Love - Hate Relationship : Sugar



cupcake sugar cookie



Oh sugar how I love you but our relationship is just so wrong. We must part ways, forever!

Trust me... I love sugar and hated the thought of giving it up. I do treat myself on the rare occurrence though (everything in moderation, I say). I feel amazing when I'm off sugar and I can instantly tell the difference in my body (the way it moves and feels) once I've had sugar.

Studies have shown that people's sugar addiction is equivalent to people who have an addiction to heroin or cocaine. Scary but it's true. Once your sugar levels have dropped after getting the sugar "high" your body starts to crave it again. You start to feel sluggish, tired and cranky and the first solution your brain sees is to get another sugar high. This is when you reach for the piece of chocolate and relief rushes over you.

Lots of people don't realise that there is sugar injected into their every day food purchases. When the label on the product says "low fat" it means they have probably tossed some sugar in there so it still tastes good. Bonus for the company is that you will get that craving for the product again because of the sugar. Now they've got you coming back for more!

Even natural sugar from fruit is recommended to be eaten on an empty stomach and with no other food. This is to help prevent the other food in your stomach becoming waste (non-nutritional). I like to use this simple guide with fruit:

If you want fruit before a meal, wait 1 hour after eating the fruit before eating a different type of food.

If you want fruit after a meal, wait 2 hours so the food is able to digest before enjoying the fruit.



Birthday Cake - A special treat 



Here's some other helpful tips to help fight the sugar bug:

• If sugar is in the first 5 ingredients on the box = put it back!
• Ingredients ending in "-ose" = sugar
• Sugar cane may be a "healthy" sugar but it's still plain and simple sugar.
• Avoid sugar in the supermarket by sticking to the perimeter to shop. No up and down the isles. Food should be Fresh.
• Avoid drinking your sugar: juice, special coffee and alcohol are great examples of loaded sugar drinks.
• Create a habit: when you go to reach for that sugar bite, build up that will power and say no. After 7 times of saying no it becomes a habit and it becomes much easier!

Bonus about getting rid of that sugar addiction to improve your overall health?? :  you might even find that your waist starts shrinking!

How do you stay away from sugar? Any helpful tips?