Prevent a SUGAR habit By NADINE, N.D., C.N.S

Prevent a SUGAR habit

By NADINE, N.D., C.N.S

Creating RESULTS Holistic Center

Hello and thank you for reading another edition in the sugar series. This article addresses ways on preventing a sugar habit, especially while raising children. Heartfelt thanks and humble gratitude go out to each of you who contributed to this offering of possible solutions for others to explore. As with anything I write, should you as the reader find value in this information, please feel free to share it with another. If this is not for you, a simple thank you I pass, is acceptable.

A habit can be defined as an established disposition or practice, meaning it is settled, ingrained, and recurrent. A habit is often unconscious and can be difficult to give up. What is clear with a habit is the behavior or activity was acquired through frequent repetition. If something is done repetitively, an addiction to that behavior or item is formed. As a Nutrition Specialist, when I see what I term as a sugar addiction, years of frequent repetition have occurred. Some of my clients repeat their habit or addiction in public, others hide their behavior. With any form of abuse, common identifiers can include words like hide, dishonest, punish, belittle, anger, lack of trust, self-hatred paired with a low self-esteem.

While exploring ways to prevent sugar addiction and/or sugar abuse, an opportunity exists to create frequent repetition
embracing balance and stability, with knowledge, freedom to choose, a sense of empowerment, personal or self-respect along with familial/community respect, validation of the knowledge leading to honesty and trust.

WOW... those words feel so much better than those listed in the previous paragraph. As a parent or guardian, which vibration would you like your child to repeat frequently? A home, company or relationship tends to follow the vibration or tone that is set at the top. What is accepted above flows to those below. I mention this now, because if any of us plan to have those around us follow a new way of being or practice a new form of behavior, then WE must be willing to follow that same practice or structure.

When it comes to sugar, providing knowledge on an acceptable or advisable quantity for a portion or day will have value. As an example, I teach my clients to allow 20% of their overall daily carbohydrate count to come from sugar sources. Should an individual choose to drop body fat, the sugar percentage is reduced to at or below eight percent. We follow these same guidelines for an individual portion. Here are a few examples:

• An item lists 32 carbs with 30 sugars; not a good choice
• An item lists 32 carbs with 16 sugars, better choice however sugars are 50% of this serving size.
• An item lists 32 carbs with 4 sugars! Slam dunk as this is below the 20%
• A person has chosen their daily carbohydrate intake to be 175 total grams. They choose a grande mocha frappuccino (64 carbs/60 sugars) and a double chocolate brownie (46 carbs/30 sugars) totaling 110 of their daily carbohydrate intake, while at their local coffee shop. They get a short steamed milk (20 carbs/19 sugars) and a ginger molasses (58 carbs/29 sugar) cookie for their small child. This is way TOO MUCH sugar for a small body/adult body to handle in a day, let alone one outing.

Gathering knowledge and information about daily and per meal carbohydrate/sugar intake for each family member, can open honest communication with the ability to monitor, evaluate and make adjustments. As an example, one family I talked with has a list of acceptable items with their sugar counts on the fridge. However, it was not a free for all. Guidelines included the following (note this is not a complete list):

• ask permission before you eat it (this allowed the parent to monitor the sugar intake, as well as guidance for choices)
• self evaluation (this allowed the son to say, I want a cookie or coke but I am over excited, angry, or feeling down, etc)
• all meals must be eaten (this allowed a question to be asked as to whether the child/adult had missed a meal. If any meals were missed, sugar items were not allowed)
• are your chores and homework completed?
• do you have a test tomorrow (this was a big no on the sugar front, if there was a test/presentation the following day, sugar was not allowed)

There was more to this communication. However, you can see the opportunity to communicate, evaluate, monitor, adjust, praise and validate. The layers of trust and honesty were lovely to witness. The ability to process internally is a wonderful skill to teach and learn. We all want to hear that YES, go for it. However, in some cases, the NO is more empowering, for all involved!!!

One family I talked with, chose, as a collective, to no longer bring sugared items home. Meaning, cookies, ice-cream, candy, soda, pop-tarts, sugared cereals, etc, are no longer on the shopping list or acceptable items within the house. They have replaced the stock and store concept for one of let's bake it and share it. Dad told me, that when someone wants a sweet item, they get out the cook books, choose a recipe and create a shopping list. As a family they have explored various tastes and textures and have been very surprised at the new family favorites. They have also learned skills on: how to shop for what is on a list, make substitutions, measure, blend vs fold, what constitutes a portion and bake vs burn. Above all of that, everyone gets to participate. Everyone has fun. “After the baking is done and we have shared our goodie as a family, we create little gift plates and share with someone else”. WOW. I have to admit, that does sound like FUN.

The concept of picking one was shared by a very large family with lots of weekly and monthly 'celebrations'. There is an ongoing list of acceptable protein sources, complex carbohydrate sources, vegetable combinations and desert/sugar sources. Each option is written down and placed in a container. Then chosen attendees get to pick one. As an example: Auntie T picked the protein source, Joe picked the complex carbohydrate, Kelly picked the desert source, etc. It was shared that fresh fruit was always available and vegetables were offered with multiple choices. This family chose to under indulge in the carbs and sugars.

Other wonderful choices include:

• no sugars after 4 pm.
• eat a protein source before any sugar item (ex, have chicken then fruit)
• 1 portion only (note that many items will list the sugars per serving however include multiple servings in the package)
• divide a 'family' pack into one serving portions
• media free meal zone (all media, tv, ipods, radio, etc are turned off)
• food is allowed in the kitchen/dining room only. NO food allowed in the bedrooms!
• no processed foods are purchased/consumed
• eat at the table to encourage conscious eating (eating in front of a tv promotes unconscious eating/numbing out)
• mainly home cooked meals, letting go of the fast food craze.

I feel blessed with the creativity and abundance of less sugar more family involvement these ideas have expressed. When the tone is set at the top and familial participation incorporated, exposure to frequent repetition in the world of well-being has increased exponentially. I'm all for creating a healthier lifestyle for your child, for you, for the whole family. Please leave comments on all the very kewl things your family is doing and the changes being made.

ManyBlessings

~ Dr Nadine

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NADINE is a Naturopath and Holistic Nutrition Specialist with over 30 years experience in the Health and Fitness Industry and teaches her clients the Art of building and maintaining lean muscle tissue as they drop body fat in a unique program designed for them. Nadine has coached all levels and genre of people and has taught a variety of programs including but not limited to Personal and Sports Nutrition, Sports Psychology, and Weight Lifting/Bodybuilding. Nadine is available for seminars and workshops based on availability. For more information contact Dr NADINE at 970-443-2541, email: Nadine@CoachNadine.com or visit www.coachnadine.com