1. Education 28-Day Sugar Free Challenge
We live in a world where sugar is not only found in sodas, candies, and baked goods. It is common in the clear majority of the foods we eat daily, making it is hard to fight the addiction to sugar our bodies have become accustomed to. In fact, the average person consumes 1/3 pound of sugar per day! Take Vitamin Water as an example, in a 20 oz. Vitamin Water, there are 33 grams of sugar, which is equal to the amount of sugar in three Krispy Kreme donuts! This is an excellent example of something appearing healthy, but not being healthy.
Take control of your health today, by participating in a 28-Day Sugar Free Challenge. A sugar- free challenge will improve your body both physically and mentally.
In what ways does sugar impact the body?
The way sugar impacts the body is more all-encompassing than research originally showed. Not only can it affect our waist line but it can cause negative behavior changes, nutrient imbalances, and bodily impairments. In addition, sugar can induce cell death, increase fasting levels of glucose, increase blood pressure, and increase the risk of developing chronic degenerative diseases. Read Dr. Mercola’s “The Truth About Sugar Addiction” for many more ways on how sugar negatively impacts the body. You can also visit sugarscience.org for new research on the impact sugar has on the body.
What sugars should be avoided in the 28-Day Sugar Free Challenge?
Refined Sugar: White sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar
Natural Sweeteners: honey, molasses, stevia, agave nectar, palm sugar, xylitol, maple syrup, etc.
Artificial Sugar: Truvia, Splenda, NutraSweet, etc.
What about naturally occurring sugars?
The purpose of the challenge is to avoid eating added sugars, therefore sugars found in milk, plain yogurt, fresh fruits, and vegetables are okay! Keep in mind that while you can still consume naturally occurring sugars, it is important to be mindful of the amount of fructose consumed daily.
Fructose is a form of sugar that does impact the stability of your blood sugar level. While fruit and vegetables do have fiber which helps combat the spike in blood sugar, it is wise to consume < 25g of fructose per day. It may be beneficial to track food intake in MyFitnessPal or another tracking system to accurately document the amount of sugar consumed through fruits and vegetables. The following page contains examples of the amount of fructose found in various fruits.
Tips for successfully completing a 28-day challenge
Shop around the outside of the grocery store to avoid the highly processed foods normally found in the middle of the store.
Meal prep your lunches over the weekend to be able to easily grab a container out of the fridge for lunch every day during the week. Being prepared will reduce the risk of binging on sugary snacks during the day.
Keep whole foods such as almonds, apples, and raw vegetables at your desk for a healthy snack during work.
Use online resources to find sugar free meals to prepare. Try visiting allrecipes.com then typing sugar-free recipes into the search bar.
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2. Fructose Levels in Common Foods
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From Corporate Fitness Works Team Leader, Stephanie Parsons