Zest for Life NYC

Let’s face it- we all crave Sugar.

How do we know if the sugar we are consuming is ok for us or if it will eventually lead to diabetes?

First - Why sugar is addicting and why do  we crave it?

Our bodies are actually naturally wired to crave sugar.   The taste of sugar releases endorphins that calm and relax us .  Sugar cravings also increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which helps your body make serotonin which makes you feel happy and content.

Many of us turn to foods that are simple sugars (donuts, candy, & most sweets) which enter our blood stream and get broken down quickly.  This gives us a quick energy boost but is not sustainable.  It quickly leaves our bloodstream and causes a low level of sugar resulting in fatigue.

This constant blood sugar rising and falling can cause weight gain and can lead to a insulin resistance which can create a a pre-daibetic condition.

Also, this blood sugar rising and falling can make our pancreas secrete large amounts of insulin to handle the excess glucose.  This causes a burn out of our pancreas and in turn make us crave more sweets.

So how can we stop this?

Instead of turning to sweets to get your sugar cravings turn to nature’s candy: fruit!  Fruits has natural sugars along with many vitamins and nutrients that don’t cause this spike in your blood sugar.  Fruits takes longer to break down and enter the bloodstream slowly giving steady and sustained energy.

Our weight and pancreas will thank us!

When looking at Food Labels check how much Sugar is in the products. We found some great advice over at healthyfitnutrition.net

‘ A good rule of thumb is to look at the Nutrition Facts Label and only consume foods where the sugar content is no more than 20% of the total carbohydrate.

To follow the 20% rule, do the following:

1. Look at the total number of carbohydrates listed on the nutrition facts label.
2. Multiply that number by 10% (move the decimal point over 1 place) and then double it.
3. Whatever that number is – you want the sugars listed on the label to be that number or less.

Example:

1. Carbohydrates listed on the label – 40g
2. 20% of the total carbohydrates would be 8g
3. Amount of sugar listed on the label – 17g
4. Bottom line: This product has too much sugar’

For any questions or a private consultation please contact me at dianamaltz@gmail.com

Cheers!