Beat those sugar cravings

I am a "carb junkie". I love sugar. I usually eat it in the form of muffins, scones, pastries. And yes, I eat a lot of fruit, especially berries and fresh pineapple (new favorite). What is good about my pineapple (and fruit) choice is: very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6,C and copper. What is bad about the pineapple is that it is loaded with sugars (16 grams per 165g serving size).

According to Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. there are 146 reasons why sugar is ruining your health (http://rheumatic.org/sugar.htm). This is enough to give me pause. It is important to recognize that sugar is addictive and can lead to weight gain and many diseases. The American Medical Association found that women who consume excess sugar are prone to chronic inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease, insulin resistance and diabetes.

One of the reasons we crave sugar (or caffeine) is because of low adrenal function. The adrenals are hormone glands that sit above the kidneys. They secrete epinephrine (adrenaline) which provides us with energy. They secrete cortisone when there is inflammation present in the body. They also replace the function of the ovaries in the production of estrogen and progesterone when women get close to their menopausal years. When everything is functioning well and everything is being nourished properly, there is no problem.

Unfortunately many factors may disrupt the adrenals function: stress, injury, other diseases and too much sugar in our diet. Fear not, there are ways you can beat the sugar cravings which I will present to you in my next blog.

To be continued

Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com. Let me know how your training is going.

Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures
www.gaiaadventures.com

Boot camp class open to men and women, Thursday nights, ongoing 6:00pm at Charleson Park, 999 Charleson Street & Laurel (only $60 for 4 sessions/ongoing to mid.September).