If you had a hard time getting through “No Soda Day”, here’s a real treat for you! Today, just for today, try to go without sugar. Sugar has been named the bad guy in many a health problem. The most apparent is diabetes, but it also can be a major player in depression, yeast infections, headaches, and obesity, just to name a few.
I wouldn’t dare suggest that you or I go without it for longer than a day. That would be extreme measures indeed. You’d be rebelling against me in masses. I’d probably have to escort myself to the firing line, for that matter. We all know that sugar isn’t necessarily good for us, but it makes life a little sweeter and some days would just be impossible to get through without it. You don’t have to do away with all sources of sweetness for the day, just the white and brown grainy varieties. Eat fruit and use honey, just stay away from that snack cake that’s calling your name. Just for today, make yourself aware of where the sugar is hidden in your diet. If you had to go without, what permanent changes would it require of you?
I’ll even confess that I broke this Tip of the Day before I could write it. I knew it was “no sugar day”; but, when I woke up to -20 degrees, I automatically reached for the hot chocolate to go with my toast. Half way through drinking it, I looked down and said, “oh yeah, I guess I shouldn’t be drinking this”. Most of us consume a great quantity of sugar without even thinking about it. Some sources are very obvious, but a lot of others don’t necessarily shout, “Hi, I’m loaded with sugar!” when you look at them.
Sugar is very sneaky. It slips into the most harmless of food choices. Think about your flavored yogurts, your morning cereal (healthy ones, too), even your spaghetti sauce can have sugar lurking in its contents. Read the labels of your favorite foods as you prepare them today. Does that healthy soup have more sugar in it then the frozen meal you didn’t choose? How much sugar is in your brand of peanut butter?
Take a day off. One day will make you more aware of the amount of sugar you eat in the long run.
Related Articles:
Tip of the Day- It’s No Soda Day!
Reading Food Labels When You Have Diabetes