Are you feeling the Sugar Blues?

Are you feeling fatigued, tired all the time, suffering from chronic headaches, struggling with your weight, battling mild anxiety or depression, catching colds too often,  or fraught with mood swings? 

Yup, it could be the sugar in your diet…

• Most Americans consume about 30 teaspoons of sugar everyday – that’s about 100 pounds a year!  Yeeks!
• Why do we consume so much of it?   Well it tastes good!  Consuming small amounts makes us want more, and when we go cold turkey we get headaches, cravings, mood swings, etc… sound addictive?  Sounds like it to me!
• What is this granulated white stuff?  Well, it is a highly refined substance that is processed through charcoal filters and, rumor has it, it gets bleached!  In the end it has no vitamins, minerals, enzymes, or amino acids.
• The end result of eating it: It enters the bloodstream rapidly causing spikes in your blood sugar, causing the pancreas to work overtime to produce insulin.  This can lead to high triglycerides and type II diabetes.  It can also wreak havoc on your immune system and deplete you of essential vitamins and minerals.   Following the sugar high comes the sugar low, leaving you weary and exhausted.

Are you ready to take the 7 day sugar makeover challenge…?

• Eliminate the unhealthy, empty calorie, disease causing substances from your daily routine – READ LABELS and avoid: Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar, Confectioner’s Sugar, Dextrose, Sucrose, etc.
• Eat more whole foods: They will leave you feeling fuller and provide all the wonderful nutrients your body wants and needs to be well.   Fruit contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support the process of metabolizing the “fructose”.   As I’m sure you know berries rank highest on the health list, as they are the lowest fruit on the glycemic index. Fruit should not be more than 15% of your diet and should be avoided for a period of time by those healing from cancer, candida, and diabetes. 
• Experiment with other natural sweeteners that offer more nutrients - Use sparingly: Raw Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, Dates, Coconut Sugar, Agave and Blackstrap Molasses. Other acceptable substitutes: Stevia, Erythritol, and Lakanto.  With the exception of Stevia, Erythritol & Lakanto, all of these sweeteners can raise blood sugar and should be eaten in moderation and minimally for diabetics. 
• Avoid artificial sweeteners all together – many have well recognized neurotoxins and can cause a host of other issues. 

Celebrating your vibrant health and abundant energy!

Janet E. Verney, The Wellness Designer

Reference:  Sugar Blues, Joshua Rosenthal, Integrative Nutrition