Sugar! a mindful eating approach

We eat ALOT of sugar!

Did you know that according to the American Heart Association, the majority of Americans eat about 20 teaspoons of sugar a day?

Did you know they actually recommend 6 teaspoons for women and 9 for men? This means that we are eating more than 2-3 times the recommended amount of added sugar every day. One 12 ounce soft drink has 10 teaspoons!

Sugar hides in most processed foods. It can be tricky because the label ingredients don’t say “sugar”. It may say corn syrup, rice syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, agave or any ingredient ending in  “ose”, like dextrose, listed in grams. 

Hint: To find out how many teaspoons of sugar you are getting, divide the number of grams by 4.

Become a Sugar Sleuth!  

Try this next time you're in the grocery store. Go on a little scavenger hunt – read the ingredients of foods before you put them in your cart. Is more sugar lurking in your food than you thought?

What about honey, maple syrup, agave and other natural sugars? They do have some nutritional benefit AND they count as added sugar. If you use them in your food and drinks or they appear on the food label, include them in your daily total of added sugar.

What about the sugar in fruits and vegetables? Sugar occurs naturally in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and even skim milk – all foods that can be included in a heart-healthy diet. In general, there is no need to worry about the natural sugars in whole foods like these.

Why is excess sugar so bad for us?

Excess sugar adds to inflammation which increases our risk for heart attack and stroke, cancer, diabetes, joint pain and other chronic diseases.

"But, Lynda, its so hard to give up sweets!"

I know! I am human too! I have this conversation everyday in my office. Here is what I recommend:

Practice mindful eating over restriction. 

  • First, notice how many teaspoons of added sugar you are eating each day.
  • Notice how you feel after eating high sugar foods.
  • Begin to substitute fresh fruit like the super sweet, delicious, and antioxidant containing berries that are in season now.
  • Use nuts to curb a sweets craving (bonus: nuts have the benefit of added protein).
  • Throw in some YUM! How about some heart healthy, dark chocolate? Hint: Look for chocolate that is at least 60% cacao.

Some tips for enjoying sweet treats. 

  • Take time and serve your treat to yourself. Focus on what you are eating. Enjoy every bite.
  • Make your own. This is one of the easiest ways to control the amount of added sugar. I have several recipes on my website.
  • Make small portions by using a mini muffin pan or a tablespoon for measuring out cookie dough. Try these strawberry muffins for a low sugar, protein packed treat.
  • Try roasted nuts and fruit with small pieces of dark chocolate for dessert.

As always, let me know how it goes! If you find this on social media, please feel free to comment. I always respond and I am happy to answer your questions!

Enjoy!

Lynda

 

Gluten Free Strawberry Muffin Recipe

Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins 

Keepin' it healthy! Some serious satisfaction for that sweet tooth!

Try them and let me know how they turn out.

Love,

Lynda

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup maple or palm coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 organic eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup chopped strawberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a 24-cup mini muffin tin by generously oiling each muffin cup, or line each cup with two paper liners to make it easier to remove.

Put the almond flour, maple sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Toss with your fingers until completely combined and the mixture is lump free.

Put the eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly add the oil and honey while whisking constantly. Add the vanilla and almond extract and whisk until well combined. Pour into the almond flour mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in the strawberries. Fill the muffin tin ½-¾ full,  place on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. If you didn’t use paper liners, gently run a knife or small offset spatula around the edges of the muffins to help release them.

Adapted from https://www.rebeccakatz.com/recipe-box/gluten-free-blueberry-mini-muffins

 

Simple Practices to Create Sustainable Wellness in Your Life

My personal mission is to create space for wellness in my life. 

This is a daily practice that includes my home, my clinical practice, this newsletter, my relationships, and my teaching.

We are each precious and unique individuals. We have an incredible ability to heal and be well.

When we give our bodies nourishing building blocks, we create a safe space for healing within ourselves.

It's miraculous that with nourishing food, restorative sleep, challenging or soothing movement, relaxing meditation or simple quiet and loving relationships with ourselves and others, our bodies, minds and hearts heal.

Now, it can’t all happen at once. Wellness is a lifelong process. It's great to start anywhere! 

Here are some simple ideas that you can incorporate starting now.  

I recommend choosing one of the following practices to incorporate into your life for the next 3 days:

  • Add 1 extra vegetable to a meal today.
  • Switch off your screens 1 hour before bed. Read a book instead!
  • Take a walk around the block.
  • Sit in a quiet place and breathe for 3 minutes.

I would absolutely love hearing from you about your learnings and I'm here for you and totally dedicated to helping co-create sustainable health and wellness! So don't hesitate to reach out!

My best,
Lynda


P.S. I have added some new wellness tips & recipes and information about my Free Nutrition Class! Hope to see you there!