DAY THREE: “Shake the Sugar” 21-Day Challenge

(Warning…a little bit of read and watch today.  But you’re worth it!)

We had a fire pit last night and our kids enjoyed some s’mores.  Within 10 minutes, they were bouncing off the walls, and one literally out of control.  I’m just SO intrigued and driven by how much “sugar” truly affects our behaviors, mindset, abilities, and daily activities.  Sometimes we just don’t even notice what it’s done to us because we’re so altered and highly addicted as a society!

 

I got a question yesterday about “How much sugar should I be eating?”  To answer that, the focus of this Challenge is about monitoring how much added sugar is in the foods you eat.  We aren’t doing a total carbohydrate watch or a low carb or no carb challenge.  I want you to evaluate the ingredients lists and look for those key words mentioned from Day One.  If you look at the nutritionals under Carbohydrates it will tell you a sugar amount, but that is measuring all types of sugars and fibers.  Most “Diets” will tell you to eat between 40-50% of your day in carbohydrates, which includes totals of  vegetables, grains, fruits, etc.  Our focus on this challenge is watching your “refined, white sugar” intake, as it is added to and hidden in sooooo many foods!  This will take time, but remember, you’re investing into YOU!

To give you a “how much” type of answer, I did find in my research in an article dated April 11, 2012 by Kimi Harris (access HERE, and #11 on her list) that some professionals suggest, as she writes, “Appleton, the previously mentioned author of “Suicide by Sugar,” found that two teaspoons of added sweetener at a time is the threshold for healthy individuals, no more than two to three times a day. “  This suggestion is also made using a goal of using sweeteners such as raw honey, Stevia, or maple syrup instead of white, refined sugar.  Good rules of thumb to apply and helpful when you do your To-Do for today and set your goals (see below!)

TO DO:

–Watch this 15 minute video on Sugar….it was eye opening and the sooner I share the science behind the why of the effects of sugar, maybe the easier it will be for our Challengers to stay with it!  Watch the video HERE!  (If you’re like me, you can let it play in the background while you multitask on something else!  I had it playing on my phone while I did laundry!)

-Continue journaling your sugar intake.  Maybe you’re already seeing and feeling a difference?  Is this less than yesterday’s intake?

-By the end of today, take the time to tally up how much of your usuals you’ve eaten each day.  How much sweetened coffee, sodas (diet and regular), hard candies at your desk, handfuls of M&Ms, cookies, granola bars, protein bars (yes some are sweetened!), sweetened yogurt, frozen yogurt, scoops of ice cream, etc. made the list?  Is it what you expected, more or less?

-With those numbers in total, come up with your Sugar Goals.  You have hard numbers above that represent your habits.  Within the next four days (the end of week one), I challenge you to cut those numbers by 50-25%.  If you’re drinking four cokes a day, can you go to three or two?  If your AM yogurt is sweetened, can you substitute it with unsweetened options?  If you have a sweet treat every afternoon, can you skip a day?  These are your goals based off your habits.  You have to be the one to make the call….and then work at it!  Just be realistic, but push yourself a bit, too!

-For those of you that are able to go sugar free and your goal is zero sweets, work it….you’re on a roll!

Remember, even if you’ve fallen off, just.keep.going!  YOU are in charge, not the food!

-Mindy

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