By Kac Young PhD, ND, DCH
Continued from part 1 of this article…..
Which foods contain large amounts of sugar?
Sugar can be found in a wide variety of foods ranging from fruits to candy. It is important to determine the source of the sugar in your diet. Most of our sugar should come from fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, which contain natural sugars and also include vitamins and minerals.
Added sugar is found in items such as cakes, candy bars, sodas, and fruit juices. These items contain additional sweeteners in addition to the naturally occurring sugars. Foods with added sugars tend to be high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals.
What are the negative health effects of eating too much sugar?
A diet high in sugar can lead to weight gain, diabetes, nutrient deficiencies, cavities, and dental plaque.
Diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, loss of mobility, dependence on insulin and heart disease.
#3. Switching from sodas and sports drinks might initially foster some resistance because sodas are readily available everywhere, their enticing advertising brain washes us into thinking we’re cool if we drink them, and choosing an alternative requires that we go off automatic and think about our health. The solution: get creative and praise your family for making better health choices every time they do. Praise trumps a soda anytime.
– Choose infused water over sodas when shopping or dining out. Add mint, lemon, grapefruit or lime for a kick or use sliced cucumber or herbs for a more mellow taste.
– Select iced tea, (green, black, herbal, spicy, sweet) but not the bottled sugary, flavored ones. Pick a naturally brewed, unsweetened iced tea.
– Use seltzer or club soda with a splash of fruit juice for flavor and color.
– Choose iced coffee and make it with almond milk for sweetener.
– Store-bought smoothies and fruit drinks can be loaded with sugar, so make your own at home with ice, sugar free sparkling water, berries or melon and chopped mint.
– Low sodium broth is also a treat hot or iced in the summer.
Invite your family to participate in the switch from sodas to healthy drinks. Provide prizes for the most creative concoctions and post the recipes on your Face Book page. Be proud when anyone close to you makes a healthy choice and share the success with others. This one modification can save your family members future pain and disability.
– Kac Young , a former television director and producer, earned her PhD. in Natural Health and is a Doctor of both Clinical Hypnotherapy and Naturopathy. While earning her Doctorates in Natural Health and Naturopathy, she completed 36 courses in nutrition from Baylor University. She is the author of 10 books. Her flagship company, Heart Easy, is a system of nutritionally sound, delicious meals that promote heart health, long life and great taste. Traditional recipes are turned into heart healthy meals that anyone can make. The health results are outstanding. Learn more http://www.HeartEasy.com