Sugar, sugar...oh honey honey....

I have never been super strict with my diet. I grew up with a mother who used nutrition to manage her Multiple Sclerosis (and she did a damn good job at it!). My philosophy has always been moderation vs elimination. So one might ask why am I now looking at doing a sugar detox. The answer there is I have noted multiple aches and pains, have been feeling sluggish, and just not so happy with how my body is working lately. According to Healthline.com, sugar has been linked not only to inflammation, which will contribute to those aches and pains, but also to insulin resistance and obesity. I generally can resist cookies and candy, so I figure this would be the best place to pay attention to my diet and to make a change.

Blood glucose is normal in our body and is what gives us energy. If there is too much blood glucose in your body, and it can't be broken down by the insulin, it stays in your body and cannot be used for energy. This is what happens with Diabetes. Over time this can lead to a whole lot of health issues. Calgary Avansino sheds some good insight of how sugar, and not just added sugar, can affect our health.

As I go forward with this detox challenge on Facebook, with some cool people by my side, I thought I'd make a list of foods I eat and the sugar content. This should help me plan where I can drop food, but also to find a better substitute that I can add in so that I don't feel deprived.

Let's start with the one I think will be the hardest to avoid: wine! Shape reports only about .7 grams in my favorite reds, and whites are pretty close to that as well. This surprises me because I expected a lot of sugar. Unfortunately, alcohol does limit the liver's ability to convert carbohydrates to glucose which can lead to a drop in blood sugars similar to what happens in diabetes. For this detox, I'll be including wine from my list.

Peanut butter, which I can eat by the tablespoon right out of the jar you would not expect to have sugar.  Natural peanut butter has 1 gram but some peanut butters have 3 grams, 2 of which are added sugar.

I love to add Craisins to my salads...at a whopping 26 grams per serving, I will definitely be cutting these out. Toppings for my salads can add a crazy amount of hidden sugars too

Typical salad dressing (photo from Google images 'salad dressing' )

Balsamic Vinegar (Image from Google images)

White wine vinegar (image from Google images)

I think the key as I move forward removing sugar this week will be to really read the labels and to keep track of how much sugar I am consuming. For a 2,000 calorie diet (which is really high for an average, moderately active adult), the recommended amount of sugar is 25 grams or about 5-7 teaspoons.  Perhaps this challenge might actually be more challenging than I thought. If those aches and pains go away, if I have more natural energy, and if my body does what I expect it to do....the challenge will be worth it. 

For the next week, and beyond, The Archies might be the best added sugar, sugar in my life 😂😜😜

Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Travelling tips down memory lane

I love to travel! I really don't go away as often I would like to, but each trip seems like a true adventure in life. Today I am off to San Jose and then Santa Cruz in California, to further my studies on movement via  Anatomy in Motion (AiM). 

As I started my trek across the country today, I realized how blessed I am to have such amazing siblings. My husband is travelling back to MA himself, so my brother drove me to the train station and I met my sister at work so she can drop me at the airport. Today's journey really is like the very funny movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles...and maybe a little walk down memory lane.

My sister, Jenn, is an advisor at Northeastern University (NU). Being a double Husky I always get nostalgic and love coming back to campus. I forget at times how easy it is to get into Boston, and the really cool city that we called home for a big part of our lives.

NU Quad outside Dodge

Since I knew that I would be sitting a LOT on my flight to CA, I decided to walk from Back Bay to NU. It's not that far, but it did prove to be a good little workout as I had to dodge cars and snow banks while dragging my over filled suitcase behind me. I found that I had to frequently change arms to pull the suitcase, and it helped to turn my palm forward or back as I got tired. I noted after the 20 minute walk that my neck was getting tired too from the weight of my back pack and pocketbook. In this video, I talk more about ways to manage your luggage while travelling. Luckily, I was able to put my bags down in Jenn's office and do some mobility work to reset my joints. I know I'll be happy about that when I am mid flight.

As I embark to learn AiM, I am reminded of the importance of embracing movement when you can. Taking a walk thru my favorite campus, and the city I love, brought back so many memories and made that challenging walk so worth it.

St Botolph Street 

I encourage you to walk and explore when you can. Catch the fresh air. Check out the sights. Enjoy the mobility and celebrate your memories as you go.

And because this weekend continues the Hockey East championship games: Let's Go Huskies!

What inspires you?

Today I was inspired at the gym. There was an older gentleman there who struggled doing his workout, yet he was doing exercises to help him move better and get stronger.  At the same time he was getting his heart rate up. He really inspired me to work hard at whatever level I can.

💪💓

 Then there was a relatively young kid who was cleaning the gym, organizing all the weights, cleaning off the machines, and putting the mats away. I think this is stuff we gym-goers should all do on our own throughout each workout.

Yet frequently I find the gym to be a messy and disorganized  place. He inspired me in his dedication to his work and when I thanked him for doing his job he sincerely looked surprised and grateful.

And then there was this 20-ish-year-old kid who was doing a dynamic warm-up which included foam rolling, stretching, and activation exercises prior to his lifting. This is everything that I preach and yet rarely see in basic gyms. I liked his functional approach. Now I am hopeful that we are really making a change in how we approach fitness and exercise. (If you're not familiar with a functional, dynamic warm up check out this one by Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning )

At the end of my workout, when I didn't want to even think about doing one more set of my Turkish get up, the older gentleman I first spoke about unplugged his head set and played his iPod out loud. The song was Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen, I am always inspired by this song. It reminds me to always to remember love. That song help me find inner strength and finish that one more set. Now I feel very accomplished and extremely grateful for all 3 of these fellow gym-goers
What inspires you?

**Images from Google clip art

**Video MSBC In place warmup