Stop normalising sugar!

So many people struggle with their weight, and diabetes has been on the rise for many years now with no signs of slowing down any time soon.

What do I think the main (but not only) culprit is for this?

Sugar.

The problem is, it’s become so normal to eat sugar all day long that we don’t even think about it.

If someone smoked some weed or cracked open a beer as soon as they woke up, people would think they have a problem.

But if you wake up and dose yourself with caffeine (a stimulant/drug) and stick a couple of sugars in it, no-one bats an eyelid. In fact, people think you’re strange if you don’t do this?! 

Maybe you’ll have a biscuit with it, then a bowl of cereal… 

You then continue to repeat this multiple times throughout the day. Multiple teas/coffees and usually “snacks” between meals.

At lunch time it’s normal to have a little treat and a can of soda, but again, if you had an alcoholic drink on your lunch break it’d be frowned upon.

This is killing us. And not even that slowly!

And when it comes to kids – take a look around. Obesity is becoming more and more common amongst youngsters too.

Why is it ok to give a kid a sweet when they’ve had a haircut?

Why would you offer OTHER PEOPLES’ kids sweets and soft drinks by default when they come around?! (seriously, stop doing this!)

Why do grandparents (and parents) give their kids sweets daily?

…something you KNOW is bad for them?! (Though maybe you don’t know quite how bad)

Yes, they like them, but that doesn’t mean give it to them!

You’re not being kind by giving kids sweets, no matter how much they want them. You’re actually doing them harm! 

I believe it should be limited to small treats every now and then, not a regular part of their diet (this includes ALL sweets and sugary drinks). 

And the same goes for adults (ouch!).

Stop avoiding [healthy] fats (you need them in your diet), and start avoiding sugar like the plague.

If you’re at all serious about your own health, or the health of your children, you should probably have a little review of how much sugar you’re all consuming and see what you can do to reduce that.

I’d also avoid just replacing it with artificial sweeteners (“Diet” anything). They have their own issues and you’re best off just beating the sugar addiction without them.

There are so many things that you can do to improve your health, but it’s probably best to start by plugging the holes and getting rid of the things that are doing the most harm.

Sugar is one of them.

It’ll require a bit of discipline, some planning ahead, and a learning curve to master this, but it’ll be worth it.

And as for the kids, just tell them no! You’re in charge. Whilst you can control (at least in part) what they eat, why would you feed them stuff that’s bad for them?

There’ll probably be some tantrums (especially if they’re used to eating this junk every day) but it’s your responsibility as a parent/adult not to damage their health.

I realise I may receive some blowback from this, but someone’s got to say it. Don’t shoot the messenger. 

And before you say it, yes, I have kids. They have a “sweetie day” on a Friday with the occasional treat at other times, and they drink water. It’s not cruel, it’s kind, because I know that all they’re really missing out on is a lifetime of sugar addiction.

If you’re interested in getting control of your diet and lifestyle and living a healthier life, check out www.MoveBetter.Club or get in touch.

Mark

Slow Down & Enjoy It!

I'll be honest with you here - I'm a bit of a chocoholic.

I went to a networking meeting not too long ago and after our little 60-second elevator pitch we had to tell two truths and a lie and everyone had to guess which was the lie...

People actually believed I ran 5 marathons in a year and thought me eating chocolate every day was the lie!

So, believe it or not - I LOVE chocolate.

What's this got to do with you?

Well, if you're like me, there's no way in hell you're eating one square and leaving the rest in the fridge for another day, or even a couple of hours! (Seriously - who the hell does that?!)

If it's there - I'm eating it.

And if I'm eating it - I'm eating it ALL!

It's easy to get a bit carried away and eat too much unless you only have one small bar, but it's cheaper to buy a pack or a massive bar than a regular bar isn't it?!

So here's what you should do...

Slow down and enjoy it.

Sounds simple, but actually, most people eat mindlessly and scoff down the chocolate (or biscuits, or cake, or crisps or whatever your "vice" is).

I can easily (and I do mean easily) eat a 4-pack of Wispa's in one sitting - 2 can be gone before I even make it home from the shop!

It's a bit like driving home and not remembering the journey - you were on autopilot!

So slow it down.

Sit down with it instead of eating "on the go" or while you're otherwise distracted.

Take a bite and really savour it. Enjoy the taste.

When you want the next bite, wait. Just a few seconds. Then take a bite.

Do this for every bite, and when you're finished, appreciate what you had and move on - DON'T reach for the next bar/bite/packet.

Quite often you can overeat (on anything) if you're eating mindlessly or whilst distracted.

So when you eat, make it a thing. Don't eat in front of the TV or whilst you're doing something else.

Enjoy your food, but enjoy the right amount.

Make it a rule that if you have your little treat, you make sure you enjoy it and aren't just eating it out of habit or boredom.

Set a rule that you can't eat whilst driving, walking around or working.

You could try to give it up entirely, but you shouldn't have to.

We all want treats in our life so it's about learning to control the urges and eat them in moderation.

Set yourself a few rules and stick to them, or else you're going to have to either keep struggling with it or go cold turkey - and neither of those options are good.

Also pay attention to when you reach for the goodies.

Is it when you're bored? 

Stressed? 

Tired? 

Is it just a habit (like having a biscuit with a cup of tea)? 

Is it just a habit whenever you walk into the kitchen? 

Do you automatically have it when someone else is (like ordering alcohol when you meet your friends at the pub or having a burger when your kids get a McDonalds)?

Once you recognise your cues for eating junk food, you're one step closer to getting control over it.

So, savour your treats and enjoy them. If you can do this, there's no need to forego them entirely or stress out about them.

Master you Nutrition with habits.

Let me know how you get on.

Or if you have any other tricks you use to control your junk food intake, I'd love to hear them, and I'll be able to share them - if it helps you, it'll almost certainly help others people too.

Mark