relationships - purpose - resilience - sleep - movement - nutrition
Carbs in general are questioned a lot in the health world right now, but they aren't all bad and actually have health benefits too. Added sugar however is considered by many a "recreational drug" and certainly not the preferred way to get those carbs in. And SUGAR IS SUGAR and has pretty much the same effect on the body, no matter how healthy the respective kind might be marketed as (think agave, honey, coconut sugar, etc.). Having said that, it's a bit like with fat (see block post "Fat"): The man-made stuff is bad and the artificial kinds like aspartame, sacharine, sucralose, etc., I am not even talking about. Avoid those like the plague!
As a mother of three little girls and wife of a big sweet tooth, I came to the conclusion though that complete elimination of sugar is a fight I can't win, and out of experience it sadly is even a bit like with all drugs and other big no-no's: The more I prohibit it, the more appealing it becomes and the more they want it.
So, I made peace with having it in moderation, but always keep in mind the following hacks:
Eliminate -or at least greatly reduce- it in the cooking and baking recipes of the foods made and eaten at home.
Offer fruit in its whole form often, hoping to "catch" sweet cravings before even starting to think about chocolate, candy or ice cream. And always pair it with other macros, i.e. grapes with cheese, apples with nuts, banana with plain greek yogurt, melon with ham.
Have a glass of water with a splash of apple cider vinegar in it before you eat sweet foods as this helps reducing the blood sugar spike (it might take a bit of getting used to, but once you did, it actually really tastes good and is super refreshing, in fact, especially if using sparkling water!).
Move your body once you're done eating since also this reduces the blood sugar impact. As little as 10 minutes show a positive effect already.
What I do not approve at all though is sugar in form of soda and other sugary drinks. Those should really be forbitten and banned from the stores out of my point of view!
