December 14th Newsletter
{I chose to use this Santa picture because Santa is the epitomy of sugar-overconsumption, is he not?! And plus, 3 kids NOT crying on Santa’s lap = perfection!}
I know this is probably the worst time of year to think about reducing your sugar intake! I mean, with all of the holiday parties and festivities going on, including dinners, cookie exchanges, and cozying up near the fire with some Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider, thinking about cutting [any] of this out seems absolutely brutal and completely unwarranted! Why would you want to ruin the Christmas season?!?
Well, let me start off by saying I’m in no way planning on “ruining” your Holidays, and want you to indulge, enjoy and be merry right along with the rest of ‘em! But with that said, you can still treat yourself while having a healthy mindset about it all – which is exactly what my Nutritional Philosophy is all about! When it comes to eating – and being healthy, in general – any changes you make need to be “lifestyle changes” and are the only way you are truly going to stick with them.
Sugar is an addiction and for some, can be much harder to reduce than one would hope. Like most things in life, this change takes commitment but with a few simple steps, you’ll be able to reduce your sugar – and subsequently your risk of diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and obesity – in no time!
I’m giving you a list of 9 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Sugar Intake, but if you just start off with a couple of these, and then gradually add another 1 or 2 week by week, you will have mastered the whole “eating less sugar thing” in no time flat – and will feel better on both the inside and out because of it! Plus, if you do reduce some of your most commonly occurring sugar “sneaks” throughout your every day, then indulging on that 1-piece of pie at the Christmas table won’t seem nearly as regretful – and will most likely be even more enjoyable!
If you want to read more about the types of sugars that are hidden in our foods, nutritional labels, etc., please check out one of my previous Blog Posts: Eat Less Sugar. But if you are ready to get right into it, here you go!
9 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Sugar Intake:
- Sweeten your morning coffee or tea with natural sweeteners such as Erythitol, Stevia and Monk Fruit. These won’t raise your blood sugar (and don’t contain any sugar grams) but still give you that sweet taste.
- Use fresh bananas or berries to sweeten yogurts, pancakes, cereals, etc. – instead of always turning to sugar or maple syrup.
- Buy fresh (or frozen) fruits instead of fruits that are canned, especially those in syrups.
- Drink water instead of flavored beverages and juices – or add real fruit to your water if you need some sort-of taste. Tea is great too.
- When baking, try cutting the sugar by ½ and add in a little natural sweetener (ie, Erythitol, Stevia and/or Monk Fruit) to sweeten it up just a tad bit more. Better yet, just use these and cut out the other sugars all together. You’ll be amazed at how good they will still taste – and how people won’t even notice that there isn’t any sugar!
- You can also use unsweetened applesauce or overripe bananas instead of sugar in recipes.
- Remove sugar, maple syrup, honey and molasses from your pantry and table.
- Try using spices, such as ginger, cinnamon or vanilla, instead of sugar. A little bit can go a long way here.
- Look at food labels and avoid foods with over 7 grams of added sugar, per serving. You’ll be surprised at how hard this is to do! However, if you can’t give up the food, then just eat half of it. This will at least save you some of the sugar grams… And then hopefully, over time, you will be able to give up more and more of these sugary foods.
- *BONUS* – since it is the Holidays and I’m sure there will be a lot of alcohol consumption in these next couple weeks or so: choose cocktails that are only sweetened with fruit juice, and even then, ask for just a splash. One of my go-to’s: Vodka with Club Soda and a splash of Pineapple Juice. Or better yet, stick with champagne. You’ll be surprised at how few sugar grams it contains – especially compared to mixed cocktails! {A flute of typical Champagne or sparkling wine of a Brut variety (dry), which is the most commonly drunk, contains less than 2 grams of sugar. That is around half a teaspoon of sugar for a glass.}
Sugar is one of those foods that the less you eat, the less you’ll crave – seriously! In fact, if you stop eating it and start turning to naturally sweet foods, you’ll quickly realize that those other sweeteners that you used to enjoy are way too sweet now!
Don’t believe me?! Try it!! Give it 3 weeks! Or even just 1 if you don’t think you can go that long! Yes, the first 3-5 days may seem like hell as your body begins to detox itself, but just hold strong for a couple more days and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel!
You CAN do it!!! As always, thanks so much for following along with me on my Motherhood journey, and please, if you have friends and/or colleagues who you think would love this info as much as you do, SHARE this Blog and Newsletter with them. LIKE us on Facebook and FOLLOW us on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to stay connected as well!
Oh, and if you’re looking for a great way to make this Holiday Season [and any special event, for that matter] easier, than check out Paperless Post! It’ll save you time, while also helping the environment (by saving paper), as well!
