No more sugar rush!

In the past year or two, I've been reading up a lot on the issue of all  the chemicals, pesticides and nasty ingredients that are being put in ALMOST ALL of our food in America. Our body wasn't meant to have these added ingredients and chemicals and some of them are actually harmful for our skin, organs and health. In the last 6 months or so, it's been a personal decision of mine to be much more aware of the food choices I make for myself and my family.

I am going to share with you over the next few weeks the steps I'm taking to detoxify my body and improve my health.

Step 1:

*Eat way less sugar. If sugar is one of the first 3 ingredients in a product, I try not to purchase that item. It's hard to always spot sugar right away, as there are many different names and types. Be on the lookout for these ingredients, which are all types of SUGAR:

• Fructose
• Maltose
• Sorbitol
• Evaporated cane juice
• Syrups
• Xylotol
• Sugars ending in "ol" or "ose"

If you are aware of the sugar in food, you will at first be overwhelmed with choosing the right foods from the grocery store. That cereal you thought was healthy will astound you with the amount of sugar that's in it. And a cup of yogurt, a food we all view as "healthy", sometimes has as much sugar as a candy bar! YIKES!

What's a gal (or guy) to do?
-Well, for starters, stock up on produce and whole foods. Fruits and veggies do have sugar in them, but in the natural state and your body does need SOME sugar. Get it straight from mother nature!

-Choose whole wheat breads that don't have sugar listed as one of the first few ingredients. Many types of breads are LOADED with sugar!

-Try making your own snacks instead of purchasing packaged snacks. Purchase raw nuts (such as almonds) to have as a mid-day snack and energy booster. YES, it's very hard at first to forgo the packaged snacks and you will CRAVE them- you've been eating them for most or all your life after all! But after you get over the initial temptation, it becomes much easier to resist.

-Try using Stevia, Agave, or honey to sweeten things.

-Stop drinking sodas. Sigh. This has been possibly the hardest one for me, as I really did love a tall cold glass of Diet Coke every now and then. But check out those ingredients in that soda. Nothing beneficial at all. And loaded with sugar that actually can make you want to eat MORE sugar and unhealthy stuff. Plus it makes your blood sugar spike and then crash later. This is so true. I would feel like I absolutely "needed" a Diet Coke to give me some energy only to feel just as tired, if not more so, later on in the afternoon.


Am I never going to touch a packaged food item or a Diet Coke again? Of course not...I'm quite positive there will be times I will eat those things. But rarely, instead of on an everyday basis. And over time, I know my body will feel stronger, healthier and more energetic and I'll be thankful for it.


Here is a great article from Dr. Oz's website I read up on; some of the info I used in this posting came from this:
http://members.doctoroz.com/challenge/sugar-detox-challenge/#cmpid=em062812