Health Success Nutrition

I have a lot of faith that I can do this. 

After reading Sweet Poison Quit Plan I decided that to get healthier, I would quit sugar. 

It’s pretty amazing how much better you feel (and look) after removing added sugar from your diet, and how much less I end up eating! 

The Australian National Guidelines for Diet note “The possible effect of sucrose and high fructose corn syrups in the aetiology of other diseases needs a more thorough review. These sweeteners cannot be treated as just another carbohydrate, because the fructose moiety imparts its own metabolic effect associated with elevated blood triglycerides and impaired glucose tolerance (Vrana & Fabry 1983).”

But that is the crux, fructose and sucrose impair glucose tolerance. 

The Draft Australian National Nutrition Guidelines can be found here and go on to note the following about sugars. 

“Sugars are carbohydrates, for example fructose, glucose, lactose or sucrose. When sugars occur naturally in foods such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products they are referred to as intrinsic sugars. However, the major source of sugar in the Australian diet is sucrose from sugar cane which is added to foods and is termed an extrinsic sugar. Sucrose is widely used in processed foods and drinks as a sweetener and also plays a role as a flavour enhancer and preservative. Sugars provide a readily absorbed source of energy, but added sugars can increase the energy content of the diet while diluting its nutrient density. Sugars are a major factor in dental caries and diets high in added sugars are also associated with some adverse health outcomes. Sugarsweetened drinks (fruit juice drinks, soft drinks, flavoured mineral waters and sports drinks) are the largest source of sugars in the Australian diet, with consumption highest in adolescents and children [44]. New evidence emphasises the relevance of sugar-sweetened drinks to the development of excess weight (see below).”

“There is insufficient evidence to recommend an exact intake of added sugars suitable for the whole population. From a nutritional perspective, good health can be achieved without the addition of sugars in any form to the diet. For those who are not overweight and are already consuming an adequate diet (a minority of the population), added sugars relate mainly to the problem of dental caries. For the majority of the population, however, overweight and obesity are major problems and require a reduction in energy intake. Limiting added sugars, particularly from sugar-sweetened drinks, is one strategy for adults and children. The World Health Organization recommends that no more than 10% of energy should come from added sugars [88]. Recent data from the US suggests a level of 5–10% of energy from added sugars may be appropriate [601]. This is much less than current Australian consumption, reinforcing the continued need for this Guideline.”

So truly what am I missing out on?

Anathoth makes the most amazing New Zealand Jams, pickles and chutney, they are about 50% of the fruit/vege and then 30-50% sugar (The jams anyway) no other added preservatives however. For the NZ Short Film Festival which is on tomorrow night we will be giving away a free pot of Jam and…I won’t be eating it :( 

Whittakers Chocolate is amazing, however I have had to pass on this too. Also a goodie prize for our Short Film Fest tomorrow. 

One of the nights this week I avoided amazing Chocolate Dessert @ Max Brenner in Southbank…

What I have replaced all of this with is Avocado, Flaxseed Meal and No Bake Nut slice…except I don’t put the chocolate on top, and don’t use honey, so its more like a crumble…next time I plan on using Glucose Syrup as my “Glue”.

I hope you too can reduce the amount of “Added sugar” in your diet down to the recommended 5-10%. 

Stop the sugary drinks, look out for “Sugar” in your products. More info and progress to follow!

Want to quit sugar? Check out http://www.howmuchsugar.com/

Today has been immensely successful for a number of reasons.

At the top of the list is that I attended a training session by TrendMicro on Cloud Computing, learnt a lot AND avoided:
- pastries for brekky
- Muffins at morning tea (I had fresh fruit!)
- Pasta, potato, bread, wraps at lunch (I had chicken cattiatore and Greek salad)
- Cinnamon sugar coated jam filled donuts for afternoon tea

BOOM SUGAR AVOIDANCE IN FULL SWING.

It is important to note that I usually NEVER say NO to free food especially sugar ridden muffins!

Secondly my day was awesome because I GOt up and went to Crossfit this morning, learnt my rowing technique is wrong (5 x 200 m 30 sec rest sprints) and smashed out ghs sit ups, back extensions (50 each) and 50 back squats at 40 kg.

To top that off I rode a short way to work and went for a 32km river loop ride in this beautiful city with Josh (a friend from NZ).

Josh, his gf, and two of my other friends and I are about to have a Thursday dinner. I think a glass of red may be in order.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the Sweet Poison “Fructose” and its addictive properties. 

Today I admitted that I am addicted to Sugar, as I’m sure many others are without realising. 

Sugar (not glucose but the addictive properties of fructose higher doses than your average fruit btw) is everywhere, and has been since I was born. We are fed it thinking it is safe to consume and we are only doing so in “moderate” quantities, but the truth is we are eating it and we don’t even realise. 

Whilst I don’t actually consume a lot of sugar in my diet compared to the average person, I still find myself craving the white powder in the form of chocolate, or other sweet goods and often directly after a normal healthy clean meal. I’m not hungry, but my palate has been tricked into thinking it needs something sweet after I finish. 

At least I don’t: 

• Eat cereal - ever (raw oats, unsweetened - yes but thats the extent)

• (Kelloggs has 14% roughly sugar content and its high up on the ingredients list - yuck!!!!)
• Eat processed bread containing sugar
• Eat icecream
• Drink Milk or Soy Milk (not now that I don’t drink Hot Chocolate - oh and I use unsweetened rice or oat milk)
• Have fruit yoghurt
• Don’t drink Cola etc
• Buy biscuits (the freebies are hard!)

Since I finished my Detox at the end of July I have unconsciously been adding sugar back into my diet, the odd muffin here, the odd chocolate there, hot chocolate (which I happily went without for almost 2 months) etc. I have noticed a difference it has made to my body shape, most significantly in the last week. 

So today after purchasing the Sweet Poison Quit Plan (Amazon Kindle thank you!) I decided that I was going to quit. I do NOT need to eat the Tim Tams because they are there, nor have a hot chocolate because others are having coffee. 

How am I going to survive? Well  I have stocked up on nuts, and made a no bake nut slice to take to work to eat rather than any goodies I get provided for free. I have identified the instances where I attempt to eat sweet goods and created alternatives (I bought 3 boxes of different herbal teas!). 

If I can do this (watch this space), then you can too. 

If you haven’t I highly suggest downloading and reading the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Poison-Why-Sugar-Making/dp/0670072478

Or visiting the Website:

http://sweetpoison.com.au/

Or even:

http://www.howmuchsugar.com/

And so it begins, the time where you don’t “work”.

How will you enjoy the time?

Sometimes I find the weekend stresses me as I try to fit too much in and to relax I tell myself to enjoy every moment, you will get done what you need to and you will have fun.

I’m listening to some positive uplifting music, getting some reward takeaway (Thai), and heading out to a gfs place for video games and chocolate brownies.

I say this but also say don’t let the weekend undo the hard effort of training you did during the week.

Remember your goals.

Have faith.

Deadlift

3-3-3

Then:

Double AMRAP

#1 – AMRAP in 7 minutes:

15 Double Unders

10 Box Jumps (24/20″)

Rest 2 minutes, then:

#2 – AMRAP in 7 minutes:

15 KB Swings (24/16kg)

10 Weighted Situps (10kg)

thatchickistragic:

Biggups your chests Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan!

What a nail biting race.. From last to second to last, to bronze..silver..then SMOKED IT!

If anyone gets a chance to see a replay, it’s a bloody good watch. And I say that in my most kiwi accent.

YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAHHHHHHHH!