The holiday season is over and so is the excuse “I’m on vacation and deserve to eat whatever I want!” If you are like many people that “whatever I want” is likely something loaded with SUGAR! Unfortunately, this may have caused you to rouse the Sugar Monster. Once that happens it might be difficult to get him back in control.

Why do we need to tame the Sugar Monster?

IT AGES YOU   Sugar feeds the bad bacteria in your gut which can lower your immune system and lead to inflammation and mineral deficiencies. All of these things make your body work harder to stay in balance and can cause you to feel and look older than you really are.

IT AFFECTS YOUR NORMAL BRAIN FUNCTIONS   The brain runs on glucose but too much can cause it to “short out”. Sugar can also cause increased anxiety and depression.

IT MAKES YOU FAT If you exercise regularly (and you’re relatively young), you’re able to burn off the extra sugar you may eat. But if you don’t burn it off, the body stores it directly as fat (in all the wrong places) so it can be used later if you happen to need to run away from that saber-toothed tiger.

IT MAKES YOU HUNGRY Sugar and simple carbs get quickly digested which causes your blood sugar or glucose levels to rise rapidly. The pancreas kicks in and releases Insulin which is a hormone that tells your cells to open up and take in the glucose so your body can use it as energy.   Too much insulin can be released which then drops your blood sugar lower than the body is comfortable with. The body wants to be in balance so it does everything it can to get that blood sugar level up – you get hungry, cranky, shaky and your willpower goes out the window.

IT CAN LEAD TO DIABETES Diabetes is a problem that causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise higher than normal. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes your body does not use insulin properly.   Overtime your pancreas can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels and this can lead to many things such as kidney damage, blindness, nerve damage, memory impairment and many others

The Sugar Monster is real! – Cravings are real! But you can tame that monster with these 4 easy steps:

Step 1 Start by making healthy swaps for your sugary favorites. Instead of that cookie or ice cream at night try having a handful of nuts with some dark chocolate chips or maybe dip some fruit into dark chocolate sauce. Better yet make up a batch of my Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Step 2 Ward off sugar cravings by snacking regularly. Waiting too long between meals can cause that Sugar Monster to attack. Keep your blood sugar stable by eating snacks that combine a protein with a healthy fat or whole grain. My favorites are Greek yogurt with fruit, cheese and whole grain crackers or veggies with humus

Step 3 If you find that the Sugar Monster always shows up at certain times of the day – GET MOVING! These cravings can be from stress, anxiety or just out of habit. Take a walk around the block to get your mind off those M&Ms sitting on your co-workers desk.

Step 4 Go Cold Turkey. My favorite way of taming the Sugar Monster is to give up sugar for a whole week. It is amazing how simple this is to do and how effective it is at resetting your beliefs that you need something with sugar. This also helps you train your taste buds to be satisfied with things that are less sweet.

The holiday season is over! Did you wake up that Sugar Monster? If you’d like some help with your health or fitness journey why not schedule a FREE 30 Minute Wellness Consultation with me. I’d love to help in any way that I can. Click the book now link below and find a time that works for you

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If you’re a women over 50 and you’d like to get moving and feel better you should try one of my online workouts designed just for us; low impact cardio to protect our joints, strength training because its a must as we age, Pilates because a strong core = a strong body and more.

How about trying 8 of my favorites in my FREE Fit Over 50 7 Day Beginner Challenge. Click HERE to learn more!