Thrive Nutrition Practice: Killing the Sugar Beast
Now that you're committed to rewarding yourself for the good foods you eat, you are ready to build a list of Sugar Beast-busting foods. These foods are all equally important and should be incorporated into your daily diet, in what I call the:
SUGAR BEAST BUSTING FORMULA
60:25:15
Let me give you a visual...
Take your plate and divided it in quarters. 60% of it should be dedicated to vegetables, 25% to protein and 15% to healthy fats. In that ratio, not only are you taking strong measures to evict the Sugar Beast, you are also implementing an incredibly effective weight loss plan.
#1 HEALTHY FATS: especially coconut oil, avocado & almonds. Incorporating fats into your diet slows down your digestion. This is good because it means you're getting a steady release glucose into the bloodstream. Steady blood sugar means you're less likely to go through those massive dips which cause you to search frantically for that muffin.
BUT WHY are these particular fats important?
- Coconut oil is high in caprylic acid which is very effective against yeast. Bloating and sugar cravings are partly due to yeast overgrowth in our gut. So killing that funky yeast is key.
- Avocados are rich in B-vitamins , Vit C and E, making it a superfood for your adrenal glands. Healthy adrenal glands are vital to blood sugar regulation.
- Ounce for ounce, almonds are the lowest fat nut out there. They are also high in protein making them a great post work-out snack. They're also high in calcium, magnesium & iron -- minerals which are depleted by sugar in your body. Don't go overboard though! A small handful is enough.
#2 PROTEIN: especially chicken, salmon & eggs. Protein, like fat, helps keep you full for a longer period of time because our body breaks it down slowly. Protein is also the basis for many key neurotransmitters, like serotonin - our feel good hormone.
- Chicken and turkey are lean proteins which are rich in an amino acid called tryptophan -- a key building block for serotonin. Making sure your body has the raw material to keep you feeling happy could very well mean that you're not reaching for the chocolate bar during an unexplainable moment of sadness.
- Salmon is full of Omega3 fats, which are key to balancing hormones and reducing inflammation in the body.
- Eggs (with the yolk) are full of those B-vitamins which are key to busting sugar cravings because they help with brain chemistry, adrenal health and blood sugar balance.
#3 VEGETABLES: especially leafy greens like spinach, arugula & pak choi; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli & cauliflower; and the rainbow vegetables like peppers, tomatoes & radishes.
Here's is where I'm going to say YOU JUST HAVE TO GO CRAZY & CREATIVE on the vegetable uptake. This is going to be key for weight loss and for killing the Sugar Beast. You have to focus on getting 60% of your plate covered with leafy greens, cruciferous & rainbow veggies. This will CROWD OUT the sugars from your plate, e.g rice, pasta, noodles & starchy vegetables like potatoes.
These vegetables are super high in enzymes, vitamins and fibre. And people - FIBRE IS KEY to evicting the Sugar Beast because of its role in elimination. The better we are at eliminating, the less hospitable our gut terrain is to yeast and the more wonderful serotonin is produced by out gut.
If you manage to eat according the 60:25:15 ratio and are still hungry after that -- eat a 1/2 cup of blueberries. Blueberries are a great to counter urinary tract infections - which are mostly caused by yeast overgrowth. They help nourish our “life force” and our adrenals because they are high in VitC.
This formula is so filling, you won't have room in your belly for sugar. Reward yourself every time you succeed in implementing it by doing something that makes you feel REALLY ALIVE. And after a time, your addiction will transform itself.
I know. I did it. And I never thought I could.
TRY IT. POST YOUR FEEDBACK. #IKILLEDMYSUGARBEAST
Thrive Nutrition Practice launches in a few weeks.