The Effects of Sugar on Weight

Flip through the pages of any given food or fitness magazine and you’ll likely come across a number of different diets. Some say carbs are the enemy, others say fats, but when it comes down to what we should be avoiding, few could argue that the real culprit is added sugar.

It’s worth noting that many foods naturally contain sugars. Fruits, for example, contain natural sugar in addition to their fibre, water, and nutrients. Our bodies need sugar as well; we use sugar as a fuel source, but generally speaking we get enough sugar from the natural foods we eat. It’s when sugar is added to foods that the true troubles begin.

Added sugars do little more than provide calories with no other nutrients. These empty calories increase blood sugar, which triggers an insulin release. High levels of insulin in the body, which would occur from regular intake of sugary foods, help lead to weight gain. Not only that, but sugary foods trigger our appetites, only causing us to eat more. Unfortunately, food manufacturers are well aware of this phenomenon, and routinely add sugar to their recipes in order to stimulate our appetites, leading to our increased consumption of their products.

Say what you will about complex carbohydrates or fats, calorie restrictions or intermittent fasting, but one thing is certain: We should all be consuming less added sugars.

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How to Make Realistic Changes to Your Eating Habits

Let’s face it, we can’t all look like Instagram models, and we shouldn’t all look that way anyway. Beauty comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and it’s not always defined by tanned and toned bodies. We can, however, all make the effort to eat a little healthier, and while it may not always be easy to drop the doughnut and focus on the right foods, here are two realistic changes you can make to change your eating habits for the better:

Drink more water. The tried and tested truth of drinking 8 cups of water a day turned out to not be true after all; everyone’s water needs are different. That said, odds are we’re still not drinking enough water. Proper hydration not only helps you feel more full throughout the day, it aids in digestion, helps alleviate aches and pains by keeping muscle sufficiently saturated, and generally aids in overall good health. Not a fan of water? Try tossing in a lemon wedge, some cucumber slices, a bit of mint, or any other mild flavoring you can think of.

Eat larger meals earlier in the day, and avoid eating late. Unless you work the night shift, odds are you’ll be spending the evening unwinding after a busy day. That down time means your body will be at rest, and won’t need the calories from a big dinner, and especially not those from late night snacks. Eating larger meals during the day provides your body with fuel when it's needed, and helps control your appetite at night. Still feeling hungry late? Try a bit of coconut oil to calm your cravings, or a small fruit at most.

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How Much Vitamin C is Too Much?

It’s nearly impossible to walk through a pharmacy these days without passing through an entire aisle of vitamins and supplements, and front and center among those many pills and capsules is usually vitamin C. Touted as everything from the miracle cure for colds to the fountain of youth, vitamin C may not be a miracle drug but it is certainly important to good health. But just how much vitamin C is too much vitamin C? Let’s look at the facts.

How much vitamin C do we really need? Consult any physician or the average health guide, and the results will usually be the same. Healthy adults are recommended a daily dose of 60mg to 100mg of vitamin C daily.

How much vitamin C comes in a supplement? Many vitamin C supplements sold at pharmacies or health food stores come in 500mg doses, with some as high as 1000mg doses.

What does the body do with excess vitamin C? Vitamin C is water soluble, and is not stored in the body, so most vitamin C that the body doesn’t use gets broken up and secreted via urine. In fact, vitamin C is occasionally jokingly referred to as vitamin pee.

Can too much vitamin C be harmful? Although generally speaking an excess of vitamin C is not harmful to the body, in some extreme cases it can lead to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal cramps, headache, or insomnia.

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Complete Proteins That Don’t Come From Meat

We may be eating too much meat… In fact, studies have shown that many North Americans are eating way more meat than they need for a healthy diet, and a light has been shined on the meat industry and its effects on the environment. It’s no wonder vegetarianism is becoming an increasingly popular lifestyle choice, but with it comes the challenge of ensuring a proper diet with sufficient complete proteins.

Talk of complete proteins usually refers to amino acids, specifically, the nine amino acids the body can’t produce on its own. Meats are certainly an excellent choice when it comes to complete proteins, as they contain all nine essential amino acids. But for those looking for an alternative, here are three easy ways to consume complete proteins without eating meat.

Eggs. A perfect choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, eggs are also a source of complete proteins. Though past studies have shown that consuming too many eggs may have an adverse effect on cholesterol levels, many of those studies have since been debunked.

Dairy. It’s no surprise that dairy products like milk, cheese, and yoghurt contain all nine essential amino acids as they are in fact still animal products, though excellent choices for vegetarians and those looking to cut down on their consumption of meat.

Quinoa. One of the few non-animal foods to contain complete proteins, quinoa is also an excellent source of dietary fibre, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron, and is entirely vegan.

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Fiber Filled Foods to Help You Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

With a new year coming up the new year’s resolutions are already starting to form, and many of them center around shedding some excess weight and generally living better. Diet and exercise are huge components, not just for these particular resolutions but for overall healthy living. Dieting, however, can be tricky. With countless diets coming in and out of fashion it may be hard to find the right one for you, but one element that should likely be a constant is fiber. Fiber can not only help you lose weight by keeping you fuller for longer, it can help normalize your digestive system, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar, just to name a few of the many benefits. Here are some of the fiber-rich foods that can help you achieve a healthy body weight and live better.

Fruits and vegetables. Consisting mostly of fiber, water, and natural sugars, fruits and vegetables are absolutely perfect for snacking and contain the fiber you need to stay fit.

Beans and lentils. Another source of fiber, beans, lentils, and various other legumes are wonderful for hearty meals and make a great substitute for less healthy dinner options.

Oats. Perfect for breakfast as oatmeal or added to your favorite baked goods, oats are among the healthiest grains in the world and are an excellent source of fiber.

Almonds. An excellent snack, protein-packed and filled with good fats, almonds are a great source for the fiber your body needs.

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