By Linda Hom


Many of you have written to tell me that due to life's commitments, you
were unable
to attend my Sugar Blues Lecture so I decided to bring the lecture to you.
Below
is the skinny on Sugar.
We all have sugar cravings. For some of us, it happens early in the
morning and
we try to satisfy our needs by eating sweet pastries or drinking coffee in
hopes
of getting through the day. For others, it occurs around 3pm when our
blood sugar
level drops and we need that energy pick-up until dinner. Perhaps you are
a late
night "raid-the-refrigerator" type. Whenever your craving times are,
it's important
to know that these sugar cravings are our body's way of telling us that we
need
more energy.
Our body needs sugar. The simplest kinds of small-chain carbohydrates
which we
commonly call sugar is made of monosaccharides (glucose). Glucose requires
no alterations
to be absorbed and is responsible for most of the energy that we receive.
Glucose
is responsible for help functioning of the nervous system and is the sole
source
of energy for the brain. Where and how much sugar we get is crucial.
For most of us, we get our sugar from chemicalized processed foods like
cookies,
baked goods, ice treats, soft drinks and juices. The problem with getting
your
energy from those sources is that our body processes these sugars very
quickly
and we get SUGAR OVERLOAD.
As a result, a couple of short-term health effects happen:
1. your inslin level spikes and drops very quickly resulting in energy
highs and
lows... this is the Yo-Yo effect and results in a constant feeling of
tiredness.
2. your body cannot use all the calories from these sources of sugar so it
stores
it all in your cells and tissues resulting in weight gain.
If this dosn't make you want to watch how much sugar you eat in the long
term, note
that sugar can ruin your health. Sugar can-
* increase cholestrol
* contribute to diabetes
* suppress the immune system
* weaken your eyesight
* cause hypoglycemia
* create adrenaline fatigue
...... much much more!
According
to The American Heart Association, women should limit sugar intake to
100 calories -- that's about six teaspoons. Men should limit their intake
to 150
calories or about nine teaspoon. The average soft drink has anywhere from
10-16 teaspoons of sugar in a can! Sugar even sneaks into many of our even
"healthy"
foods. Look very carefully and read the labels. Some yogurt, for
example, has more sugar then ice cream.
What should we do?
* Read all the nutrition labels: sugar comes in many different names, corn
syup,
fructose, dextrose, sorbitol or evaporated can juice...there are over 40
different
names for sugar. Be careful. Always look and see how many grams of sugar
is in
the packages. About 4 grams equal 1 teaspoon (exact conversion is hard to
pin point
but this will give you a good guide line).
* Substitute with natural sweeteners like agave nectar, honey or brown rice
syrup.
*Swap processed foods with natural whole foods like, whole grain, fruit and
veggies.
* Mind your cravings: when your body is craving sugar, figure out what is
causing
it and address it. Are you stressed, anxious or angry?
*Be a coach to yourself or find a coach who can help you find a balance.
Next time you need energy, a chemicallized, sugary snack will only lead to
a crash
in a few hours. If you satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthy snack, your
body
will think you.