This post is a continuation of my thoughts from the post I wrote about my anti-sugar campaign .
For the content and support for this post’s title, I’d like to encourage you to read this infographic (really, please read it—when you click on it, it will open in a new window) .
My reaction to the infographic: I agree. And I have some thoughts.
I don’t want you to think that I believe sugar to be the only “worst” thing you could possibly eat—it’s really one of two of the worst, the other being vegetable oil (including canola). But I’ll talk about that another time. My point is that if you ingest sugar in a very very moderate way (think about how much sugar/carbs they ate in a day while working on a farm in the midwest in the 1800s—maybe an apple or some corn, one piece of bread…), and you also eat a lot of healthy protein and fat sources, and exercise (or be active) regularly, you can avoid the sugar=fat+sick equation.
My best tip for the carb/sugar problem is to always try and consume your carbs (simple or complex) with a protein, fiber, or fat. For example, if you must consume toast for breakfast, please put butter (from grass-fed cows), coconut oil, or nut butter on it (not jelly!). If you have fruit, eat it with some coconut cream dip (recipe soon) or nut butter. Doing this slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, and you’ll avoid (or at least minimize) the blood sugar spike and crash.
Something to note: I’ve noticed a lot of recipes on the Internet boasting that they are “sugar-free,” and this is amazingly frustrating to me when I look at the ingredient list and see “1 1/4 cup dates” as one of the ingredients. It is not only misleading, but it’s not a true label. I agree that some sources of sugar or worse than others (high fructose corn syrup tops the Bad list), but if you’re trying to watch your sugar intake, using dates, honey, or maple syrup (regardless of what positive qualities they have) is not helping you cut the overall sugar content of your food.
Note: I would choose a food source of sweetness if I had to choose one.
It might seem elementary, but I frequently have clients and students who misunderstand what actually “counts” as sugar. The processed food industry and government make it confusing (and don’t even get me started on the HFCS commercials put out by the Corn Refiners Association).
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the sugar/carb/weight topic!
Today, I spent the morning gathering more motivation and support for what I do—it was my wellness coaching day (corporate–which is so great because I get to see so many people in one day in one place). My friends there have so many great things going on (many of which involve cutting down/out sugar and processed food), and it makes me feel like what I do is so worthwhile.
Did you look at the carb/weight infographic above? (if not, you should!) If so, what do you think?
Do you think the average American can look at a food (processed or not) and know what macronutrients (carbs, fat, protain) it contains?
This post is a continuation of my thoughts from the post I wrote about my anti-sugar campaign .
For the content and support for this post’s title, I’d like to encourage you to read this infographic (really, please read it—when you click on it, it will open in a new window) .
My reaction to the infographic: I agree. And I have some thoughts.
I don’t want you to think that I believe sugar to be the only “worst” thing you could possibly eat—it’s really one of two of the worst, the other being vegetable oil (including canola). But I’ll talk about that another time. My point is that if you ingest sugar in a very very moderate way (think about how much sugar/carbs they ate in a day while working on a farm in the midwest in the 1800s—maybe an apple or some corn, one piece of bread…), and you also eat a lot of healthy protein and fat sources, and exercise (or be active) regularly, you can avoid the sugar=fat+sick equation.
My best tip for the carb/sugar problem is to always try and consume your carbs (simple or complex) with a protein, fiber, or fat. For example, if you must consume toast for breakfast, please put butter (from grass-fed cows), coconut oil, or nut butter on it (not jelly!). If you have fruit, eat it with some coconut cream dip (recipe soon) or nut butter. Doing this slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, and you’ll avoid (or at least minimize) the blood sugar spike and crash.
Something to note: I’ve noticed a lot of recipes on the Internet boasting that they are “sugar-free,” and this is amazingly frustrating to me when I look at the ingredient list and see “1 1/4 cup dates” as one of the ingredients. It is not only misleading, but it’s not a true label. I agree that some sources of sugar or worse than others (high fructose corn syrup tops the Bad list), but if you’re trying to watch your sugar intake, using dates, honey, or maple syrup (regardless of what positive qualities they have) is not helping you cut the overall sugar content of your food.
Note: I would choose a food source of sweetness if I had to choose one.
It might seem elementary, but I frequently have clients and students who misunderstand what actually “counts” as sugar. The processed food industry and government make it confusing (and don’t even get me started on the HFCS commercials put out by the Corn Refiners Association).
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the sugar/carb/weight topic!
Today, I spent the morning gathering more motivation and support for what I do—it was my wellness coaching day (corporate–which is so great because I get to see so many people in one day in one place). My friends there have so many great things going on (many of which involve cutting down/out sugar and processed food), and it makes me feel like what I do is so worthwhile.
Did you look at the carb/weight infographic above? (if not, you should!) If so, what do you think?
Do you think the average American can look at a food (processed or not) and know what macronutrients (carbs, fat, protain) it contains?