Health & Wellness
Becoming
WeighSmarter many options available, and one of them is to skim through the list and laugh, and to continue eating the way you do now. Another option is to take baby steps and eliminate sugar over the course of a few months. You can also stop consuming sugar immediately — eating healthy most of the time with just a treat here and there. You get to choose whatever suits your needs, and as I said previously, you even have the option to ignore the entire list if you don’t feel ready to make changes. Some of you might even say, “I don’t believe it will make any difference in my life.” And it’s okay to say that, as long as you believe what you’re telling yourself.
By Esty Weiss
Sugar and Its 57 Cousins Let’s talk more about our “sweet tooth.” If last week’s article on the effects of sugar empowered you to take action and reduce your sugar consumption, that’s awesome. If it didn’t have much of an effect on you, then I encourage you to continue reading this article anyhow. Now, as human beings, we are very integrated, and if we’re not feeling well physically, our emotional well-being will suffer. Similarly, if we don’t feel great emotionally, we risk compromising our physical health. Since there is no separating the different aspects of ourselves, in order to function at an optimal level, we need to satisfy every component of our well-being. What most of us never even get to experience is how great it can feel to eliminate sugar from the diet (and yes, that includes artificial sweeteners as well!). Unless you have been off sugar in every form for a few months or more, you can only guess what it feels like.
57 NAMES FOR SUGAR:
ALL PROBLEMS SOLVED? Will all your problems be solved when you go off sugar? The reason I ask this question is because clients bring it up quite often. And as much as I want to say no, the truth is that yes — eliminating sugar from your diet will be amazing for your health. Let me explain: When you’re physically and mentally stronger, you can handle issues and situations in a more rational, objective way! Life comes with challenges, and by remaining clear-headed and healthy, you see benefits in every issue you tackle. Can you eat sugar and still overcome the struggles in your life? Yes, but the effort required of you is very different when you’re coming from a healthier place. Can you still drive an old, rusty car? Of course! But how far will it take you, and how comfortable will you be? You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that when you feel better, you perform better. Your immediate environment — especially your family — will be affected by how you feel, either positively or negatively. Before I delve into the 57 names for sugar and its cousins, I feel that it’s important you know that there is no need to get overwhelmed. There are
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Life comes with challenges, and by remaining clear-headed and healthy, you see benefits in every issue you tackle.
For some people reading labels is a hassle, and for others it’s actually quite enjoyable. You know yourself best, and personally, when I read the labels of products that are organic and healthy, I enjoy every minute of it! But when it comes to the aisles of the supermarket where most of the food contains some form of sugar, or an ingredient I can’t even pronounce, I hardly bother looking. That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do, because some products are definitely better than others, but that’s the way I shop for food. If I see something new or advertised as “healthy,” it will usually catch my attention — that is, until I read the list of ingredients. It’s truly amazing what manufacturers consider healthy or sugar-free. So, for those of you who are into reading labels, or if you are curious about the different names for sugar (some of these names can fool you into thinking that the product is healthy), then here we go: Agave nectar, barley malt, beet sugar, blackstrap molasses, rice malt, brown sugar, buttered sugar, cane juice crystals, cane juice, cane sugar, caramel, carob syrup, caster sugar,