sugar blues

Does This Shirt Make Me Look Fast?

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This morning the Hubz and I had intended on getting up early to run before heading to Montpelier to watch Allie and Caitlin’s race but after a late night out at a concert we decided that a little extra sleep was a better idea.  Once we finally rolled out of bed we headed on our way but first we made a pit stop at a new coffee shop Maglianero Cafe for a coffee. This new coffee shop is really a beautiful place and it is bike friendly.  I got a hot drip coffee and the Hubz an iced coffee- both were amazingly delicious.

After our coffee we made our way to Montpelier just in time to see Allie and Caitlin at the first start of the race.  While we waited for them to make the loop back to the finish we headed to our favorite Capitol City Farmers Market to pick up some veggies and our favorite bookstore Bear Pond Books.  Around 9:30 am we headed to the race finish line and watched as runners began to arrive and waited to cheer on Allie and Caitlin.

At the start of their run (girls in pink)

Around 43 minutes I turned to Neil and said they’ll be here in 10 minutes, that’s my guess.  Well guess what- I WAS RIGHT ON! Allie and Caitlin turned the corner at 52 minutes and some seconds and they leaped across the finish line at 53 minutes.  They were really amazing and I am so proud.

Check out the shirts the girls made for the race:

and the back of Allie’s:

After the race we headed to The Skinny Pancake for crepes and to catch up.  Neil and I both got the Vegan Monster with mushrooms and salsa and topped with our favorite hot sauce.

Following brunch we headed to the Hunger Mountain Co-op to take a look but we didn’t pick up much just a yummy chocolate bar and coconut rolled dates for the Hubz.  When we were leaving I decided to take a peak at the sign up sheet for my Sugar Blues workshop next week and guess what? It was FULL- even the wait list is full!!! Squeal! Eeek! OMG! The pressure is on!

When we finally made it back to Burlington the Hubz and I took a look at the clock and decided we better head to the gym before it closed.  Today we decided to get a 250 meter swim in as well as our run.  I haven’t been feeling great, a little congested, so todays workout wasn’t the best on top of the fact that my legs were killing me from yesterdays squats and lunges. After our run we stopped in at Healthy Living for a smoothie and coconut water as well as some organic strawberries and organic apples. The Hubz and I shared a banana-peanut butter-flax-coconut smoothie and it was delicious.

Now it’s time for dinner, The Voice, foam rolling and relaxing with a movie. What are you up to this weekend?

Sugar Blues

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Like heroin, cocaine and caffeine, sugar is an addictive, destructive drug, yet we consume it daily in everything from cigarettes to bread.

–William Dufty, author of Sugar Blues.

(source)

It is that time of year again (Lent) when many people choose to give something up for 40 days.  This year I have been reading on a number of blogs and hearing from friends that they will be giving up sugar or sweets. I had a friend ask about tips for giving up sugar  here are my top 5 tips:

Tips:

1. Chew More! Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets. Chewing also reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.

2. Eat more grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins. When whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules. These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff.

3. Be aware of hidden sugars. The recommended daily intake of sugar is 10 teaspoons. There are many “healthy” foods that contain massive amounts of sugar for example a lemon poppy seed Clif Bar has 21 grams of sugar, or 5 teaspoons. The worst part is that  a chocolate-glazed cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, has less sugar  at 14 grams/3 teaspoons than its “healthy” counterpart.  Additionally, don’t forget about your morning or afternoon Starbucks run that Grande Frappuccino actually contains 44 grams of sugar, or 10 teaspoons- a full days allowance!

4. Eat balance foods and find balance in your life. If you focus on eating foods that make us feel balanced you can naturally reduce cravings and feel healthier and happier. Balanced Foods include: Brown rice; Whole grains: brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, oats; Vegetables: squash, carrots, parsnips, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.; Dark, leafy greens; Beans and legumes. Along with eating balanced foods you also need to take time to make sure you are finding balance in all other aspects of your life including your relationships, physical activity, spirituality and career.  When you have balance in all of these you will then find that your cravings will start to disappear.

5. DRINK WATER! One of the primary causes of cravings is dehydration. Dehydration can manifest as a mild hunger, so the first thing to do when you get a craving is drink a full glass of water.  However like everything else you need to find a balance because excess water can also cause cravings; don’t over hydrate.