Health and fitness Beaufort

Breaking News: As of last month the World Health Organization (WHO) lowered their daily sugar intake recommendations from 10 percent of calorie count to 5 percent. That works out to about 6 teaspoons — or 25 grams — of sugar per day for someone whose BMI is between 18-25 (considered normal).

Why? According to WHO, “Many people don’t realize much of the sugar they take in are “hidden” in processed foods, according to WHO. A can of soda may contain up to 10 teaspoons or 40 grams of sugar. A tablespoon of ketchup has 1 teaspoon of sugar.”

How much sugar you eat in a day can wreak havoc on your health, skin, weight, mood, etc. But while it’s all well and good that the sugar guidelines have been cut in half, which WHO representative is going to clear out your refrigerator or follow you around all day slapping the high sugar foods out of your hands? The answer is no one. Even your Beaufort personal trainer can’t do that. So it’s up to you at the end of the day to make the right choices.

Now, if you’re like me (aka a sugar addict), you may get that craving anywhere between lunch and dinner and that’s when all hell breaks loose. You may have tried in the past to go cold turkey, and for some, that works, but for those of you who end up strung out, biting your nails and looking like you need your next hit of heroine, this just won’t do. Even working out with your Beaufort personal trainer, though it puts you and your body in the right frame of mind, it may not keep you away from the tub of ice-cream at night or from the birthday cake at the office. So how to you get off sugars? Let’s start by eliminating refined sugars (high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, sugar alcohol, and the like)… really bad stuff.

I can tell you from my experience being a Beaufort personal trainer that not all sugars were created equally. Refined sugars especially are harmful to your body in more ways than one. Including:

1.    A weakened immune system – I know that every time I fall off that sweet, yummy wagon, I get a severe cold. And it has been proven that sugar decreases our immune response.

2.    Increased inflammation in the body – along with gluten, sugar has been known to lead to inflammation in the joints.

3.    Stressing our organs – our livers does double time to process excess amounts of sugar in our bodies.

4.    Premature aging – Sugar contributes to Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). These AGEs damage the skin’s collagen and elastin, causing to appear more wrinkled and saggy.

5.    Mood swings – and the inevitable crash.

Here are some alternatives to refined sugars to help get you on the right track to kicking your sugar habit while letting you still enjoy the occasional sweet treat. NOTE: despite the benefits of these vs refined sugars, please use in moderation (about a tablespoon or 2 per day).

Raw Honey: Benefits – it contains high-antioxidant flavonoids, which can help reduce cancer risk; is also antibacterial, acts as a cough suppressant, boosts energy, heals wounds and can help regulate blood sugar levels.

100% Pure Maple Syrup: it contains zinc and magnesium, which can boost immunity. It soothes stomach pains, is anti-inflammatory and has polyphenols, which are rich in antioxidants.

Unsweetened Applesauce: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Why not try some applesauce too? This high antioxidants snack has soluble fiber, vitamins C and A and potassium, all of which can help promote heart health and proper brain function.

Coconut Water: Working out with or without a Beaufort personal trainer? Forget the sports drinks?and load up on high electrolyte, low fat, low glycemic index (unflavored) coconut water. Sport drinks have lots of sugar, which can lead obesity. And while we’re at it, we can source some sweetness from coconuts as well. Coconut Sugar, a great sugar substitute ?is made from the evaporated coconut palm flower sap. It has minerals such as zinc, potassium, calcium and iron and is lower on the glycemic index.

Cranberries, Raisins or Ripe Banana: Ripe bananas and dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries, can be ground up and substituted as a sweetener into baked goods. You’ll placate your sweet craving and get the added antioxidants and other minerals like potassium from the natural sugar.

Remember, what goes up, must come down. It’s physics… Unfortunately, the same goes when you eat lots of sugars. So skip the refined sugar and opt for one of these tasty sweet treats instead.