Do you suffer from body tiredness, moodiness, and have headaches? Do you wonder why you can't lose weight? Do you get "the shakes" or afternoon low mid afternoon? It's time for a healthy eating schedule.
Eating something sweet relieves symptoms for about a half hour and then it's down in the dumps again! If this sounds like you-you may be a sugar addict. Frazzled food brings frazzled mood. These blood sugar ups and downs play havoc with your moods, your concentration and your general health. Hypoglycemia, diabetes, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced immunity can be some of the outcomes. Take the quiz, then read on to discover tips to a healthier, more balanced, mind and body.
Are You A Sugar Addict? - Take the quiz and find out! Count one point for every Yes scored.
1. Each day you vow not to eat any more sugar, but you can't keep the promise.
2. You have a private stash of candy, chocolate or cookies.
3. At parties, you gravitate toward cakes or ice cream.
4. When you were a child, you were given treats for being good.
5. As a child, sugar was a major part of your day, through candy, chocolate milk and desserts.
6. Your breakfast is often a muffin or donut and coffee.
7. You add sugar to your coffee or tea.
8. Your breakfast is often a bowl of cereal and milk. If you read the label on the cereal box, the first or second ingredient is sugar.
9. Soda pop is consumed each day.
10. You feel euphoric after eating candy, but your mood plunges soon after.
11. (Bonus question!) You can live without sex, but can't live without chocolate!
Scoring:
· 1 -3 Yeses- You're starting to use sugar as a habit. Cut down before it's a habit you can't break. Make sure you're eating healthy nutrients.
· 4 - 7 You need sugar to get through a day. Find ways to substitute it for foods that contain healthy nutrients.
· 8- 11 You are A Sugar Addict and are heading for sick days. Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Eating healthy statistics are available from your local health department.
Eating something sweet relieves symptoms for about a half hour and then it's down in the dumps again! If this sounds like you-you may be a sugar addict. Frazzled food brings frazzled mood. These blood sugar ups and downs play havoc with your moods, your concentration and your general health. Hypoglycemia, diabetes, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced immunity can be some of the outcomes. Take the quiz, then read on to discover tips to a healthier, more balanced, mind and body.
Are You A Sugar Addict? - Take the quiz and find out! Count one point for every Yes scored.
1. Each day you vow not to eat any more sugar, but you can't keep the promise.
2. You have a private stash of candy, chocolate or cookies.
3. At parties, you gravitate toward cakes or ice cream.
4. When you were a child, you were given treats for being good.
5. As a child, sugar was a major part of your day, through candy, chocolate milk and desserts.
6. Your breakfast is often a muffin or donut and coffee.
7. You add sugar to your coffee or tea.
8. Your breakfast is often a bowl of cereal and milk. If you read the label on the cereal box, the first or second ingredient is sugar.
9. Soda pop is consumed each day.
10. You feel euphoric after eating candy, but your mood plunges soon after.
11. (Bonus question!) You can live without sex, but can't live without chocolate!
Scoring:
· 1 -3 Yeses- You're starting to use sugar as a habit. Cut down before it's a habit you can't break. Make sure you're eating healthy nutrients.
· 4 - 7 You need sugar to get through a day. Find ways to substitute it for foods that contain healthy nutrients.
· 8- 11 You are A Sugar Addict and are heading for sick days. Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Eating healthy statistics are available from your local health department.
So What's Wrong With Sugar? North Americans are consuming 20 - 30 teaspoons of sugar daily or about 150 pounds of sugar per person, per year. Compare that with 6 pounds of sugar per person, per year a century ago. We start in childhood with cake, soda pop and candy and quite innocently, attachments or addictions to these types of foods become common.
Refined sugar is not a cholesterol reducing food. It is a chemical and is hidden in foods such as soda pop and other fast foods. Also, too many grains--bread, cereal, crackers, energy bars, croissants are converted to sugar in the body. High glucose and insulin levels are emerging as one of the key factors responsible for heart disease and hypertension.
Excess sugar depletes the body of B vitamins and amino acids (necessary for the body's physical and mental metabolism). Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately and can increase the risk of diabetes. Over time, eating much less sugar will increase your body's strength and health, making it harder for illnesses to attack your system.
Holistic Nutrition Tips To the Rescue
* Keep foods high in sugar out of your shopping cart. Read labels to make sure the first or second ingredient isn't sugar. Look for natural brands.
* Increase exercise. It will decrease your appetite and burn calories.
* Eat a small amount of protein (animal or vegetarian sources) at meals to help break the craving for sugar.
* Eat complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) instead of simple sugars such as those
found in a candy bar. Add some fat to the meal; olive oil, nuts or avocado to further help blood sugar regulation.
* Use dietary supplements that curb sugar cravings: L-glutamine, GTF chromium, zinc, multiple vitamin/mineral. Vitamin C and B Complex can also help.
Why is healthy eating important? Your well-being depends on it. Learn about nutrition health benefits, then follow through without being too hard on yourself if you slip - once and a while.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosalie_Moscoe
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