SWEET & SOUR (hidden names for sugar) by MMA MOM Sheena Bidwell

SWEET & SOUR

by MMA MOM Sheena Bidwell

Give Me Some Sugar!

Sugar is in e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! From baby formula to spaghetti sauce, sugar has become the main ingredient in our lives. We are addicted to it, ADDICTED. Although all sugar is not created equal (apple vs. high fructose corn syrup) It’s all still sugar, I’ll get into graphic details on this later, but for now…. Think of your worst hangover…..it’s got nothing on sugar withdrawals. Think this is B.S.? Okay, I challenge you to go sugar free, even for 24 hours and lets see how happy you are then Sunshine.

HIDDEN NAMES FOR SUGAR

Print out this list and walk around your house (while leaving no stone unturned) to get an idea of just how much sugar you are constantly, inadvertently consuming. That sweet may just turn sour.

Sippin’ On Some SYRUP (liquid sugar)

Brown Rice Syrup

Buttered Syrup

Carob Syrup

Corn Syrup (and Corn Syrup Solids)

Golden Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Maltose Corn Syrup

Malt Syrup

Maple Syrup

Refiner’s Syrup

Rice Syrup

Sorghum Syrup

Ohh La La SUGAR…. (fancy names for sugar)

Beet Sugar

Brown Sugar

Cane Crystals

Cane Sugar

Castor Sugar

Confectioner’s sugar

Date Sugar

Demerara sugar

Golden Sugar

Granulated Sugar

Grape Sugar

Icing Sugar

Invert Sugar

Muscovado Sugar

Raw Sugar aka Turbinado Sugar

Yellow Sugar

  

NINJA Sugar (sneaky names for sugar)

Barley malt

Cane juice crystals

Caramel

Corn Sweetner

Dehydrated Cane Juice

Dextrin

Diastatic malt

Diatase

Ethyl maltol

Fruit juice

Fruit juice concentrate

Honey

Maltodextrin

Mannitol

Molasses

Panocha

Sorbitol

Treacle

Xylitol

 If it ends in OSE…..

Crystalline fructose

Dextrose

Fructose

Galatose

Glucose (and Glucose Solids)

Lactose

Levulose

Maltose

Sucrose

Xylose

*Sucralose (or as most of us know it as SPLENDA) is NOT on the list. It’s NOT sugar! You heard me. It’s chlorinated artificial sweetener. Just like it’s nasty friends aspartame and Saccharose or Saccharin. Bluh.

ACTUALLY...Size Does Matter!

ACTUALLY…Size Does Matter by Sheena Bidwell, MMA MOM

PLAY WITH YOUR PACKAGE

An idiot proof way to slash carbs, calories, and gross is to recreate your own portion size.  In our big bulk super ultra mega family pack world almost everything comes in out-of-control sizes. Plates are piled to the brim with food at restaurants. Or, we get tricked into believing something is healthy by rationalizing the itty-bitty snack size. Most of us don't even realize that a snack bar is usually divided into at least 2-4 servings (how dare they!).  Ugh....gross. Isn't a ‘portion’ or ‘serving’ supposed to imply some sort of happy fullness, or at least a semi temporary satisfaction?!?!... Alas...our snackies have us hook, line and sinker - Regardless of their diabetes inducing portion size. After all, who doesn't want more, More, MORE of their favorite yum yum? My two cents? Play with your package! Take control of your portions!! (insert: grunt, yell, holla, hell yeah, whoop-whoop)  Here, there, and everywhere in-between.

It's time to turn that defeating feeling into an empowering one by determining your portions, 

Here’s how:

FIST YOUR FOOD
Make a tight fist. This is what a natural portion looks like for your body.  Start with one portion (per food group), then drink water.  IF you're still feeling hunger after a few minutes add another portion.  A balanced meal is a portion of vegetables, protein, and a healthy carb.  And, for those of you trying to cut weight or shred inches cut your carb portion in half.  *Do NOT freak out too bad. This will not look like the usual amount of food you're used to eating.  We need to teach our brain and body how to define hunger and eat for that purpose only.  Don't use food to satisfy an emotional craving or as a release or outlet.  I recommend martial arts for that :)Take whatever bulk food that is in front of you and section it off into separate containers, and be done with it.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER 
I always include a 'to go box' or 'doggy bag' along with my order at a restaurant.  As soon as my food comes out I put half of it in the ‘to go box’ and put it with my keys, off to the side. Set yourself up for success like the winner you are.

CLEAN HOUSE 
It's easy to sabotage yourself when our plate size is enormous. If your cups, bowls, and plates are all jumbo than it's time to get rid of them! De-big gulp your cups, keep bowls the size of your open palm,and eat from plates that are around 9 inches in diameter. 

DRINK LIKE A FISH 
Liquid calories are, well, a total bitch! Don't work your ass off in the gym, eat healthy, and ruin it all with synthetic drinks. Get water crazy. There's a water party and you're invited! Soda is basically liquid shit, just look at the main ingredient (high fructose corn syrup) - It's like drinking diarrhea. When people think of you, they think of water....see where we're going? Get there.

MOST IMPORTANTLY. . . .
Eat real food to fuel your body. Indulging means once in a while, not every meal. Keep it simple. Keep your portions the size of your open palm or fist. Happy healthy eating!