Break Your Sugar Habit
It used to be that the only negative aspect of sugar was that it was bad for your teeth. Now we know better. It’s still bad for your teeth and it isn’t just “empty calories.”
Consuming too much added sugar can lead to chronic inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease—all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
Eating healthy fats doesn't make you fat. Sugar does.
Desserts are obvious sugar bombs but there’s added sugar in 74% of packaged food in the supermarket—including bread, salad dressing, flavored yogurt, soup, pasta sauce, protein bars and much, much more. Plus, food manufacturers do their best to disguise added sugar on labels—they use over 60 different names for sugar including sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, beet sugar, maltose, barley malt, brown rice syrup, malt extract, glucose, dextrose, cane juice crystals and evaporated cane juice.
Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbs, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy. Consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar is fine—plants also have high amounts of fiber, essential minerals, and antioxidants, and dairy contains protein and calcium. Since your body digests these foods slowly, the sugar in them offers a steady supply of energy to your cells. Sugary foods and refined carbs, on the other hand, are digested quickly, providing an energy burst—then crash—leaving you tired, cranky and hungry soon after.
If you want to learn more, check out the YouTube video: Sugar: The Bitter Truth
Dark Chocolate-Almond Bark
Make your own low-sugar candy! Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants, is anti-inflammatory and may ward against heart disease.
30 min. 8-10 servings
2 bars (3 oz each) dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa—look for brands that are organic and fair trade)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or any chopped nuts)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Sea salt
Melt chocolate over a double boiler and spread onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Sprinkle on almonds, coconut flakes and sea salt to taste. Freeze for 20 minutes and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.