arriving in Encinitas I promptly enrolled in a school of holistic health. I am currently in a course to become a certified nutritionist. I started classes the first week we moved here, and been in classes for 3 weeks now. It's fantastic to be studying again, and I can't believe how passionate I am about all of this nutrition stuff! Kandice and J have encouraged me to write about this on my blog as they have been asking for weekly reports to inform them of the latest and greatest I learned that week. This is just on overall picture I would like to paint for you from what I have learned recently. If it's something you are interested in, read on!


So for the past 3 weeks, the focus of the classes has been S U G A R. Sugar! Big deal, sounds delicious right? Well I was appalled to hear the vivid details of what goes on in your body when you overload your system with sugar or carbohydrates. To sum it up, the human body doesn't have a compensatory mechanism or the ability to adapt to the massive quantities of sugar we put in it. So as we fuel our bodies with sugar or carbs, it spikes our insulin hormone creating a devastating path of destruction in the system.  It has become very easy to abuse our flight or flight hormones (Cortisol, Adrenaline and Insulin) with the rush of daily life, a quick meal on the go and a soda pop, very stressful environments, and a lack of exercise. When we spike these fight or flight hormones, we take away from the other hormones in our body which creates all kinds of health problems. If you look at some of the top causes of death in the USA you will find obesity, diabetes and heart disease... all directly related to sugar and carb intake. So taking sugar out of your diet is a seriously challenging thing to do. Why? Because we are addicted to it. J dog emailed me this great article from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog that I think sums it up perfectly.

Overcoming Sugar Addiction

"In the past generation we’ve seen the amount of sugar we consume grow exponentially. Until recently, we had been eating sugar mainly found naturally in foods. It was used as a treat or in small quantities and was never a problem. But today, over a third of the calories we consume come from sugar or white flour, which is highly refined and acts just like sugar in our system. Our bodies cannot cope with such an enormous load. Sugar gives you an initial high, then you crash, then you crave more, so you consume more sugar. It’s this series of highs and lows that provoke unnecessary stress on your adrenals. You get anxious, moody (sugar is a mood-altering drug) and eventually you feel exhausted.
Sugar is also associated with many chronic problems that include decreased immunity, some chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, diabetes, pain syndromes, irritable bowel syndrome, ADD, chronic fatigue, and candida. Research suggests that one of the main causes for decreased immunity is that sugars inhibit the entrance of Vitamin C into white blood cells, which then inhibits immunity. The more sugar, the less productive your white blood cells are and thus, the less immune you are. Furthermore, sugars stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas, which in turn stimulates the liver’s triglyceride production. Triglycerides are linked to stroke, heart disease and obesity. The list goes on and on. This week, Dr. Frank Lipman provides us with all the info on how to curb a sugar addiction. "



So what can we do besides cutting sugars out of our diets? Well, this is going to really surprise you as it goes against everything we are taught about eating "low fat," but if you eat a baked potato, eat it with butter and sour cream! This helps your body absorb fats along with the carbs and assists in regulating the blood sugar. And if the fats are "good" fats as in butter, cream, animal fat, avocado, olive oil etc... it is a great way to replenish your body with healthy fats.



Here are some tips to help you cope with sugar cravings

These were from Gwyneth's blog, but I have added some of my own tidbits!

• Have a breakfast of protein, fat and phytonutrients to start your day off right. Breakfast smoothies are ideal for this. The typical breakfast full of carbs and sugary or starchy foods is the worst option since you’ll have cravings all day. Eating a good breakfast is essential to prevent sugar cravings.
• Try to incorporate protein and/or fat with each meal. This helps control blood sugar levels. Make sure they are healthy sources of each.
• Move your body. Exercise, YOGA! Anaerobic exercise is fantastic for reducing the stress levels in the body, which in turn reduce the cortisol levels. Whatever movement you enjoy will help reduce tension, boost your energy and decrease your need for a sugar lift.
• Get enough sleep. When we are tired we often use sugar for energy to counteract the exhaustion.
• Do a detox. this not only does it reset their appetites but it often decreases their sugar cravings. After the initial sugar cravings, which can be overwhelming, our bodies adjust and we won't even want the sugar anymore and the desire will disappear. A detox doesn't have to mean starve yourself- try a detox with really healthy proteins and healthy fats to give your body a boost from the cellular level up.
• Don't substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar.
• Learn to read labels. Although I would encourage you to eat as few foods as possible that have labels, educate yourself about what you’re putting into your body. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely sugar is going to be included on that list. So check the grams of sugar, and choose products with the least sugar per serving. You will be shocked with what random things have sugar... like "sugar cured bacon." Really?? Or high fructose corn syrup in ketchup.
• Sugar in disguise. Remember that most of the “complex” carbohydrates we consume like bread, bagels and pasta aren’t really complex at all. They are usually highly refined and act just like sugars in the body and are to be avoided. These foods can spike your insulin just like plain white sugar does. Also, be aware that even fruits are packed with sugar, and the actual fruit you are eating has probably been so genetically modified that it has 3 times the sugar then it had originally. Fruit juice is not necessarily a healthy choice. Dilute your juice with water, or just drink yummy fresh sparkling clean water.
• And if your going to do it anyway... break down and have that bowl of ice cream ( like I do almost every night) then throw some almonds on it or some source of protein and healthy fat to help absorb that sugar is it goes down.