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The Meaning of 11/11/11

November 11, 2011 • Comments (0)

OMG! It’s 11/11/11! (Or if you’re in Europe, 11/11/11.)

This won’t happen again anytime soon.

All the ones in today’s date add up to six.

Stop Being Sweet has three words in it.

If you Stop Being Sweet two times it’s six words.

Also, if you break six down six times you get six ones.

If you divide those six ones into three sets you get eleven/eleven/eleven.

That’s code for Stop/Being/Sweet.

Enjoy today without sugar!

That is all.

Posted on Nov 11, 2011 • Comments (0)

6 Tips for Staying Sugar-Free when You Eat Lunch

November 10, 2011 • Comments (2)

One of the most tempting and challenging times for unsweeties can be at lunch and when eating out with friends or colleagues. Below are some tips to help you get through without falling off the sugar-free wagon.

1. Don’t Go Along for the Ride

You can’t just “go along for the ride” and expect that lunch will be unsweet, unless you’re lucky and have a health nut in the group who is acting as a guide. Most often lunch out ends up at a restaurant that puts added sugars into EVERYTHING. It’s hard to stay sugar-free when sugar is all that’s on the menu, you’re hungry, and the peer pressure is on.

2. Take Charge

You can be or become the “health nut” in the group. To do this you must be assertive. You call the shots and decide where the group is going to go. If you’re a take charge kind of person then this won’t be a problem. If you’re new to taking charge, this is a good way to exercise your take-charge-ness. Find the places you like to eat and make sure they have something for everyone. Then you drive.

2. Don’t Go Hungry

Don’t go to a restaurant super hungry AND don’t let yourself go for long periods of time without eating so that you get super hungry. Both are a recipe for eating whatever sweet stuff is in front of you and justifying it as something you need.

3. Drink Water

If you end up out at a restaurant with the group, only drink water. The more flavored stuff you drink the more you’ll want to eat sweets or the more you’ll feel cravings later.

4. Be a Minimalist

Order a salad. Ask for oil and vinegar as every restaurant offers this dressing. Ranch, Thousand Island, etc. all have added sugars. Avoid them! If anyone asks, say you’re not feeling so well so you want to eat light.

5. Skip Dessert

How many times does a person need to eat dessert for the “very last time” before they realize that last time was the last time? Just say “No, thank you.” If anyone presses you say you’re not feeling well and want to eat light.

6. Stop Being Sweet!

If you’re surrounded by people who comment on, pressure, and coerce you into eating things you have no desire to eat, then you have big problems! If you’re surrounded by people who tease you into eating sweets that you are trying to avoid, you need to avoid those people. Ultimately, this is about your health and not social acceptance. Ask if there are added sugars in the food you’re ordering. Tell people you’re sugar sensitive. If you’re diabetic, tell people. If they give you crap, stand up for yourself and Stop Being Sweet!

Posted on Nov 10, 2011 • Comments (2)

Interview with Natalie Carter of New Outlook Fitness

November 09, 2011 • Comments (0)

Natalie Carter

Natalie Carter is a Personal Trainer from Australia. After seeing tweets on Twitter about “NoSugarVember,” which is a challenge she created to inspire her clients, I wanted to introduce her to you by way of an interview…

1. Why/how did you get involved in fitness and personal training?

I started to take interest in Fitness when I had finished high school, I had always wanted to run my own business and was very into my sport (swimming, waterpolo, touch football, weight training, surfing, to name a few) so it seemed quite natural to venture into Fitness. I had got a taste of it at school with a pre fitness course so I thought why not. I completed the necessary certificates in Fitness but its funny though, at first I was apprehensive about applying for a PT job in my area. My best friend told me I’d be “really great at it” and “I’d be crazy not to” so I just picked up the phone and applied for a job. It baffles me why I was scared, I absolutely love what I do and have been inspirational to changing people’s lives. After I gained insight into the fitness industry, I saw how I wanted to do things- step away from the norms and be more holistic & functional. Also getting in the “mental” side of things is key to clients achieving great results; and then set up New Outlook Fitness and the rest is history as they say!

2. What is NoSugarVember? What is the goal or purpose behind it? Why did you start it?

I created NoSugarVember- The No Sugar Challenge to highlight the need for people to decrease sugar consumption for better health & vitality. Yes losing weight is important but I wanted people to realise sugar is in SO many products that we consume on a daily basis. I’ve read several books on Americas alarming stats and I knew Australia wasn’t far behind. It was also a great way to reach out to my Twitter and Facebook followers and help them kick the sweet stuff. I also created The Spring Shred in September so NoSugarVember was our next challenge. I’ve really been overwhelmed by everyone’s enthusiasm and support. It’s blown me away. I’m definitely excited to add more challenges and NoSugarVember & Spring Shred will be an annual events.

3. On your website you say, “...we are all addicted to sugar in some way or another.” Can a person be addicted to sugar like they can to alcohol or drugs?

Most definitely! Sugar has the same addictive properties as drugs or alcohol. People also tend to abuse sugar like drugs or alcohol to; in times of stress, to deal with grief, happiness. We love shoving a big hunk of cake in our mouths when we get married or celebrate a birthday or when our boyfriend breaks up with us! We need to realise there are different options when it comes to food choices. Writing down our feelings is a great start. Dealing with the emotional reasons we are turning to sugar (or food in general) is part of breaking the emotional eating cycle. I should know, I was a MASSIVE emotional eater! I was once a hefty 84kg (I’m now 66kg), all due to emotional eating. I guess that’s why I feel passionate about my cause, I’ve been there and change now I want others to as well.

4. In your experience, what is the most difficult obstacle that people face when trying to eliminate sugar from their diet?

Two things:

Everybody drastically under estimates their sugar consumption. At least 50% of people have said to me “Oh i don’t even eat that much sugar” It’s not till I rattle off a few things that the penny drops and they begin to realise their consumption is too high. Even I began to realise I was consuming too much sugar (yes it was all “healthy”- fruit, honey, milk) but at the end of the day your body will still convert it to fat if it doesn’t use it for energy.
The fruit thing. I’ve had several people tell me it’s bad to cut out fruit (fructose) but little do they realise sugar is sugar. The less of it we consume the better. Fruit is fine in moderation (2 serves of low sugar fruit is fine in my book and also follows the recommended daily intake) however many people think they are being healthy by consuming 5 or 6 pieces a day and steering clear of fat & protein. Fat and protein is necessary for growth, repair and satiety. Sugar doesn’t provide any nutrients yet we love consuming it.

5. Are weight and sugar intrinsically linked? Can a heavy person be a healthy person?

Generally speaking people who suffer from obesity or who are overweight have high sugar diets. It’s important to note that also consume too much bad fats and oils and usually don’t exercise. That is a sure fire cocktail for ill-health. Yes, a heavy person can be healthy however our bodies were designed to be kept at a “normal weight” and considering we don’t live life like our ancestors did (fearing when our next meal may be) I feel there is no excuse to carry excess body fat. As long as we keep in the ranges of between 21-33% for women (20-40 yrs) or 8-19% for men of the same age group, then that’s fine. Don’t forget our heart, lungs, organs all need to work much harder the more fat and weight we hold. Give yourself the best possible chance at a healthy life by keeping your fat levels stabilised.

6. Is it possible to lose weight just by abstaining from sugar?

Yes! I had loads of emails, tweets from my followers on NoSugarVember that have already lost kilos after only 5-6 days following my guidelines. Couple it with some exercise and it’ll be shedding off them. Amazing!

7. Can a person ever really go completely sugar-free?

It is dependant on their will power. I’m certain in my own ability and I hope others will follow suit. We simply do not need sugar in our diets. Sugar -free is totally a do-able diet solution. I recently received this from a NoSugarVember participate and a client: “Nat, in all seriousness NoSugarVember is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I can’t thank you enough and after 6 days sugar free I feel f$%&ing Fantastic!” I mean that really speaks for itself right?

8. Why don’t you recommend artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners, in my opinion, are evil. They send the wrong message to people trying to lose weight (and even the general public), they say we are not going to deal with the reasons you consume too much sugar we are just going to make an artificial form of it which you can replace that behaviour with and then your life will change. They forget to mention you’ll have headaches, diarrhoea, stronger sugar craving and also the possibility of cancer. No thanks! I’m an advocate of using natural sugars (fructose found in fruit- no more than 2/day) to give us our “sugar fix”. So many of my NoSugarVember followers are finding that the don’t even have sugar cravings anymore.

9. What are your thoughts/feelings about gluten?

I think it should be avoided even if you aren’t gluten intolerant. I think most people these days have some small form of gluten intolerance, at the least they have bloating after consuming products with gluten. I just think why would you want to feel sick, gassy or bloated after a meal? It doesn’t make sense to me, so just choose foods out of that gluten group (breads, cereals, pastas). You don’t have to miss out try: Millet or rice pasta, have quinoa (I’ve been labeled the “Quinoa Queen” by an organic restaurant in Sydney for breakfast or brown rice for lunch instead of bread. It’s not hard you just need to make some swaps.

10. What advice do you have for someone who wants to get off sugar and get healthy but doesn’t know where to start?

My partner actually jokes around that I need to stop dishing out nutrition and fitness advice to EVERYONE I interact with but I just can’t. If I need to listen to someone harp on about the fact that weight loss, exercise or giving up sugar is “too hard” I want to show them solutions.

My tips are:

Ask yourself if you are actually committed to giving up sugar or at least reducing your consumption
Visit my website for the guidelines on NoSugarVember
Eliminate all soft drinks (sodas), diet soft drinks, sugar in coffee/tea, sugar on cereals. So that begins to take care of the sugar you personally add to foods.
Eliminate those foods (potatoes, corn, white flours-pastas) those spike the blood sugar levels and bring them crashing down. Try quinoa, brown rice and oats as better options.
Check food labels. I recommend keeping sugar content to between 3-6g of sugar/100g better yet avoid foods that contain sugar
Lastly, stop being lazy and get cooking! I’ve got some great easy to follow recipes on my blog. By upping your protein and healthy fat intake that will really help with sugar cravings.

Natalie Carter is the Director & Owner of New Outlook Fitness. She regularly contributes as a Fitness/Lifestyle expert online & in print. With over 10 years industry experience, she has helped hundreds of clients achieve outstanding results. Her approach is results based and her clients transform not only their bodies but their entire lives. She provides individuals with realistic, achievable ways to stay healthy and happy. Natalie aims to inspire and motivate everybody to live each and every day as Awesomely as possible.

To find out how she and her team can transform your life visit: http://www.newoutlookfitness.com.au or get involved in the fun at: http://www.facebook.com/NewOutlookFitness.

Her blog is http://www.nataliecartertalksfitness.com
Follow Natalie on Twitter @NewOutlookPT

Posted on Nov 09, 2011 • Comments (0)

Accept Imperfection

November 06, 2011 • Comments (0)

Perfectionism is self defeating, especially when it comes to abstaining from sweets! In this video I talk about how there will always be someone who doesn’t like what you’re doing or how you’re doing it. Don’t let that person be you!

Posted on Nov 06, 2011 • Comments (0)

Sugar Addiction Debate…

November 03, 2011 • Comments (0)

Are sugary junk foods addictive? Can any kind of food be addictive? Some say yes and some say no.

Ask Michael Prager, who lost more than 600 pounds. He turned his life around by accepting that he might be an addict and applying techniques used by twelve-step groups.

Meanwhile, studies keep turning up linking the effects of eating certain foods to commonly accepted addictive behaviors and reactions.

See: Fatty Foods Addictive as Cocaine in Growing Body of Science at Bloomberg Businessweek, Junk Food Addiction As Real As Drug Addiction, But Less Cool at Jezebel.com, Fatty and Sugary Foods Are As Addictive As Cocaine And Nicotine, Warn Health Experts at Huffington Post, or Scientific research linking High Sugar Processed Foods to Addictions Like Cocaine at TheRandomFact.com.

The last sentence of the last linked story says, “I have never heard of anyone robbing a bank to get money to buy a candy bar or ice cream or pop.” What a lousy argument against the mounting evidence that junk food is indeed addictive. (As a teen I used to steal money to buy candy.)

Just the idea of abstaining from sweets puts some folks in a bad mood, let alone the idea that sugary junk food could possibly be addictive.

Sugar laden junk foods can be found in every convenience store for just a few cents each. Consider the dollar menu at your local fast food restaurant. Junk food is not only affordable, it’s everywhere. Even things you think are healthy contain added sugars that most people don’t know are there.

Just the idea of abstaining from sweets puts some folks in a bad mood, let alone the idea that sugary junk food could possibly be addictive. If you don’t think sugary junk food is a problem, or that it isn’t being pushed on people to gain profits, try going without sugar for several weeks. Then come back and tell us about your experience.

Posted on Nov 03, 2011 • Comments (0)

To Stop Being Sweet, Go One Food at a Time

November 02, 2011 • Comments (0)

In this short video I talk about how to change the foods you’re eating by reading labels one at a time. Stop Being Sweet!

Posted on Nov 02, 2011 • Comments (0)

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2011 • Comments (2)

Today is the first day of my annual “Four Days of Sweetness.” It used to be called my “Super Sugar Binge.” Not any more!

I started a little early this year because we had a birthday celebration last night (mine and a good friend combined). I’ve been back on sugar for less than a day and am already seeing and feeling some interesting things.

1. Choose Your Story Wisely

I made a dessert yesterday. While carefully dripping chocolate icing onto a dozen cupcakes, I remembered how much I used to enjoy baking. My cupcakes, however, turned out like super sweet corn muffins—not what I had in mind. They were gross but that’s beside the point.

For some reason I tell myself that “cooking is difficult” and putting together a delicious and healthy meal is like rocket science. Why do I tell myself that? What has stopped me from taking the intensity with which I dripped icing onto a cupcake and applying that same care to garnishing a healthy meal? Nothing thwarts me but a self-defeating story.

2. Sweets Really Are EVERYWHERE.

A quick web search returned pages and pages of cupcake and chocolate icing recipes. I chose two recipes, followed the directions, and both turned out sickly sweet. In the results of the web search I saw Cooking with Coca Cola. Did you know you can cook (not bake) with Coca Cola? WTF?! There’s a whole website devoted to it. Why have a Coke with your salad when you can use Coca Cola as salad dressing?

3. Sugar Hangovers Are Real.

Eating sweets makes mornings absolutely laborious. My body and blood feel 50lbs heavier. Crusty eyes too. Mmmm…

4. Is Sugar Addiction Real?

During dinner last night, we got on the subject of dessert. Knowing I’m in my four days of sweetness, one person asked, “Do you think sugar addiction is real or is it all in your head?”

There was a short debate and several opinions were offered. One person said there is no scientific evidence. Another said sugar effects people physiologically. Meanwhile the person who originally asked said she no longer participates in Halloween because she doesn’t want to have the leftover candy bowl in her house knowing that she’ll uncontrollably eat all of it at once. Is sugar addictive or is it all in her head?

Posted on Oct 31, 2011 • Comments (2)

October 30th is Sugar Addiction Awareness Day

October 30, 2011 • Comments (0)

Jill Escher is author of the book, “Farewell, Club Perma-Chub: A Sugar Addict’s Guide to Easy Weight Loss.” She’s also the coordinator of SAAD (Sugar Addiction Awareness Day).

The goal of SAAD is to spread the word about this widespread but largely unrecognized disorder, which is sugar addiction. Check out this short video interview with Jill…

“Refined sugar, the addictive cycle it creates, and diseases of high blood sugar are now so commonplace we’re blinded to the strangeness of it all,” says Jill. “But the day we take Sugar Addiction seriously is the day we finally begin to turn the obesity and diabetes epidemics around.”

For more information about Sugar Addiction Awareness Day—or about sugar additiction in general—visit the SAAD website: End Sugar Addiction.

Posted on Oct 30, 2011 • Comments (0)