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A Few Musings On A Beautiful Fall Day And A Startling Discovery

First, an update on my progress…I have been to the gym 40 consecutive days and it feels great. I now look forward to exercising and would likely miss it if I didn’t go.. I have also lost 17 pounds and my clothes are looser.

Today was “take care of me” day. I am feeling so much better than yesterday so I’m convinced that the weather was the culprit. I was feeling pretty frisky because I slept well last night, better than I have in the recent past. I got my haircut and my nails done and ran some other errands.

On my way home, I went by the high school that was just getting out. Very close to the high school is a Dunkin’ Donuts and the line to get into said Dunkin’ Donuts was out the door and into the parking lot and was comprised of all teenagers. The kids I saw coming out of there were all carrying super sized, or whatever their name for it is, sugary iced coffee drinks.

I decided to do a little research to get details around the sugar content of some of their coffee drinks. They actually have a 52-page .pdf file you can download with the nutrition information for what appears to be all their products.. I don’t go to DD so I don’t know what their full menu looks like.

First, I think it’s very brave of them to be so transparent with the information but what I saw was appalling. Some of their Coolatta drinks have more sugar in them than one should consume in a week. The large Kit Kat Coolatta has 202 grams of sugar! That’s more than a woman should consume in 8 days!!! It’s more than a whole cup of sugar…in one beverage. Can you imagine drinking one of those every day? Or even a couple times a week?

The really bad part of this is that the sugar amounts posted are added sugars. It’s not naturally occurring sugar in these foods which can actually be beneficial but it’s the problematic sugar that  can ultimately cause insulin resistance and lead to diabetes. It contributes to weight gain, mood swings, hormonal imbalances and a whole host of health problems. And if you think that drinking the beverages made with skim milk is a healthy alternative, you should think again. They too are full of sugar, far more than anyone should be consuming in one day, much less in one beverage.

The average healthy adult male should consume no more than 37.5 grams (9 teaspoons, 150 calories) of added sugar per day and the average healthy adult female, no more than 25 grams per day (6 teaspoons, 100 calories). Children should eat no more than 20 grams about once per week. Those amounts are not high considering a 12 oz. soda contains 35 grams of sugar. And also considering how much soda a lot of kids drink, that is very troubling. These amounts of added sugar are for healthy people. If you are already compromised by obesity, high blood sugar levels or other risk factors, your consumption of added sugar should be much lower and perhaps you should avoid it completely.

Sugar addiction is similar to drug addiction but it’s my opinion that kicking the sugar habit is more difficult because it’s pretty clear what the source of the drugs is. As for sugar, it’s a much different story. Sugar is found in foods where you wouldn’t expect to find it…think soup, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, condiments, low fat and non-fat foods, just to name a few. Sugar hides behind many, many different names and can be present several times on an ingredient label.

The bottom line is, avoiding added sugar in one’s diet is a little challenging but it can be done. I have successfully worked with clients to kick their sugar habit, to lower blood sugar and reduce weight. They have told me their lives were changed from working with me and I can help you change yours.

ICYMI…How about a sugar detox? I don’t have a fancy name for this program but I can tell you a little about it. We’ll begin on September 18th and end October 16th using Zoom.

If you want to get your energy back, lose a few pounds and generally feel better, this is the place for you. I’ll share some of the strategies I used to eliminate sugar from my life and to get back on track in my own weight loss journey.

Won’t it be nice to eliminate cravings, not feel that “hangry” feeling when your blood sugar drops, and to be able to control what you’re eating?

Click here to schedule a quick chat with me so we can decide if this is a good program for you. You’ll be glad you did.
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Karen

I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and I specialize in helping women who live with or are at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, lose weight and avoid medication.

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