Sweet and Dangerous
Last month I opened and then immediately devoured a book called Sugarproof. After I finished the first two chapters, I was down in my kitchen going through my pantry at midnight appalled at the amount of added sugar I was finding in foods I thought were “healthy” for my kids!
As a health and wellness coach, I have always been aware of the dangers of hidden sugars in our foods. When I started reading this book it lit a fire under my ass to make it my mission to share more about where these sugars hide, how detrimental this extra sugar is to our health, our families’ health and our children’s health, and to share with you the benefits of reducing sugar in your diet!
Did you know that Americans consume on average 57 POUNDS of added sugar every year?! This breaks down to 70 grams of sugar A DAY!!! Can you imagine lining up close to 60 one pound bags of sugar and saying- “I ate all of this sugar this year!”?? This is just the start of what I found out when I went down the rabbit hole of hidden sugars. 74% of processed foods have added hidden sugars, and that includes the “healthy” choices we think we are making like Kind Bars, gluten free bread, grain and dairy free cookies, and even some of our favorite dairy free creamers! The American Heart Association recommends only 6 tsp of added sugar a day for women and children. That comes out to 25 grams a day- and we are coming in at 70 GRAMS A DAY!! Friends, I want to help you and your family break up with your sugar addiction and make healthier choices when it comes to your meals and snacks throughout the day.
There are COUNTLESS benefits to reducing/eliminating the added sugars in our diets. Consuming added sugars puts us at a higher risk of Obesity, Cancer, Cognitive decline, Diabetes, High blood pressure, and Cardiovascular disease. By reducing your added sugar intake you can reduce your risk of these diseases. If that isn’t enough of a reason for you to cut back on that sugar, let me share a few more amazing benefits of eliminating added sugars from your diet. You can gain more energy because you won’t be having those sugar crashes you are used to! You will have clearer skin, reduce belly fat, decrease inflammation, and stabilize your mood! Eliminating added sugar from your diet has a list of benefits a mile long, and these are just some that stand out to me!
I am so excited to sit down and chat with the authors of Sugarproof this week! Make sure to join me as we take a deep dive into the world of hidden sugars, and talk about ways to start eliminating this dangerous ingredient from our diets, permanently!