A sugar by any other name IS just as sweet.

One of the most key changes in my health behavior was looking at the sugar. Using it in moderation and knowing how it affects my body and the body of my family.

I started my health journey as a single lady (heyyyy). I would eat full size candy bars, diet coke and honey buns on the daily. Yes, that’s true. I had no clue what I was doing to my body. I was constantly tired, had horrible bouts of acne, couldn’t lose weight, had painful knees and back and was constantly craving it. When I learned about the Arbonne 30 days to Healthy Living and it dug into the section on sugar, I was BLOWN AWAY! Why don’t we teach this in schools?!

Now that I’m married with step kids - and I assume being a parent is the same as being a stepparent when it comes to sugar - All kids want it. All the time.

When sugar gets into our system we crave it. Plain and simple. If we start our kids on sugar young (have you ever muttered the words “it’s just a treat”??) or if we use it as a reward, then we are setting ourselves up for a lifetime of struggle. Here’s why...

You see, when we stop giving sugar to our kids (or really ourselves) our bodies go into withdrawl. Watch any YouTube video about it! Google it! Just believe me! So then our kids are whiny and want another treat. We are irritable because we’re tired and have a headache (from a withdrawal of our own, probably) and so we give in. The cycle continues.

We become sicker. Can’t shake that cold? Put down your Coke and pick up some tea. Having digestion issues? Take away the afternoon snack and replace it with almonds. The inflammation will go down and the energy will go up. Trying to lose the last 10 pounds? Start looking at where your sugar is hidden - coffee creamers, Quaker Oat packets, fat free anything. Our bodies were not designed for packaged food and cheap drive thrus.

Although we have evolved and can handle it a little bit, it is about moderation. That’s what I preach in my household. And no sugar is the same! There is a certain type and amount of sugar we should eat each day. Check out a credible source’s opinion!

The danger also continues because there’s the highs and lows of sugar. Our body digests sugar in a way that spikes it into our bloodstream and then *poof* it vanishes. That’s just layman's terms, check out THIS article for more info. That’s where the inflammation starts. Our body is in constant shock and our cells are swelling to protect us. We need that afternoon 5 Hour Energy shot because we’re so tired. But have you tried fueling your body with slow releasing energy like an apple and peanut butter? That sugar will take longer to break down (as well as the protein and fiber) and will leave you fuller, with more energy. No crashes.

And the main struggle is that sugar is everywhere. In our canned fruit (10g of extra sugar when it’s sitting in syrup, not water), in our granola bars (or candy bars that contain oats, as I like to say), in our cereals (even our Special K!), in our drinks - oh! AND it hides itself. There are hundreds of different types of sugars. It turns up as maltodextrin, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Lactose (yay, milk), cane sugar, stevia, brown sugar, etc. It’s everywhere! It has taken my family and me to start looking at every label. Yes, that’s an extra 15 minutes at the grocery store, but it’s worth it not to have my stepsons going into a sugar rage. 

He has literally bounced off the walls before.

So what do we do? Did you know there’s a difference between natural and artificial sugars? Our body is able to break down the natural sugars that we find in fruits, veggies, plants (coconut sugar, for instance) and use it as fuel. Not a hard zap and crash that our kids get from Reese Cups and Pudding Cups!

I’m no doctor - and I tried to write this in the most plain terms I could - but if you’re considering making a change in your family for the healthier, I would start with SUGAR. Start looking at labels - sometimes “healthy” cereal has just as many grams of sugar as Lucky Charms. Buy fruit that is soaked in natural juices - not syrup (it’s no cheaper either way, normally.) Look for ways you can replace plant-based sugars for your artificial sweeteners.

If you have questions please reach out. Here are some tactics that have worked at our house.

• If you don’t want to eat an apple, you’re not hungry. Go for whole, fibrous foods first. 
• Veggies all day. Add vegetables to any meal and that will leave you feeling fuller longer. You will have more energy.

• Smart snacking. In our house we offer peanut butter pretzels, apple crisps, raisins, peanut butter on apples, a VERY specific fiber bar I found at Trader Joes, water with drops, protein shakes, whatever fruits we have on hand, Wheat Thins, etc. We try to give them a snack that is high in protein and fiber and low in sugar. 
• Look before you buy. Spaghetti sauces, fruit cans, packaged meals and desserts all have sugar in them. Read the ingredient list and look at the Nutrition Label as a whole to decide if this is an item your body needs. 
• Get your gut right. Toxins live in your liver. That’s also where the cravings live. If you’re cleaning your liver, you’re clearing away the cravings. You may have some withdrawal and pain, but after a few days you should be ok. Ask more about the 30 days to healthy living, if you want to know more!
• Moderation. We do treat our kids. But we normally give them one treat a day - whether it’s the pancakes at breakfast or sparkling juice at dinner - once they’ve had the treat, we’re done for the day. We’ve taken out most juices that run high in sugar and soda really IS a four letter word at our house. 
• Skip dessert. Most people don’t need dessert. A piece of pie, a bowl of ice cream, etc. They don’t need it either. If you need a sweet pick-me-up after a meal, try a small piece of dark chocolate or a small handful of berries.

~T