Sugar, Sugar

Most of us know by now that sugar has addictive properties and that's it's a major factor in the obesity epidemic. I've had this information in the back of my head for years now but didn't take it very seriously, since it was easier to ignore and eat as I always had. Head-in-the-sand syndrome! When I embarked on my healthier living journey at the beginning of January I drastically reduced the amount that I ingested (aside from the occasional treat.) I've started using fruit and honey to sweeten my baking now. What I didn't realize was that withdrawal symptoms can be quite nasty...comparable, in some severe cases, to withdrawal from certain narcotics. Happily, my green smoothies, honey and almonds were just the right combination to provide a buffer. This article from Natural News.com gives some handy pointers on avoiding withdrawal and kicking sugar to the curb once and for all:

Break a sugar addiction within a week using three easy steps

Tuesday, September 18, 2012 by: Brad Chase

(NaturalNews) Refined sugar is a drug that is similar to opiates in its power to become addicted to it. The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs stated in a study published in 2010 that sugar releases euphoric endorphins in some people's brains in a manner very similar to that of certain drugs which are commonly abused.

"Sugar addiction" follows the same pathways in the brain that a habit-forming drug does. Fortunately, sugar cravings can be stopped within a week of withdrawing from the white crystals.

The entire scope of drug addiction has been observed in people with sugar addiction. There are cravings, an escalation of tolerance levels, and dramatic withdrawal symptoms associated with sugar addiction that parallel that of both prescription and non-prescription "street" drugs. In addition, sugar addicts often become narcotic addicts, according to the above study.

The study, performed at California State University, found that children of alcoholic parents often had a "sweet tooth," and were more likely to become alcoholics themselves when they became adults. There are also genetic markers connecting sugar addictions with alcoholism, bulimia, and obesity.

Raw, organic fruits and vegetables form the first step in breaking a sugar addiction

The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is to make sure all fruits and vegetables consumed are 100 percent organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are full of natural sugars, or complex carbohydrates. Not only does organic produce taste better, the complex carbohydrates break down slower than simple carbohydrates do. This means the body does not send "craving" messages as quickly to the brain.

Substitute pastries with whole grain bread and raw honey

While those on an ancestral diet may cringe at the suggestion, a person who is just beginning to transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD) by breaking a sugar addiction can dramatically reduce sugar cravings by eating a slice of homemade whole grain bread drizzled with raw, unpasteurized local honey.

Whereas someone on the SAD might normally reach for a quart of their favorite ice cream and the better part of a bag of cookies for an evening snack, homemade bread with raw honey is a wiser, healthier choice.

According to MyFitnessPal.com, there are approximately 290 calories in just one cup of a commercial brand of vanilla ice cream, along with 16 grams of fat and 30 grams of refined sugar. By comparison, a 1.5 gram slice of homemade whole grain bread contains 100 calories, 1.5 grams fat, and 18 grams of complex carbohydrates.

Drizzling a whole tablespoon of raw honey onto the slice of bread adds 70 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Rather than eating 28 grams of refined sugar from a cup of vanilla ice cream alone, sugar cravings are reduced by eating 15 grams of raw honey.

In addition, the destructive chemicals in refined sugar are replaced with the scientifically proven anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and appetite-regulating benefits of raw honey.

Break the need for crunchy snacks with raw nuts and trail mixes

Raw nuts and seeds along with natural trail mixes made with dried, unsweetened fruit are perfect for the person who is breaking a sugar addiction. Raw nuts and seeds offer protein, energy, and healthy plant fats.

Trail mixes, as long as they do not contain added candy or sugar- sweetened fruit, contain an interesting combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats which help tide an individual over until meal time. There is just enough natural sugar in trail mix to offer an energy boost without a sugar spike.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037337_sugar_addiction_habits_raw_honey.html#ixzz2KFB79pTL

Day 13: Evolution?

After only 2 full days of eating 90% "clean" (as in no processed foods, refined flour or sugar) I'm feeling absolutely fantastic again. So why is it that even though we all know that we feel better when eating healthy, we still get lured so easily into unhealthy habits? You would think that the brain would make the connection: "I feel amazing when I do THIS, I feel awful when I do THAT." Yes I know the arguments; we are sabotaged by clever marketing strategies to get us to eat poison...corporations want us all to be sick so they can make more money off of us...our culture is set up in a way that encourages a junk-filled, sedentary lifestyle. Yes, yes and yes. I don't disagree with any of that, but it still doesn't explain how humans evolved this far by consciously making decisions that made them feel awful. Are we all just a bunch of masochists? Or is it that the social rewards (real or imagined) override our need to be healthy and thrive? I'm thinking that's the real issue at hand. Well luckily I'm an somewhat cynical introvert trained in psychology who can forgo the social rewards and be perfectly okay with it! Take THAT society!

On a less defensive note...my friend recently started making green smoothies for herself, and she suggested trying pineapple. It sounded delicious, so I picked some up and replaced my berries with a cup of chopped pineapple. It was like a tropical breeze in the middle of our cold, dark winter. I'm a pineapple convert now! And the benefits of this fruit are right in line with my needs: it's an anti-inflammatory along with being great for healthy bones and connective tissues. Thanks for the suggestion my friend!

Today's smoothie recipe:
1 banana
2 large kale leaves, chopped
4-5 cups mixed organic baby greens
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple

Day 12: Aloe Vera Awesomeness

We all know that aloe vera is very effective for topical use on burns, abrasions and minor skin irritations, but it was news to me that you could also get some amazing benefits from ingesting the gel. With a list that rivals even garlic, this article piqued my interest:

http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html

The article goes quite in-depth, but here is a list of the main benefits from Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor at NaturalNews.com:

- halts the growth of cancer tumors
- lowers high cholesterol
- repairs "sludge blood" and reverses "sticky blood"
- boosts the oxygenation of your blood
- eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain (ding, ding, ding!)
- protects the body from oxidative stress
- prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea (another personal concern of mine)
- balances overly acidic dietary habits
- cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn's disease and other digestive disorders
- reduces high blood pressure
- nourishes with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients
- accelerates burn healing
- helps to halt colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract
- ends constipation
- stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics
- prevents and treat candida infections
- protects the kidneys from disease
- functions as nature's own "sports drink" for electrolyte balance
- boosts cardio performance and physical endurance
- speeds recovery from physical exertion or injury
- hydrates the skin and accelerates skin repair

So after reading the entire article and doing some additional online research about aloe vera, I wanted to give it a try. Sadly it's not readily available in Alberta in its pure, ready-to-drink form, and I don't have an aloe vera plant in my house (maybe I should!) I followed the link to "Good Cause Wellness" based out of Arizona, where they offer pure, unadulterated aloe vera powder dehydrated from its gel form, but still retaining all of its benefits.They don't raise any scam alarms, so I went ahead and ordered some.

I will be adding the powder to my green smoothies when it arrives, and will hopefully start feeling the benefits after a few weeks. For now, I will continue to use the ingredients I have at hand. This morning I varied my recipe by replacing the banana with greek yogurt (yum!), and tossing in a 1/4 cup of ground flax seed. It completely altered the taste obviously; the greens tasted a lot more prominent (I didn't realize how much the banana flavor masks everything), and the flax added a nutty taste and grainy texture. It was more filling as well. All in all it was  satisfying, but I think I'll stick with my banana in the future.

Day 2: Green Smoothie Goodness

Isn't it pretty? I've been drinking green smoothies for about a year now, and am trying to incorporate it into my diet every day. Some weeks are better than others, and it depends on the availability of organic greens. (Leafy greens are considered a "dirty" vegetable pesticide-wise, so it's best to go organic in this department.) Since I invested in a Vitamix blender it's super easy to whip one up. I've even got my picky-eating daughter drinking them now. Our fave recipe is 1 banana, several cups of baby spinach leaves (I stuff the blender) and a cup of red grapes. Add a bit of water for consistency and zap it. Voila: quick and delicious (for real! And I HATE veggies normally.)

So this morning after my honey-cinnamon concoction I blended one of these beauties and got an awesome kickstart to the day. Speaking of which- I found that boiling the cinnamon in water on the stovetop, then adding it to the honey in a mug worked much better for dissolving everything. No gelatinous lumps this morning, and the house smells great too.

Unfortunately my cold kicked into high gear when I got home last night so I was unable to face a session of yoga. Downward dog with a throbbing headache and achey joints? No thanks! I spent the evening comatose on the couch watching old episodes of Alfred Hitchcock instead. (Not to mention hot chocolate with a healthy shot of frangelico. Yum.)

Thankfully the cinnamon honey drink and green smoothie went a long way towards soothing my sore throat and restoring some energy. Also, my lower back definitely isn't as sore as it normally would be when I get a virus. Coincidence? Maybe....but maybe the cinnamon is doing its job already. Cheers to that!