We all know that water is the best fluid for our body. But because of its "lack of taste", it is not always the first drink we reach for. I would like to encourage you to "rethink your drink" as the picture below states. Why? Because water is the catalyst for every metabolic reaction in the body. Because being hydrated is good for every organ in your body. Sugar, as we have discussed in nearly every blog post is toxic to our body. Real sugar has shown in studies it can create an acidic environment which means you are more likely to develop conditions such as osteoporosis, and thyroid dysfunction. It is also linked to obesity, therefore a culprit in the development of diabetes. Sugar is also a immune system depressant, a contributing factor to ulcer, kidney stones, and some types of cancer. We know sugar is bad and we may try to avoid these foods in our diet. But what about in the things that we drink? Sometimes we forget that there are added sugar in many of the liquids we consume.
The amount of sugar in our soft drinks should frighten you out of drinking anything but water. Make sure you are reading labels and being conscious of the the amount of sugar you are consuming in your beverage. I wish this picture also showed coffee, sweet tea, and latte's. I think these products we consume just as much as milk and pop. How much water are you consuming a day? The majority of people live in a constant state of dehydration. Make sure, especially in this summer heat, you are consuming plenty of water. The average person should consume half their body weight in ounces of water every day. For every ounce of caffeine you drink you need to add an additional ounce of water to balance yourself out. Best way to be sure is to track it in a log for the first week until you build some good drinking habits.
I am so sorry it has been two months since my last post. As my new business is growing, I am finding that I have more on my plate than I can sometimes handle. I have made a decision that I will open up this blog to talk about a lot of health related topics in relation to myself. I found that since I am pretty much on track with the sugar thing... I don't always have much to write about (without sounding repetitive). But as life happens, new issues with health come up and I will continue to do weekly posts on my wellness happenings in general.
I will give you a brief update on the 365 days with no sugar. I have clearly fallen into a routine I am very comfortable with. If you have not read my blog before, I made a commitment in December to live 2012 sugar free. What I decided in February is I have no desire to eliminate ALL sugar from my diet. The foundation of my entire business is built on the concept of finding healthy ways for a lifetime. Now, although I would agree complete separation from all sugar would be a good thing, it is not a lifestyle behavior I care to engage in. My general rules for sugar are no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial sweeteners. I also am not eating any baked goods (sweets- such as cupcakes, cookies, donuts, ect... I have given up many things that I love to eliminate these from my diet. I mainly do raw honey and fruit now. The reason I have kept honey is for the purpose of making my homemade protein bars, and my chicken pesto pizza crust. On top of I believe honey has some health benefits I can justify. I have, since January, had five small slips on the sugar... I have not been perfect. Two of those were 2 small chocolate chip pancakes (which are made from whole grain flour, wheat germ, egg whites, flax meal, and almond milk. The chocolate chips are minimal... but they are still sugar. So much better than 2011!! Overall I have learned that I can be driven by emotions to eat things I really do not want to it. I always knew that, but this challenge brought to light that my mind can over power my desire to be sugar free on occasion. My diet is way more natural and I am feeling so much better! I believe getting a majority of the sugar out has been a great way for me to improve the quality of my cellular health. I have not lost any weight... but what I have replaced the sugar with are things like cheese, which I never ate before, and I have put honey on a banana, apple, or piece of whole grain bread... which I never ate before. I do not crave the junk food, I do not crave sugar. I have less desire now to eat a baked good than every before. I feel like I have found a moderate life style that I can truly live in for the rest of my life. I have found my grove. I will continue to stick with this plan for the rest of the year, if not longer.
So in the future in my blog, I will be giving you more of a play by play on my diet, how it continues to evolve, but not necessarily in relation to sugar. I want to touch on hydration, quality, stress eating... ect.
Thanks for reading!
Since this challenge began, I have not had the added stress of trying to remain sugar free while on the road. Well, this past weekend, I went to Chicago with 3 girlfriends for a week of shopping! I figured, "This is cake! I will just lead by example", after all, that IS what I do! Those of you who know me understand my love for the city of Chicago. Sights, sounds, smells... It is heaven on Earth as far as I am concerned. The morning I left, I packed all my snacks. I even posted it on my EVOLVE facebook page. A picture of the apples, almonds, hummus, veggies, and oatmeal. We took the train, which departed from East Lansing at 8 am on Friday. The ride down went well. Staying in full control of my choices. Feeling empowered to do well! I did, however, have a glass of Sangria on the train. One of my February partners commented that sangria has sugar. Yes, it has sugar. Strike one!
When we arrived we went straight to the hotel to check in. We were hungry even though we snacked on healthy munchies on the way down. When we looked out the hotel window we noticed that Gino's East was in our back yard. We went and had some lunch before the shopping venture happened. This was a no brainer for me. Not that pizza has sugar, but it would set the tone for the eating the rest of the weekend. Lucky for me, I do not like pizza. Well, actually, I LOVE the taste, but I do not love the fact it is about 800 calories per slice! I said no thank you to the pizza and ordered a grilled chicken sandwich.
The day continued to go well. Every time I walked past a Starbucks... which is a lot in Chicago... I had to do a lot of self talk to tell myself I did NOT need a latte. It is part of the typical Chicago experience. I mean Starbucks and taxi cabs define Chicago, right?? I would say this was by far the biggest Challenge I faced on the trip. It was cold, and rainy, and I was in the city of Starbucks. But I managed to talk myself out of it each and every time. Go Jenn!!
That evening, as we were getting ready for dinner, I had my 2nd fail of the trip. Tedra went to Garrett's popcorn shop right before we headed back to the hotel, and as we were getting dressed for dinner, we opened a bag of Chicago style popcorn, meaning it had cheddar and carmel. Well, I did not do as well resisting the popcorn as I did the Starbucks. I had about 2-3 handfuls... it was not a lot (I don't love popcorn) but none the less, I had some. Carmel popcorn, I am sure, has plenty of sugar in it. The rest of the weekend went well, eating stayed on track!
On the way home, I really took some time to think about what all this means. I mean, is it that I am not as dedicated as I think? Or is it that I just don't find it necessary to completely avoid sugar at all costs?? Looking back, I would have choose the Starbucks if I really wanted to cheat... but I did not make that choice. The outcome was actually baffling to me since I chose something I don't really like, yet I avoided the one thing I would have truly enjoyed. So strange!
I evaluated what this journey has meant for me. I have learned a ton about the dangers of sugar. I have learned the significant dangers of HFCS. I have learned to manage the amount I consume daily, which is virtually none. My diet has improved significantly! On this journey I have learned to have more self-talk with myself before making food choices. I feel better, healthier, and more in control than I have ever felt. To me, that is what the journey is all about. Some of you may be disappointed in the few "cheats" I have had. But I have always preached, it is not about perfection, it is ALWAYS about self improvement. I knew when I grabbed that handful of popcorn, Monday would be a day of confession to my readers. I actually think that was my first HFCS in over 70 days. And I am still faithful with my "no artificial sweeteners". I will continue the rest of 2012 on the same journey. I will look to be stronger in my decisions and make good choices because I love my body, and I will choose what is best for it.
Not only that, but I know this blog has helped some of my readers, and that is SO worth it. So what is next?? Same thing, new day. The two days I have been back I am right back on track. I hope to continue to inspire, learn, and grow stronger in my mentally ability to control what I chose to eat. Fitness/wellness is a continuous journey. It never ends... but continually redefines itself. And it is a journey I love!!!
Thanks for reading! Have a fabulous week!
Yes, today was a rough day for sure. I am not sure what happened. I can not put my finger on what triggered my response. I know the last 10 days I battled some health concerns that had me in a panic, however, turns out I have amazing blood... says my cardiologist. He says I am in "tip top" physical condition. Is that all I needed to hear to assume that eating something "bad for me" was perfectly acceptable? I am not sure the reason, but I will confess, here and know, that this morning I caved into 2 chocolate chip pancakes! Those of you who know me know they are my biggest weakness. Now, for the record, I do not make HORRIBLE quality pancakes, but I without a doubt broke my "no sugar" rule :( Even though they are made with Kodiac whole grain mix, flaxmeal, and egg whites, they STILL have chocolate chips in them.
Now, up until today I would have told you I am not sure that I felt much different and I have not lost weight. I know I have felt good and have been very productive, but I also just quit my full time job as a trainer... so I have more time and AM getting more sleep. However... I had time set aside to prepare a presentation for a large company that I will be the keynote in all three of their 2012 wellness conference locations. This is HUGE for a new business to get this opportunity! After eating the pancakes, within 30 minutes I felt extremely unfocused, sluggish, and just plain out of it. Almost as if I was getting sick. I realize almost 60 days without can do that to you... but I was shocked at the way my body was feeling. After about 2 hours of being totally unproductive and being unable to focus or read, I closed up shop and headed to the gym. I really have felt like I was getting my groove back at the gym, bringing my "A" game every workout. Not today.... today I brought maybe my "C" game. About 20 minutes into my workout I began to get shaky and feel really tired. I could feel the frustration building up inside of me. Anger, irritation, disappointment... all of it. But then I had an epiphany! I did not need to beat myself up over my mistake. Actually, I am going to be thankful. Because now I see how the sugar makes me feel. It makes me want it LESS than I did yesterday. Part of this journey is being real... real with the people who look to me to give advice, encouragement, and direction. I am human. I am not perfect, just like you. You too will have days like this, but the question is, will you let it overtake you? Or will you triumph over it? I know I came home from my workout, drank 2 glasses of pure water, took a deep breath, and planned out the rest of my day. Your mental mindset will determine your success. I can not undo what has been done, but I can move forward and stay focused on my destination... which is to remain as sugar free is possible for the entire year! Thanks for reading!!
"This has been much harder and much easier than I had thought. I started Feb 1 and the first 7 days I was consumed with the thought of eating something sweet. My eyes would gravitate toward anything sweet that I would see. Even things I wouldn't normally be interested in; like the fudge display at eye level in the grocery store. My eyes just homed in on that fudge and I stopped to stare at it. Would never have done that before. So the first week was just my voice in my head convincing myself to say "no" about 25 times a day. Which I did with success. And that is all good, and I have not had one slip up. That sweet fixation has subsided and I am no longer feeling deprived. But what I am doing is replacing that sugar-fix with too many other foods that (while better than candy, cookies etc.) are not necessarily great in quantities that I am consuming. Cheese is a biggie. I find that I am eating high-fat snacks. For instance, last night I had 3-4 oz. of Gouda cheese with some whole grain crackers or an apple. Before bed. I am happy that I am not eating sugar because I know how bad it is for me. I can't say that I feel that (physically) different yet, except to say that I feel good about being disciplined about it. I haven't lost any weight and might have even gained a pound or two. I have already decided to possibly continue this beyond my one-month commitment. We'll see!" Jenine- I did the same thing when I started. It took me about a month to figure out how to "replace" those foods. I, like you, did dairy which caused me to GAIN a few pounds. Now that I have found my groove, the extra few are off and I feel much more stable. I will gladly take you in March as a partner again!!! Keep up the good work. You are
Greetings everyone. Yes, I am still on the "no sugar" bandwagon. It is slowly just becoming a part of life. In the mere 54 days I have been going at it, I have fallen off the wagon only one time. Well, I use wagon loosely. I had a bit of organic cane sugar in a granola bar. 5 grams of sugar to be exact. I am finding I do not miss the HFCS at all. I do not miss the artificial sweeteners either. I do, however, miss chocolate. I have found that there are days when I crave it horrible, and I have to continually remind myself to stay focused. This does not come without effort and a lot of self talk. I do mean A LOT of self-talk. When you hit that crazy temptation, do you talk to yourself and think about the consequences of your actions?? I tell my clients "Ask yourself, will your choice take you closer or further from your goal". That is really what I want you to ask yourself. If you can answer that questions easily and without guilt, you are most likely making the best decision for you at the time. One thing with focus, is distractions come at us daily. We have to be ready to defend ourselves with the best possible answer. I know for me, being true to my word and my goal are far more valued than that split second of enjoyment I will have from the bite of chocolate. My February partners seem to be doing well. One has emailed me multiple times to let me know she is struggling. That is REAL! If we set out on a journey without the expectation of obstacles we are going to set our selves up for failure. Thank you for your continued support! February partners... hang in there!!
I was very excited to get an email from a client who is a current February partner. Just so you know, she has struggled with poor food choices for many years. For her to do this for a month was a great challenge. I was excited to get this email, it truly means a lot to me. This is exactly why I do what I do...
Hi Jenn,
I am so proud of myself and just wanted to share it with you. On
Thursday and Friday at work there was so much junk...cookies,
brownies, cake and candy and I didn't even want to eat any of it. Last
night my husband when to Meijer for bulk candy. I wanted some so bad but
then decided it just wasnt worth it. I realize it is so unhealthy and makes my
acne worse. Instead I had plain fage yogurt with unsweetened cocoa powder,
Splenda and chopped almonds. I know you are against artificial sugar but I
decided not to give it up for myself.
I have been terribly sick the last 7 days and just am feeling so down
both mentally and physically. Having this goal to eat healthy is
helping me. As you know my self image is terrible but doing this is
really helping me. Thank you for inspiring me to take better care of
myself.
Thank you for being honest, my friend, and for letting me share this email. Changing a habit is never easy, but when you keep your eye on the desired result (for her it is improved skin and better energy) it can allow you to be a bit more focused!! Starting with that vision is crucial. Also, it is about taking it one day at a time. I know you can do this, just remember why you are doing it. Thanks for being an inspiration to others as well!!
Well, January partners the month is almost over. Only a few of you made it through the month with your original challenge. I know that change is hard. But I really want to encourage you to stay focused. To those of you who gave up in the middle of the month, your journey is NOT over! You need to recommit to yourself the possibility of better health! I appreciate your time and energy. It was not in vain. I hope each of you take away something from the experience. I do want to leave you with food for thought. First, I want you to ask you to really think about your vision. To me it is the most important step you can take. A journey is not easy, but the end result is WHY you keep working. Now, I have confessed on here to having to modify my original commitment. I think that is okay. I think in order to be successful in any goal, you have to be excited when you think about the opportunity it will bring when you incorporate that change. If all you do is stress about what you are missing, it will be a daunting and painful journey. If you set standards that set you up to fail... that is not a desired result. Think about what is important to you, but more importantly stay focused on the "WHY" you are doing it! I received an email from a client today that brought me to tears. On her journey, she has hit every imagination obstacle! She had a tough financial stretch, she had health issues, she had some family things (her mom) she was dealing with, and now, her trainer(coach) went into retirement. She did not always stay focused. She fell off the wagon many times, but she continually got back on the journey! She was able to do that because of her "WHY"!! She kept it at the forefront of her mind and never let go of it. It was an amazing opportunity for her to share in something special with a loved one, but not if she was not in good enough health to enjoy it. That is the type of dedication I wish for each of you. That along this journey you find a vision and belief that you are worth better health. That you are worth the change. I am proud of everyone who gave something of themselves to be part of my cause. To the February partners... it is game on Wednesday, begin to plan and organize your food, time, and create that strong vision. 30 days is the challenge. You define it, you live it. I support it! Good luck :)
Beliefs... they are the driving force to our actions! They will determine the success of our journey. Do you agree?This journey of being sugar free has been quite the learning experience for me. I have not been perfect, and I am finding it is not in my beliefs that abstinence from total sugar is an appropriate goal. This is what I know: I have been great about not having any high fructose corn syrup. Why? Because I truly believe it was not meant for human consumption. I believe it is highly toxic and contributes to obesity. Because my beliefs align, it is simple to give it up. I have been able to avoid most artificial sweeteners too. I am only doing a small amount of branch chains which have only 1 gram of sucrolose. I have never been a big sweet eater so that is also not hard for me. What is hard is totally eliminate it because there are times I want to make something homemade that may have dried fruit, such as the famous Emery bars, named after Emery Max, one of the smartest and most talented men I have ever met. I do NOT believe that this is an unhealthy choice, and since my beliefs do not align I have not been successful. I have to practice what I preach. Either I need to change the belief about the health value of dried fruit, or I need to change my goal. Because the only way I can be successful is if my belief is aligned! I challenge each of you to think about your goal. Think about what you are trying to achieve. Do your beliefs align with your vision? Do you understand the value of the goal you set? If your beliefs are not in line, I would encourage you to change them or your goal. My friend Rebecca challenged me in an email (all the way from Australia) to stay on course for this challenge. She, on the other hand, is very focused on her journey. I will need to ask her what her beliefs are about sugar. I am guessing her beliefs are different than mine. Now, Rebecca is an extremely disciplined person. But I still think that her beliefs align with her goals. So let's say you decide to give up that little piece of chocolate every day. Sounds like a great goal. Maybe deep down inside you simply do not believe that a small piece of chocolate has any consequence to your health. Will you really be focused to give it up? It will be much harder than if you believe that chocolate IS harming you! Education is the key!! If you educate yourself about your health and are pro-active in making decisions you really BELIEVE improve your quality of life, you will more likely to succeed.
Well, It is officially January 4th, and the holidays are over. How did I do? Well, I was NOT perfect, but I was pretty darn good considering the amount of sweets and sugar that passed me by over the whole 7 day holiday buzz. My "oh-no" moments?? I will confess, I am okay with what I chose to do. On Christmas day, I ate a half of a chocolate covered pretzel made for me by my wonderful niece Katie. It was a gift, and I decided to indulge. Later in the evening I had a piece of my mothers home-made pumpkin bread. When I was up north at my mother in law's house I had 2 buckeyes. Yes, chocolate and peanut butter. Proudly, I said no to the rest of the wonderful cookies and baked goods, desserts and treats. And during that 4 day stent of time I also only had ONE glass of red wine. Those of you who know me understand this in itself is an improvement!!
Well the holidays are over and I am still trying to figure out "how" to eat. I laugh when I see myself write that... it seems ridiculous! However, baby steps... as I already recommended, are happening every day. Yesterday I spent the day making a sugar free cookie, which received rave reviews from clients today. I also developed a new barbecue sauce (free of high fructose corn syrup!!) that is outstanding. I will list it as the recipe of the month for January by the end of next week.
My PH friend Mark asked me to help define the differences in sugars, which will be my next point of business. I can not tell you I have it figured out, but I will slowly over time try to define sugars for you. Today, lets focus on fructose. There are two kinds of fructose. There is fructose found naturally in fruit, which is abundant in minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. There is also crystalline fructose, which is altered. Crystalline fructose is a processed sweetener derived from corn. High fructose corn syrup IS made from corn, but has fructose added. When those two are together, the body does not recognize the substance. It see's it as foreign, not natural. Instead of breaking down in the digestive system,like fructose in fruit, it is forced to break down in the liver, which means it also skips the process of releasing leptin, which is a hormone that suppresses appetite... which ultimately means, we don't stop eating! This is the big claim against the makers of HFCS is that it causes us to overeat, therefore adding to american obesity. Secondly, the liver will turn this type of sugar into triglycerides and eventually will store as body fat. The third, and most terrifying fact I learned about high fructose corn syrup is that it causes cancer cells to proliferate. Fructose in high amounts, causes tumor cells to thrive, but high fructose corn syrup causes them to multiply rapidly! That is really scary! Fructose is in natural fruit which is rich in nutrients. We don't consume so much fruit that we need to worry about becoming toxic. But did you know that over 90% of our "packaged" foods contain high fructose corn syrup? It is in everything we eat!! So the concern becomes that our body is saturated with this deadly processed sugar! It really comes down to moderation. I know after research, I have a strong desire to get all of the HFCS out of my diet, and to-date (15 days) I have not really had any, at least not consciously. I know I am being very proactive in taking control of my health and my destiny by choosing to eliminate it from my diet. Technically, table sugar is also 50% fructose, but again, it is more concentrated than in fruit. The biggest problem with table sugar is not even the fructose... that is just a very small part of what is wrong with table sugar. I have a great video I will link at the end of this blog. The way it is processed and processed, and processed, is the reason you should not consume table sugar. We can talk about table sugar another time... for now, enjoy the video.
Finally, to my fabulous January sugar free partners: Jill, Jac, Linda, Sheryl, Emery, Vicki... thanks for your support and for choosing to be proactive with me to improve your health!!
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