ARO COACHING
Reducing Added Sugars
By Nicky Ruszkowski
What we eat is the fuel the body uses to move, repair, recover and grow. These days its incredibly difficult to make sure that the food we eat is free from artificial additives and chemicals that have no place in our bodies. Realistically it's about trying to do the best we can with the knowledge and tools we have available to us. With that here are five basic eating habits that will improve your health and body’s ability to function.
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Reduce consumption of added sugars
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Reduce consumption of refined grains
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Moderate protein intake.
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Increase consumption of natural fats
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Increase consumption of fiber and vinegar
We’ll explore each of these in more detail in future articles but here let's address #1, reducing consumption of added sugar. Fresh, unprocessed foods in their natural state will always offer your body more nourishment than foods that are processed or packaged. These processed foods typically have added sugar or sweeteners, which among other things spike insulin levels in the blood. Insulin is responsible for moving sugar from the blood to the cells. Too much sugar means over production of insulin. The effect here is that the body’s insulin levels stay elevated on a fairly consistent basis, which prevents the body from using fat as fuel and instead promotes fat storage. It also leaves people more susceptible to diseases like diabetes.
A great starting point would be to focus on one meal each day. For many people breakfast can be a source of poor nutrition, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Examples of breakfasts that contain added sugars are pancakes, muffins, most granola, cereals, most breads, fruit flavored yogurts, juices, jams and jellies. Fruit in its natural form (no smoothies), with a plain probiotic yogurt and chia seeds sprinkled on top makes a delicious and nutritious breakfast. If you eat dairy then an omelet with fresh veggies and full fat cheese is a low sugar and nutritious breakfast. Your other option is to skip breakfast. If you’re not hungry, you don’t have to eat (a good rule in most circumstances).