There seems to be sugar everywhere I turn and it seems to have imbed itself into my life so much that it seems impossible to escape it.
Thursday was a good day. I sent the leftover cookies with my husband to his work. But then my ladies group made a delicious monkey bread. Which I had two helpings of. I also had no regret with that. The rest of the day I made healthier choices, and I think that overall this is going to be a processes.
I haven't been counting sugars, but I have avoided taking a cookie every time it was offered. It isn't as easy as I had hoped, but I feel better that I am making healthier choices.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Day 0 Healthier Eating
Today is February 11, 2015 and it is what I call DAY 0. It is DAY 0 because not until almost 5pm did I decide to go on this adventure but I did think it would be important to look at the foods I ate today and see what my diet was looking like.
Please be nice to me, as I know my diet wasn't healthy, but as I pulled out the foods that I ate today and looked at the sugar content it almost gave me a heart attack by how unhealthy I am eating.
Breakfast Calories Sugars GI
Cinnamon Toast Crunch 130 9g probably above 70
Milk 2% 130 12g 41
Corn Dog 230 8g
Simply Orange Juice 110 23g 50
tomato ketchup 20 4g
ripe banana 105 14g 62
Kempswich-ice cream 320 23g
Snack size Skittles 61 11g
Total for now: Calories=1106
Sugar= 67g (not including banana or orange juice= no added sugar)
Sugar Goal= 25g
Overall I can say that I definitely need to look at labels more closely and stop eating processed foods and treats. I will also be removing high sugar juices from my diet. Although they seem healthy, I don't think that such a high concentration of sugar from a fruit juice without the fiber benefits of eating the actual fruit is a healthy decision. So I will shy away from juices and opt for fresh or frozen fruit instead.
Tonight we eat a meal someone else prepared, so I wont know all the nutritional information. But I think that making healthier choices as often as I can is what is really going to make a difference.
Please be nice to me, as I know my diet wasn't healthy, but as I pulled out the foods that I ate today and looked at the sugar content it almost gave me a heart attack by how unhealthy I am eating.
Breakfast Calories Sugars GI
Cinnamon Toast Crunch 130 9g probably above 70
Milk 2% 130 12g 41
Corn Dog 230 8g
Simply Orange Juice 110 23g 50
tomato ketchup 20 4g
ripe banana 105 14g 62
Kempswich-ice cream 320 23g
Snack size Skittles 61 11g
Total for now: Calories=1106
Sugar= 67g (not including banana or orange juice= no added sugar)
Sugar Goal= 25g
Overall I can say that I definitely need to look at labels more closely and stop eating processed foods and treats. I will also be removing high sugar juices from my diet. Although they seem healthy, I don't think that such a high concentration of sugar from a fruit juice without the fiber benefits of eating the actual fruit is a healthy decision. So I will shy away from juices and opt for fresh or frozen fruit instead.
Tonight we eat a meal someone else prepared, so I wont know all the nutritional information. But I think that making healthier choices as often as I can is what is really going to make a difference.
Healthier Eating and Healthier Living
Sugar. It is everywhere. It is in most of the foods that we eat. Even foods that we wouldn't typically think would have sugar, there it is. Hidden in different forms such as ingredients that end in "ose" and "ol"
I want to eat healthier because I want to feel better. I don't plan to lose weight, but I do hope to gain more energy and lose the sluggish feeling I have with my current diet.
For the next, however long I can hold out, I am going to try to reduce the amount of added sugar in my daily eating and focus on eating foods that have a lower Glycemic Index.
If you are unfamiliar, as I was until about 20 minutes ago, with what the GI (Glycemic Index) is and why it is important follow these links for more information.
This first link has information on what the glycemic index is, why it is important and how to use it. I plan to choose only foods, as much as possible, that have a glycemic index of less than 55, which is considered low. But especially none over 70, the high category.
http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/glycemic-index-good-versus-bad-carbs
This link goes to Harvard Health and has a list of common foods and their GI. I will be using this as a guide, for the most part.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods
So I will be looking at the GI when choosing foods and the sugar level. I plan to eat less than 25 grams of sugar each day as suggested by the American Heart Association for women.
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sugar-per-day/
I will be posting menus that I find, with their nutrition facts, and any progress that I notice in the next couple of days. Wish me luck!
I want to eat healthier because I want to feel better. I don't plan to lose weight, but I do hope to gain more energy and lose the sluggish feeling I have with my current diet.
For the next, however long I can hold out, I am going to try to reduce the amount of added sugar in my daily eating and focus on eating foods that have a lower Glycemic Index.
If you are unfamiliar, as I was until about 20 minutes ago, with what the GI (Glycemic Index) is and why it is important follow these links for more information.
This first link has information on what the glycemic index is, why it is important and how to use it. I plan to choose only foods, as much as possible, that have a glycemic index of less than 55, which is considered low. But especially none over 70, the high category.
http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/glycemic-index-good-versus-bad-carbs
This link goes to Harvard Health and has a list of common foods and their GI. I will be using this as a guide, for the most part.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods
So I will be looking at the GI when choosing foods and the sugar level. I plan to eat less than 25 grams of sugar each day as suggested by the American Heart Association for women.
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sugar-per-day/
I will be posting menus that I find, with their nutrition facts, and any progress that I notice in the next couple of days. Wish me luck!
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