Sugar LESS

I’m so excited to be starting this Mindful Carrot Program with a motivated group who is interested in making lasting positive changes.  You guys are what drives me to absolutely love teaching fitness, mindfulness and nutrition. As we get stronger physically, let's also get smarter and start to live with LESS sugar.  Not sugarless but Sugar LESS. 

First, we must start by creating our own version of what it means to be sugar LESS.  For me, this means cutting out refined sugars and sticking to all natural sweeteners in small amounts, like real maple syrup, raw honey, and fruits. It also means cutting back as much as possible on refined grains and choosing whole grains whenever possible. There are some really amazing, whole, delicious foods out there that don’t need anything added to be wonderful and satisfying.  As a group, I hope we inspire each other to explore these options and share ideas that can support, motivate, and hold us accountable to stick to this lifestyle change.
 
Statistically, Fall is the time of year that we begin the downward spiral. We eat more sugar, period.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas….. so many sweets! We become tired, heavier, and out of control with how we (don’t) nourish our bodies. I want you to be in control starting now so that you end the Holidays on top of the spiral. 

First two steps we will take together: 
  1. No Halloween Candy!  Just simply say no and let's get through Halloween avoiding the Candy 100%.  Some tips to do this:  Tell your family so they help hold you accountable. If you are handing out candy do not buy your favorite. You can also encourage your kids to donate their candy to a local dentist and or the “halloween fairy” and in return the fairly leaves a prize of some sort. Getting it out of the house will help. 
  2. Pay attention to how many grams of sugar you are eating everyday.  I’ll look for some good apps to help you track it but remember 24-29 grams/day is what the American Heart Association recommends. It is truly eye opening when you start paying attention to this.