Food matters. Sugar is a drug

For the first time in human history, the current generation of youth will be less healthy than their parent's generation. - P. Shelton



.....Not just yet..... shame



Yes, we are literally what we eat, if you don't spend your money on your food, you will spend it on doctors - good health is an investment with great returns! - Me

If everything we eat is low fat & fat-free, how did Americans get so fat? If the label shows it's low in fat, it's low in facts! -J. Novick

Remember it was Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine who said, "Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine by your food."

Please check out Jamie Oliver's award winning TED talk below. It's truely inspiring. Wish there were more people like him.

Please check out the video below: Organic Farmer Prince Charles on Changing Our Faulty Food System. Seriously impressed by his broad overview and understanding of the problems inherent in industrial food and the implications of those problems.

He described himself as a farmer, which was not exactly how I had imagined him. It's fascinating that someone of his stature cares about these issues and is willing to go on record promoting a healthier food system.

Sugar.is.a.drug

It’s been labeled the sweetest poison, toxic, and harmful and a drug. Unfortunately it does seem a little extreme to label a food as a drug but when you look at how sugar (especially the highly refined and processed kinds) are metabolised by your body then you can begin to understand why.


Sugar when taken in excessive amounts can lead to cravings and addictions, quite similar to those with alcohol and tobacco, yet we have no problem labeling them as drugs. It's illegal to give a child cigarettes and alcohol, and so it should be, but it's not illegal to give them white refined sugar or refined fats....hmmm

We're allowing ourselves and our children to become addicted to this substance causing soaring rates of obesity, one of the leading causes of preventable death. Here are some tips on how you and your children, can kick sugar cravings for good.

1. Avoid Processed Junk Foods
Sugar and processed foods can be as addictive as heroin. Eating sugar artificially stimulates a region of your brain called the nucleus accumbens, to produce dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter. Soon dopamine levels drop and we start to feel “flat”...or a bit “down”. We crave this pleasant, feel-good feeling again...so sugar leads to addiction.


2. Boost Your Serotonin
Serotonin, aka “the happiness hormone,” can be raised through a natural low glycemic diet, daily exercise and plenty of deep restful sleep. When you have sufficient serotonin, you are less likely to have cravings for sweets.


3. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With All Natural Stevia
The all-natural sweetener, stevia, has zero calories, does not raise blood sugar levels and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. If you have sugar cravings and want to satisfy your sweet tooth safely, stevia is your best bet. Stevia comes in a liquid and powder form from your local health food store.

4. Drink Plenty of Water
You may sometimes think that your body is asking for sugar, when in fact it’s dehydrated and really craving water! Try this simple delicious cravings-buster lemonade: In 8 oz. of water, add the juice of ½ lemon and 5 drops of stevia. You could also try a warm cup of green tea, sweetened with stevia with your meals. This way your sweet taste is satisfied and you won’t want a dessert.


5. Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable
Eat several small, healthy meals throughout your day instead of three large portions to avoid dips in blood sugar. Your evening meal should be one of the preferred gluten-free grain-like seeds (quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth). If you do this, your body will produce more serotonin, you’ll feel happier and you’ll sleep much better at night.

6. Have Plenty of Greens
Loaded with nutrition greens help boost your energy and help reduce cravings for sugar and processed foods.Green juices are an amazing way to add life giving and detoxifying plant chlorophyll to your bloodstream. Juicing is the ultimate fast food, it is a 15 minute nutrient express to health. Some of my favorite and simple green juice recipes include:

Green Juice Recipe Ideas:
- Celery, lemon, fennel and  apple
- Celery, cucumber, lemon (leave the skin on) and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon, parsley and pear (or apple)


I also like to stir whatever green powders I have on hand, try barley grass, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella powders.


7. Eat More Sea Vegetables
Seaweed is the most nutritionally dense food on the planet. They are the original superfoods.

Loaded with vitamins and minerals, seaweed or sea vegetables make for a a great addition to salads and meals! They are mineral-rich while eating anything with sugar immediately depletes minerals from your body. Sprinkle dulse flakes on your salad or an avocado. Add seaweed to your soups for a rich salty and mineral flavour. mmm...


8. Eat and Drink More Fermented Foods and Drinks
Fermented foods and drinks can be one of the most important ways to reduce or even eliminate cravings for sugar. Try live fermented kefir, sauerkraut, kim-chi, kombucha tea, natural plain yoghurt, coconut kefir or any of your favourite fermented foods. You’ll be amazed at how the sour taste of fermented foods and drinks relieves the desire for sugar and processed foods.

9. Learn Stress Reduction Techniques
Meditation can help ward off cravings by helping reduce stress. Stress creates the hormone cortisol, which increases your blood sugar. This is a vicious cycle that damages your adrenals and creates sugar cravings. Try a yoga class before or after work to calm your body and mind.


10. Try EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
If you’re looking to shift the desire for sugar, lose weight, stop a habit of binging or eliminate any addiction, you owe it to yourself to learn about EFT. EFT is an easy tool that anyone can learn in minutes. You simply tap on emotional acupressure points on your body while repeating key statements that help shift your body, mind and habits. This week is the 2012 Tapping World Summit and you can register for free to learn about EFT here www.2012thetappingworldsummit.com

London Spa Girl x