Soul Rebel Digest Vol 7.24
Guys...
I have had a MASSIVE sweet tooth the last few weeks.
I have felt super hungry all the time & my mood gets low when it's super cold . Any chance I get I am looking for a way to feel better & give me more energy to keep up.
Enter... sugar!
But how much better is sugar truly making me feel?
Short term, ok. Long term. Not great.
When this happens, it forces me to take a deeper look into what else might be causing this sudden intense craving around sugars, & for me, this is what I've come up with:
I haven't been drinking anywhere near enough water each day
My sleep hygiene is hindering the quality of my sleep - I'm on my phone in bed & I'm consistently having a snack after dinner before bed
My training has reduced from 5-6 days to 3 days per week
I was feeling a bit emotionally disconnected
I hadn't made time for quality catch ups with people
I was turning to sugar to fill my cup, instead of working what truly needed attention. But like I said, the pick me up from a sugar hit doesn't last long & it does more harm than good. Short term it's not good for my mental health. It makes me crash, I feel irritable & more tired, which in a vicious cycle, makes me want to do less of what makes me feel good. Long term, it's not good for both my physical & mental health.
So what is my focus to help kick the sugar this winter:
Drink more, add Sodii once per day
Get to bed earlier, no phone in bed
If I'm "hungry" after dinner, have some water. Food right before sleep is disruptive
Plan my week to enable training 5-6 days per week again
Have better conversations with loved ones, no tv 2 nights during the week
Organise catch ups or have a Facetime call
Anyone else find this relatable?
Or maybe you're trying to lose body fat, focus better at work, have better skin, fix gut issues or have more energy?
Is what you're eating helping or hindering you?
Don't get me wrong, I truly believe sugars or processed foods have a time & a place. I love celebrating a birthday with cake, a fun snack at the movies or pizza night with family! But in our modern world, consuming these foods mindlessly & regularly 'just because' has turned into 'normal' & is where we are running into problems with our physical & mental health.
To combat this, allow yourself to follow the 80:20 & simply know when you're going to indulge vs fuel! If being super 'strict' doesn't work for you long term, don't be.
I have found a few cool videos for you guys to watch, to get you more aware of what sugar does to your body & mind, where you may be consuming hidden sugars & a few ideas on how to reduce sugar in what you & your family eat for a healthier way of living!
First, check out this TedTalk "Sugar Is Not A Treat" with Dr Jody Stanislaw. She explains in a simple way how sugar affects your body & gives a cool example of one of her clients who consumed sugar regularly. This woman suffered from so many symptoms, constantly worried something was wrong with her, always asking for tests to investigate further. Only to take out sugar & after two weeks have huge positive results! Let me know what you think!
Hidden Sugars
We could all list some foods that contain obvious sugars - cakes, lollies, chips, soft drinks.
But what about hidden sugars?
You can find these in condiments, yoghurts, salad dressings, breads & more!
I found these cool videos made by Mingle Seasoning. The video on the left compares how much sugar is in BBQ vs sugary foods (I know, I am as disappointed as you are!). The video on the right shows how much hidden sugar is in some less obvious foods.
Were you already aware of hidden sugars? Have you learnt something new? Maybe you can see the amount of sugar now hidden in your pantry? We begin to minimise our daily intake of sugar by finding better alternatives.
So how can you tell whether a product contains added sugar?
It is as simple as reading the label. Find the ingredients list & notice what comes first. The first ingredient is the highest quantity in the product. I have attached some examples below. You can see with the yoghurt, sugar is the second ingredients, it's the first with the sweet chilli sauce & second with the stir-fry sauce. Sometimes you won't be surprised, but other times the added sugar amount will shock you
Lastly, I love Jamie Oliver.
I could watch him cook all day & if I won the lottery, I would pay him to be my personal chef for me & my family (haha!)
But he has this amazing project in America where he is trying to fight this war against obesity & teach kids more about food, where it comes from & what it can do for & against our bodies. He shows some amazing visuals throughout his TedTalk, particularly around sugar & the amount kids (& adults) these days are consuming. Have a watch & let me know what you think!
Teach Every Child About Food - Jamie Oliver TedTalk.
