The idea of "7 Days Without" is to go eliminate problematic food for a short amount of time - just a week. You can do anything for a week, right? You can always put the food back into your eating plan once the week is over. Just try it and see how you feel.
Today marks the start of Sugar Free Week.
The average American eats over 350 calories each day in sugar alone (about 22 teaspoons). The American Heart Association recommends added sugar intake be limited to 100 calories (25 grams, or 6 teaspoons) per day for women, and to 150 calories (about 37 grams, or 9 teaspoons) per day for men.
We've determined, the best way to improve health and fitness is to eliminate sugar completely - forever. But for now, let's try 7 days.
The American Heart Association’s Scientific Journal, Circulation, links high sugar intake to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, sugar increase belly fat which can lead to basically every other disease known to man.
For the purposes of this week, the "7 Days Without" guidelines are to eliminate processed sugar and artifical sweetners. If grains, flour and fruit are still a part of your eating plan, you are permitted to eat those provided they do not contain sugar. Just avoid sugar in processed foods and artifical sweetners.
The simplist way to go Sugar Free is to eat Real Food. Where you normally eat desserts and sweet snacks, eat vegetables and fruit instead. Berries and canteloupe are available at all the local Farmers Markets so stock up and eat up!
Here are two quick ideas to take the edge off: Freezee the berries you got at the Farmers Market. Once frozen, pop them in the blender with some protein powder for a delicious, refreshing snack or mini-meal.
For an afternoon pick-me-up, add pumpkin, nutmeg spice, vanilla protein powder, and a chilled little coffee in the blender and whip up an afternoon pick-me-up. (Egg White Protein Powder is available in the Pro Shop at CrossFit Ocean City.)
Sugar is hidden in many, many foods.
Read Labels!
The nutritional label lists the ingredients in a product in order. The more of an ingredient there is in the product, the higher up on the list of ingredients it will appear. Avoid any product where sugar is listed. This applies to all kinds of sugar:
- high fructose corn syrup
- beet sugar
- brown sugar
- raw sugar
- sorbitol
- mannitol
- cane sugar
- corn syrup
- dextrose
- evaporated cane juice
- honey
- maltodextrin
- molasses
- sucrose
- turbinado sugar
- agave nectar
You can do this!
