Sugar, sugar.

Something we teach about in our Empowerment course is SUGAR.

Such a four letter word.

We wanted to go through the biggest questions we get asked and answer the best we can.

1. Is sugar bad for you?

This is the complex answer. Not all sugar is created equal.

What we recommend is to look at where your sugar comes from. Is is a natural sugar from things like fruit? Or is it sweetening things like lemonade and juices?

Sugar is something that our bodies need in moderation - ever hear of blood sugar levels? You want to keep those consistent throughout the day. Next time, look at the label and see how many grams of sugar are there. If it's a big number (like, lemonade has 36g) or even if it's something that you know should be not as sweet (like, pasta sauce or salsa can have 12g) then ask yourself if there's a better version that you can find.

2. Where is sugar hidden?

Oh no. Don't ask me this because the answer is endless. The food industry has become clever. They have named sugar anything but SUGAR! They've actually called things sugar free and replaced it with aspartame - which technically isn't sugar, but it's so fake your body doesn't know how to digest it. Look here to see some common names!

Sugar is hidden in almost all sauces, salsa, dressings, pre-packaged foods, protein bars, fruit snacks, juices, and so much more.

When you look for items, try to find ones with the least amount of ingredients. If there's an ingredient you don't recognize, google it. If there's a high number in the sugar column, put it down. Best yet, eat whole foods. If you're craving something sweet, grab a piece of fruit.

3. What does sugar do to me?

There are many things that sugar can do to our bodies - short and long term.

First, it spikes your blood sugar. After you eat something sweet, you may feel a headache or body ache. That's your body reacting to the amount of sugar you just put in it. On the flip side, when you get cravings and the headaches from lack of pop or sugar, that's your body's addiction to the sugar and it's dipping so low.

What does this do in the long term to that spike and dip? Inflammation. That's the acne, the joint pain, the mood swings. Your body holds on to the sugar because it can't be digested. Then, the fat hold on to that.

**disclaimer, this is not the scientific research, but more so an overview for you to try to understand.

Where do you go from here?

Look for plant based sugars. Look for items that have natural sugars in them - like fruits. Buy foods with least amount of sugars. You can find that by reading the labels.

Eat in moderation. Do I eat cookie, drink wine and use sugar while I bake? You bet! But I don't do it every day. I don't let myself get addicted to the sugars and need it.

It's taken years to learn how to read labels and shape what tastes good. This is just the surface.

Reach out with any questions you have. We'd be happy to help!

T & E