Sometimes we forget this, sometimes we never think it….but it’s important for each and every one of us to live this. If not, why would we ever move forward? I have the opportunity to live this next Sunday when I run the Empire State Half Marathon. I have another chance in November when I compete in the Natural NYS Bodybuilding Competition. No matter what happens, no matter who wins, I’m going to be great. And don’t think you need some huge event in order to live by this. Wednsday for example, I overslept past my 5:00 am alarm and past the 5:30 one, and then I kept on snoozing by the 6:00 and 6:30 ones too….by the time I got up, I was feeling like a mess and it was almost 8. I then made the decision to do my cardio and lifting after work. Once I got home and began to get ready for the gym, I felt like going to sleep instead, but I just started changing without even giving it another thought. I went out the door as quickly as I could and planned to simply “get it over with” I got in my zone and decided I would just rip through my workout and not even look up…I turned up my headphones extra loud so I had no distractions and got to it. End result? It was great, I was great. Because I kept going. I burned 1000 calories and got to come home and stuff my face with this….
So I’ve noticed a lot of controversy and talk about sugar lately so let the sweet talk begin…
The key is of course to avoid unnecessary sugar intake. I do, in most cases, however I still consume the sugars that are naturaly found in fruits like apples and bananas. I know that when I don’t have ANY sugar in my diet, I receive a throbbing and unending headache that is usually cured after having something sweet like an apple.
And look how these sweetened drinks rate compared to their all natural snack alternatives!!
So anyways, once you decide not to include sugar in your diet but are hoping to find something to sweeten up that coffee in the am, or to sprinkle on your Paleo apple crisp, where do you turn? 😉 There has been so much controversy over fake sugars like Sweet and Low, Equal, and Splenda. Sweet and low contains saccharin which has always been under close watch since it may cause cancer. Since these studies have been done however it was deemed safe to use but in small amounts only. Splenda, though made from sugar, contains sucralose which had also been labeled as controversial. Sugar substitutes like Equal and Nutrisweet contain Aspartame, which has been under the microscope for certain effects on the body such as spikes in blood sugar (not good for those with diabetes) and can cause those trying to lose weight to do the opposite. Aspartame can cause that spike in insulin levels, telling your body to “get rid of it”. The body then responds by removing the glucose from the blood stream and stores it instead as fat. Yikes! Another sugar sweetener is Stevia and also Truvia. These two sweeteners were considered controversial like all the rest until they were approved by the FDA. Personally, I like to use Truvia as my coffee sweetener. I also use it in baking when the recipe calls for sugar. Both of these sweeteners are calorie free. They come from the Stevia plant found in South America and do not cause insulin levels to elevate when ingested. I prefer the taste of Truvia vs Stevia, to me it has a better “sugarlike” taste to it. It’s less strong as it is made only from parts of the stevia leaves/extract.
There is also Agave Nectar, which is a great all natural alternative to granulated sugars and substitutes. It is much sweeter than most other sugars and fake sugars and can be drizzled on many dishes or into hot drinks to sweeten. Agave nectar is a Paleo friendly alternative that can easily curb that sweet tooth.
Any way you put it, if done in moderation, I’m sure most substitutes are fine. It’s simply important to know exactly what we are putting into our bodies because….it’s the only one we’ve got.
Well, it’s the Saturday before the Empire State Marathon/half marathon and I’ve already picked up my race packet and shirt (Awesome awesome shirt by the way!!!) Here’s hoping my left knee and right foot hold out and I can make it the 13.2 miles to cross the finish line at the stadium.
Freebies!!!! Gotta love the pre-race goodie bag. This is going to be good. I am going to be great and so are you.
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