Do we need a refresher?

Hello All!

Wow, I am reading some of the blogs and facebook pages, and there seems to be alot of us who for so many reasons ( school, stress, vacations) have fallen back to our old ways. Why did it seem so easy for all of us, and now we are struggling?

Remember sugar is an addictive thing. When we get too much, we start that roller coaster ride, as our sugar surges, then plummets. When this happens we crave more, and if we eat more, the cycle continues. It's hard to believe that I was at the point where cookies, sweets, and even fruit ( fructose is a form of sugar, even if there are some componets in the fruit, like fiber, which does slow down the impact on our blood sugar) didn't have any effect on me.

So let's get back to the Belly Fat Cure basics. 15 grams of sugar is all you should have for the day.  Even if you are not following the Belly Fat Cure, the current recommendations from the American Heart Association are listed below. One teaspoon of sugar is about 4.2 gms of sugar.

"The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calories allowance. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons. The AHA recommendations focus on all added sugars, without singling out any particular types such as high-fructose corn syrup. For more detailed information and guidance on sugar intake limits, see the scientific statement in the August 2009 issue of Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association."

I also found this article while web surfing. It's from BetterNutrition.com. and the article talks about Jorges' Belly Fat Cure plan, and gives a neat little synopsis of the guidelines.

"Eat Only a Little Sugar—Too much sugar elevates the hormone insulin, which leads to fat storage, especially around the belly. Aside from being cosmetically unappealing, belly fat is extremely dangerous because it increases the risks for diabetes, heart disease, infertility, and some cancers; weakens the immune system; and accelerates aging. Sugar also promotes an endless cycle of overeating and weight gain because it blunts release of the hormone leptin, which signals that we’ve eaten enough.

Researchers estimate that from the early days of civilization until about 200 years ago, humans ate no more than 15 grams of sugar per day, or about three teaspoons. In contrast, the average American now eats the equivalent of more than 47 teaspoons of sugar each day.

Cruise recommends returning to that 15-gram limit—about 5 grams for each major meal—as a realistic strategy that allows you to enjoy food while losing weight and keeping it off. But you have to pay attention to food labels. A single serving of flavored yogurt, for instance, can easily contain 25 grams of sugar. About 5 grams of that is lactose, a form of sugar naturally present in milk, and the rest comes from the flavoring. An unflavored Greek yogurt, on the other hand, comes in under the 5-gram limit. And it’s generally higher in protein than other varieties, which makes it more satiating.

Use Natural Sugar Alternatives—“I think artificial sweeteners are worse than white sugar,” says Cruise. For example, aspartame damages the neurological system. And sucralose, found in many “low carb” and “sugar free” foods, destroys good gut bacteria and contributes to bloating and irregularity. Instead, try natural sweeteners such as stevia and erythritol, as well as xylitol in small quantities.

Eat Smart Carbs—Cruise considers carbs from whole grains, vegetables, and fruits to be an integral part of healthy eating. But only in moderation. Specifically, The Belly Fat Cure includes 6 servings of carbs per day, and defines one serving as between 5—20 grams of carbohydrates (under 5 grams doesn’t count)."

I'm reading Maria Emmerich's book Secrets to A Healthy Metabolism right now. I'm reading it slowly, as I seem to do everything these days, due to lack of time. It all makes so much sense. I don't know if I have it in me to give up whole grains and complex carbohydrates forever. Yet when I read articles like this paragraph below, I see that it might be the best choice for health.

"We all know that sugar is bad, but we mistakenly believe complex carbohydrates are healthy and we need to eat them in abundance. BUT what if I told you that "Complex carbohydrates" and "Whole Grains" are just glucose molecules hooked together in a long chain; the digestive track breaks it down into glucose...also known as sugar. So a "complex carb" diet and a "sugary" diet are pretty much the same thing.

Whole wheat bread is high in sugar, higher than some candy bars and sugary sodas, and some scientists have proven that two slices of whole wheat bread will raise your blood sugar levels as high as if you were eating a candy bar.

Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate; which can be natural such as lactose (milk sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar), or can be refined such as sucrose (table sugar). All starchy foods, like potatoes, and sweet foods, like fruits, raise blood sugar quickly. When digested they are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream, causing an increase in the hormone insulin. Insulin clears sugar and fat from the blood and to be stored in the tissues for future use. This causes weight gain. No matter where the carbohydrates come from; 4 grams of carbohydrates equal one teaspoon of sugar in our body. Let me say that again…4 grams of carbohydrates equal 1 teaspoon of sugar in our body. So with that thought, a small Blizzard has 530 calories and 83 grams of carbohydrates; which equals 21 teaspoons of sugar. A nine ounce bag of potato chips equals 32 teaspoons of sugar!


Okay, that's alot of info to digest, but I think it's good to get back to the basics if we have fallen off the wagon a bit. Remember this is a journey. There will be bumps in the road, and we might even  get lost along the way, but we have the "MAP' for where we need to go. So revisit it and stay the course with your destination in mind. Get back on track with me! Don't give up!! We CAN do this!!!!  Sending you all love and hugs! XO

On a side note, Alice mentioned she couldn't get Jorge's new menu. Here is the link. I hope you can access it.

http://www.jorgecruise.com/storage/SHB_2No-SugarDays.pdf

Here is a link for the free video that he sent as well:

http://www.jorgecruise.com/slimhappybelly/here-is-your-video-meeting.html


Thought for the day:  In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength but by perseverance.

~ H. Jackson Brown

http://www.jorgecruise.com/storage/SHB_2No-SugarDays.pdf