hard look at the nutritional facts of your favorite foods, snacks, and drinks. When you do that the amount of sugar contained in each of them  might surprise you. If you’re looking to cut more sugar out of your diet, consider whether or not you can live without some of the things on this list. Below are some obvious ones, really take a look at your current foods and see where else there is ADDED sugar. We don’t want to eliminate natural sugars.

1. Soda/Pop — I know duh right, but sometimes it’s a nice reminder! Now some of you may say that you drink, “diet/zero” versions of soda still should work on cutting it out. Sure no calories but they are LOADED with artificial sweeteners that might not be what you want to put into your body.

2. Concentrated/Fruit Juices — It’s fruit right. Yes, but it so PROCESSED that what once a healthy thing has been pulverized into smithereens. There is nothing left of value. If you absolutely can’t live without juice, opt for fresh fruit juices or ones that you make at home and always be sure to read up on your nutrition facts so you know what you’re getting yourself into before you drink.

3. Starchy Foods —  Most thing of eliminating just sugar BUT the carbohydrates in foods like breads, pastas, and potatoes break down over time into, you guessed it, sugar! The foods I mentioned before are the big offenders, but you should also watch out for foods like cereals and anything with grains in it.

The key to keeping a healthy, balanced diet is being informed so the next time you’re in your cupboards or at the store be sure to read the nutritional facts section of some of your favorite snacks or meals before the next time you decide to eat.

Cutting down on #sugar is not only great for your health but will help you lose weight.
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1. Eat Breakfast — Several studies have shown that those people who eat a healthy breakfast crave less sugars, sweets and unhealthy treats during the day. And when you combine this tip with number 2 below, you will be even more successful in controlling those sugar cravings.
2. Get Protein With Every Snack or Meal —  My clients hear me say this OVER and OVER again. Protein to be included in EVERYTHING. Whether you are sitting down to a regular meal or just enjoying a quick snack. Protein helps stabilize your blood sugar, and you suffer less sugar cravings.
3. Team Up With a Partner — Any big change in your life is made easier when you have a like-minded individual along the ride. This could be someone who is working to kick their sugar habit or someone who can help to hold you accountable to your commitments. We do so much better setting and sticking to our goals when we have friends around for support.
4. Try to Forget About Weight Loss —  I know most of you are all about the scale and despite how many times I tell you to stay off you need to weigh yourself. What if instead of measuring your relationship to gravity. What if you measured how you feel’ You are going to naturally lose unhealthy weight and fat when you begin to control your sugar cravings. However, this should not be your mindset. Focus mentally on your sugar addiction only. Your brain works at its natural best when it directs all of its mental energy on one task at a time. Once you have a healthy relationship with sugar, then you can worry about any extra weight.
5. Cut Yourself Some Slack — You are going to have a slip up. Instead of focusing on the slip up and beating yourself up, focus on what you could change so that you aren’t slipping up in the future. Remember your mind is wired to LOVE sugar, we crave it. So listen to your body and learn it’s signals.
6. Diet Sodas Can Increase Sugar Cravings — Diet sodas and protein bars are sold as  “low sugar” or “sugar-free” use aspartame, Nutrasweet, Splenda or other artificial sweetener to replace sugar. A study from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio showed that a single can of diet soda causes your risk for obesity to go up 41%. It’s also been found sugar-free products are sweeter than sugar. Equal is 200xs sweeter and Splenda is 600xs. Want learn more about artificial sweeteners, click here.

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I struggled with acne well into my adult life. It wasn’t until I get my insides clear of the junk…
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 In fact most days I’m make up free! I get tons of compliments on my skin! Many natural health experts believe that having a regular detox period is not only great for the body and skin but also necessary. The idea is that toxins from everyday pollutants, the environment and foods we eat build up in our bodies. A regular detox means we can get rid of these toxins and keep our bodies running at their very best.

When it comes to fighting acne, detoxing may also help. The idea here is that when a body is full of toxins and unhealthy it will show in the skin ñ often in the form of acne.

With that in mind, detoxing may be just what you need to reveal healthy, beautiful skin. And detoxing doesn’t have to be difficult, so put away your maple syrup, lemon and cayenne pepper. A few simple dietary changes can make a difference.

Here are some of our easiest home detoxing tips for clear skin:

1. Give up alcohol. Drinking alcohol can dehydrate the body and skin which will make acne worse. It’s also hard on the liver. The liver in the organ that cleanses your system. A healthy liver means a healthy body and skin. By drinking less or giving it up altogether for a set period, you give your liver a chance to detox and perform at its best. In turn leading to a healthier body and skin.
2. Give up caffeine. Caffeine is dehydrating for the skin. It can also wreak havoc on your hormones. A healthy hormonal system will mean a healthy body and skin. Avoid caffeine so that your body has a chance to naturally regular its hormones to the level they should be. Now if you are someone who can’t give up the caffeine could you scale it back to 1 cup/day..
3. Do a daily cleanse. Cleanse For Life helps support youthful aging with powerful antioxidants, like bilberry, blueberry and raspberry, which help mitigate oxidative stress, prevent the formation of free radicals and neutralize existing free radicals. Gentle cleansing allows your vital organs (liver, colon, urinary tract, sweat glands, skin pores, lymphatic system, etc.) to perform their functions more efficiently. It supports the removal of impurities from all major organs to help improve cardiovascular, brain and immune health, as well as mental and physical performance.
4. Give up sugar. Sugar is awful for the body and skin. It reduces the amount of collagen in the skin which will lead to ageing skin. It can also create a severe insulin reaction in the body which can make breakouts worse. Giving up sugar for even a week can leave a visible difference in the skin. When I say sugars it’s primarily the processed sugars that we find ADDED to our foods. Sugars that naturally occurs in fruits are fine.
5. Drink water first thing in the morning. Drinking a cup of warm water in the morning will help gently wake up your system. This means that your body and organs can get a kick-start on the detoxing process. I like to add some lemon to this and great. If hot water doesn’t float your boat give green tea a try. This is the real stuff in a tea bag.
6. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise is a fantastic way to detox the body. Each time you exercise you will sweat out toxins which will in turn help unclog and clear your pores. Just make sure you wash your face and body with warm water after exercising to avoid the pores getting clogged up with the bacteria excreted. You should be washing your face each day and night to get the oils off. In addition find a great moisturizer with sun screen. I’ve been using this for the past year and love it!!

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If you have a tough time cutting back on unhealthy fat and sugar, it may be because of the way your brain reacts to certain foods.

Study – Fatty Foods and Sugar as Addictive as Cocaine

A US government study suggests that processed foods and sweet, sugary drinks and snacks actually cause a reaction in your brain that creates addiction. Nora Volkow is the Director at the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse. She says that there is overwhelming data which has identified fatty foods and sweet treats as having the addictive power of cocaine, nicotine and other drugs.

This is relatively new knowledge, not really known by scientists in the 1990’s. Previously, if someone could not cut back on unhealthy fats, sugar and fast foods, that person was said to have a will power problem. They simply were not trying hard enough.

But now we know that is not always the case. If you crave doughnuts, sweet sodas and sugar-packed candy bars, it may be because your brain circuitry rewards you with an explosion of “feel good” hormones and chemicals when you eat them.

No fewer than 28 scientific studies on food addiction were published in substantial medical and health journals in 2011 alone. And they all revealed similar findings. This is not good news if you are trying to limit fat and sugar.

Because now that the food manufacturers have been alerted to this knowledge, sugar, fat and high fructose corn syrup are going to find their way into more and more foods.

And while fats and sugars have always been in the human diet, modern processing has created a new level of addiction. Extremely concentrated sugars, unhealthy fats and refined flour with little fiber or nutrients are being found in addictive fast foods and sweet treats. So what was already a problem in your brain has become even more difficult to combat.

Fortunately,

you can rewire your brain to lessen the effects of sweet and fatty foods
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. Slowly begin to limit the amount of high-fat, high-sugar foods and snacks you eat. Just remember that you have a natural tendency to crave these types of foods, since your brain will reward you with pleasure.

And remind yourself that too eating much fat and sugar can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular problems, stroke, heart attack, poor circulation and overweight. Cutting back is going to be difficult, but the health rewards are more than worthwhile.

Here’s also a great book that will help you understand this as well. Salt, Sugar and Fat. 

If you are looking to really understand hunger and hormones, join me for my webinar, click here to register 

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