Dirty Fruits

I recently came across some information on Prevention.com regarding organic produce. I am not a huge follower of organic foods due to the simple fact that I have 4 boys and with the amount of food they consume, we would go broke if I bought all organic fruits, vegetables and meats. But I thought I would pass on this info regarding a few types of fruits that seem to be a bit "dirtier" if you may. It seems that peaches, bell peppers, celery, apples and strawberries are more likely to carry pesticides to your table. It is harder to clean off pesticides from soft skinned fruits and vegetables and consequently they are more likely to linger after you have washed them. The sticker on a piece of produce tells you if it was grown organically. Look for a 5-digit number beginning with 9. A 4 digit means the produce was conventionally grown. I hope all is going well with the sugar challenge. I have decided that it is a work in progress and the more aware we all become of the sugar content in food - the easier it is.

Blogger Jim is making progress!

The past couple weeks, real life has taken over and I've been busy to say the least. But, I'm glad to say that my diet hasn't suffered too much. In fact, a remarkable outcome of this effort has shown itself in the foods I grab when on the fly. It used to be things like Peanut butter crackers and cookies, now it's apples and bananas (and Kashi bars, even though I'm still getting used to them).

I'm still not as good with drinking my fill of water every day (I'm working on it!) and exercise is sporadic. The High School Baseball season is in full swing and I work up an occasional good sweat - but nothing consistent yet in terms of exercise. Down nine pounds so far though.

Quick Snack Ideas

After my last post I realized I have spent time telling you what to cut back on, but need to give you ideas on what to eat while trying to cut back on sugar. It is very important to never let yourself get too hungry, eat every 3-4 hours. This will keep your blood sugar stable and decrease cravings. Always combine a protein and a carbohydrate when snacking, again, this will keep your blood sugar stable and keep you full longer. Proteins and healthy fats stick with you longer and keep you full. Peanut butter on an apple or celery, cheese stick and fruit, a handful of almonds thrown in a yogurt and low fat cottage cheese and fruit are a few examples of snacks that will stick with you for a while and decrease your craving for sugar. Keep it up!!

Hidden Sugars

I hope everyone has been successful in taking a look at their sugar consumption and perhaps also been successful in cutting back on the sugar in their diet. I have noticed interestingly, that as I try to eliminate sugar, I find myself wanting crackers and pretzels and tortilla chips! What is that all about? After doing some research on this I have found that these foods act like sugar in your body and in turn, as you decrease the obvious sugars, your body will crave these foods more. Beware of this, try to get your sweet fix with fruits. I always recomend whole fruits over juice as you will get the benefit of fiber and nutrients that are in the skin. Be careful not to eat too much fruit as it is sweet and may trigger your craving for sugars more. Apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries and cantelope tend to be lower in sugar than some of the more tropical fruits like pineapples and bananas. Beware of the sugar that is hidden in processed foods like ketchup, crackers, cereal and yogurts. The rule of thumb is on the label, every 4 grams of sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Best of luck this week and please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

SUGAR CHALLENGE!

What is a Sugar Challenge? Well, it will be different for everyone. For some people it will be to cut out sweets and sodas from their diets. For others it will be to start checking labels and cutting back on some of the hidden sugars that may be lurking in foods. For others is will be to go a bit further and try to also cut back on what I like to call "white foods". These are foods that are made from refined flour and act like sugars in our body. Foods such as pretzels, crackers, white pasta and white rice. These foods have a similar effect on our blood sugar as refined sugars and can lead to cravings and difficulty losing weight. Whatever you goal is, today is the day to start. Look in your cabinet and refrigerator and take stock of some of the foods you eat on a regular basis. Is sugar one of the first couple of ingredients on the food label? If so, try to cut back on this food. Your job for this week is to keep a food diary of all the foods you eat and drink each day. Research has shown that this is a great way to stay accountable and also it will serve as a tool to help you identify some of the foods you consume on a regular basis that contain sugar or refined flour. Every couple of days I will include additional information on this subject and before long we will be reaping the benefits of a healthier, low sugar diet - more energy, less mood swings due to stable blood sugar and if necessary weight loss! I will keep you posted on my progress. Just because I am a DIetitian does not mean that I don't like sugar! My goal is to eliminate it as much as possible as I have heart disease, cancer and diabetes in my family!!! I have included a list of things to look for on a food label that indicate sugar.
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum or sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose

Inspiring Quote from Bill Cosby!

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."

Remember to clear out the Easter candy on sunday - get ready for the sugar challenge!