Momma B: 4 Habits to Reduce Sugar Intake

How much sugar are you actually eating each day?

Have you ever taken the time to tally up the amount of sugar you eat in a day? I guarantee you will be shocked.

We all eat too much sugar! Even when I was reading labels to ensure I was eating five ingredients or less I was eating too much sugar! The recommended daily allowance for sugar is 25 grams. That is only 6 teaspoons, and it adds up fast. If you drink a small Dunkin Donuts Strawberry Coolatta in the morning on the way to work, you have already taken in more than your daily allowance. That drink alone has 58 grams of sugar! A small French Vanilla Ice Coffee has 24 grams of sugar. Those are examples of beverages we often drink along with our meals. Imagine, between the drink and food, how much sugar you consume in a single meal... It's no wonder we can't lose weight, right?! Sugar isn't merely keeping us fat though, it also plays a large role in the development of many devastating illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many more.

Our bodies do require trace, (small), amounts of sugar to function properly, but the average American is consuming close to 130lbs a year of sugar a year! That certainly isn't a small amount. It's time to be more mindful of the sugar in our diet. Here are a few tips to reduce your sugar intake:

  • Eat regular meals. Do not skip breakfast! Start your day eating proteins and vegetables. This will help regulate your blood sugar levels so you'll avoid cravings for sweets throughout the day.
  • Eat whole foods. That means food in it's natural form, and, ideally, plant based - lots of fruits and vegetables.
  • Move your body! We often reach for sugary treats when we feel low on energy. Find your choice of movement to get endorphins flowing for a natural energy and mood boost. This can help reduce your sugar intake.
  • Get your sleep. As I mentioned above, one of the most common triggers for sugar cravings is being overtired. When we are sleep deprived, we reach for sugar to gives us energy. Get yourself on a regular sleep schedule, and be sure you are getting 8-9 hours each night, so that you wake up with ample energy for the day ahead.

Changing any one habit takes time. Focus on one thing from this list at a time to ensure these changes become habits that all contribute to your healthier lifestyle. Be kind to yourself and keep it simple! 

Momma B: Chew On This

Are you chewing your food or are you inhaling it? Did you know that chewing your food is just as important as the food you are eating?  Digestion begins in your mouth. When you don’t take the time to chew your food properly, your body won't digest as efficiently and you may experience all kinds of discomfort. The digestive enzymes found in your saliva begin the process of breaking the food you eat down, and preparing the nutrients for absorption. Chewing your food thoroughly is important for the maximum absorption of all the vitamins and minerals present in the foods you eat. When your food isn’t properly broken down, it can remain undigested and cause gas, bloating and indigestion. 

On average, most of us are only chewing each bite 8-10 times. This is not enough! We need to chew each bite at least 30 times.  This may sound like a lot, but the benefits you will get from one simple act is worth the extra time. This can help aid your digestion, boost nutrient absorption and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Aren't sure whether or not you're chewing enough? Start paying attention next time you eat to how many chews you do before you swallow. If you're far below 30 chews, make changes slowly: increase by 5 chews until you reach 30 for each bite. 

Here are more tips to help you improve your digestion by chewing:

- Put your fork down between bites. This way you don’t put more in your mouth while you're already chewing.

- Savor each bite. It's worth it! The more we chew the sweeter our food becomes.

- Turn off the TV and put away other electronics. Just focus on what you're eating. 

- Be kind to yourself! Creating new habits takes time. As long as you're not using your fork as a shovel, you're making progress :)

Momma B: Get Your Z's On to Get Your Healthy Back

I didn't sleep well for too many years... My youngest child didn't sleep through a single night for the first 11 years of his life. Add the duties of motherhood to the stress of a full time job at a hospital, and you can only begin to imagine how I felt, and even more discouraging: how I looked. At the time, I didn't even realize how much this was all negatively impacting me.

Now, I get made fun of because I make it a priority to get 8 hours of sleep. I'm in bed at 9pm - even on the weekends! Now that I've experienced the positive impact getting enough sleep has, no joke on my behalf will change my habit. For anyone who wants to make a step toward better health: make getting enough sleep your priority. You'll notice a difference within the first week - inside and out!

When we are well rested, our body is armed to fight stress and illness, wired to make healthy choices, and is visibly more vibrant. When lacking sleep, we are less likely to make good choices, our immune system is suppressed, and our dull skin and dark eyes make us look older. If you're tired, your body craves the quick energy boost you get from processed sugars, then the crash we experience from sugar highs creates even more cravings and diminishes any desire we have to exercise. It's a vicious cycle that affects our mood and, over time, may cause us to gain weight!

I'm a fan of attacking one challenge at a time. As I explained in my New Year's Resolution post on the 1st: committing to 1 new habit every month for the entire year will transform you and your health by the time 2017 arrives. Make your mini goal for January to get 8 hours of sleep at least 5 days a week. Once you achieve that, increase it to 6 days, then 7. Proper rest and recovery is your foundation for health and wellness. If you make it a priority you certainly won't regret it.

Momma B: Always Judge a Food By It's Cover

“The key is not great changes, but small changes you practice consistently, that will create great results!”
Challenging myself to eat food with only five ingredients or less is how I got started on my journey to eating real food. Before that, the idea of purchasing kale or anything else from the produce section was so foreign to me because these foods didn't come in a package with preparation instructions. The changes in my health and lifestyle have been dramatic since I started eating real food - foods that are grown and raised close to home - here's how you can get started:
“Change is never easy, but if you hold yourself accountable, the difficult will become your daily routine and the new will be your norm.”
To start the transition, focus on avoiding anything with ingredients you don't recognize or can't pronounce. By slowly working out those artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives as food options, you will eventually find your way to the outer perimeters of the grocery store - the produce section. It's intimidating at first though! It's hard to be creative and find recipes that keep you on track. In the beginning, it was common for me to not use the new foods I had bought at all, and I'd end up wasting them; but I knew these things I wasted were great for my body, so I didn't stop trying. Change is never easy, but if you hold yourself accountable, the difficult will become your daily routine and the new will be your norm.
Even if you don't notice a difference in how you feel right away, just remember that what you eat creates your cells, becomes your blood and influences your mind. These are all long term processes, which are the results of long term behavior, so stay committed to your transition to a happier, healthier lifestyle. The key is not great changes, but small changes you practice consistently, that will create great results!