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Post Workout Nutrition
23 November 2022
Many of us are either truly famished or just feel like we deserve a reward after a really hard workout and end up eating rich foods and larger portions than we normally would. The end result is often eating back all or more than the calories we’ve just worked so hard to burn!
There’s nothing wrong with a small snack or a filling dinner after exercising, but before you dig in, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of your body’s true nutrition needs so you don’t end up gaining weight and sabotaging your hard-earned gains.
If like me, you’re always hungry after you exercise, try working out right before a meal. Regardless of whether you ate beforehand or how many calories you burned, try scheduling your workouts before one of your main meals. That way, you can refuel with calories you would have consumed anyway, without having to add extra snacks into your day.
Try and make your workouts more fun or get me to design a program for you that will get you thinking about exercise less as a chore and more as something you do because you actually enjoy moving your body. This simple mind shift will help you eat less afterward.
In 2014, researchers at Cornell University conducted a study in which they led volunteers on a 2.25km walk, telling half of them that it was for exercise and the other half that it was a scenic stroll. The “exercise” group ate 35% more chocolate pudding for dessert than the “scenic” group. Similarly, in another experiment, volunteers were given post-walk snacks, and the “exercisers” ate 124% more calories than those who were told it was just for fun.
When you do need a snack to recover from a tough sweat session pair protein with carbs, try a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. This will allow you to begin to replenish your energy levels and repair muscle damage resulting from the workout.
For workouts, less than an hour, keep your snack between 150 to 200 calories, try open-faced peanut butter on rye with honey, a portion of fish, a slice of chicken breast, cheese on crackers, or a handful of trail mix.
Low-fat dairy is another great recovery food with plenty of protein to help tide you over until your next meal. Refueling with dairy like low-fat chocolate milk specifically helps improve subsequent athletic performances better than traditional sports drinks.
Sometimes, overeating after exercise is more a consequence of routine than anything else. When you consistently consume a 500 calorie smoothie after you finish up at the gym, you start to get into that habit of consuming a smoothie no matter how long or intense your exercise was.
Choose different snacks for different workouts, the shorter the duration, the fewer calories you need to replenish. It’s important for weight loss and weight maintenance to get in tune with your body and learn to eat in response to hunger, versus eating in response to boredom, stress, or the idea of rewarding yourself for exercising.
Activity trackers like the Hauwei smartwatch and Apple watch have become a trendy way to estimate physical activity expenditure throughout the day. However, not all devices are accurate in estimating calorie burn during workouts. Even the most accurate trackers can still only provide an estimate of true calorie burn and it’s not smart to base your refueling strategy entirely on their calculations.
It may seem counterintuitive, but eating more throughout the day may be your ticket to consuming fewer calories overall, especially if you tend to pig out post-workout. Incorporating two to three healthy snacks throughout the day will help regulate hunger between meals, increase energy, and keep metabolism bumped up.
You may feel like you burned a million calories during your spin class, but the truth is we tend to overestimate our energy expenditure during exercise by as much as four-fold. In a study from the University of Ottawa, when volunteers were then asked to eat back all the calories they’d just burned after exercise, they tended to consume two to three times more than what they’d expended. If you are trying to lose weight remember this simple trick, energy out must always outweigh energy in.
Your number one priority after a workout should be replacing the fluids lost during a workout. Having a lot of water in the belly also reduces appetite. Try having a drink of water as soon as you finish training, being mindful that taking in too much water can cause water intoxication due to excessively low levels of salt in the body.
Talk to yourself, ask yourself if you really need to eat. You’re going to eat those calories eventually, so why not save them for your next meal when you’re really hungry?
For workouts lasting longer than two hours—like a long bike ride or a marathon training, sucking down a gel or sipping a sports drink will keep you from feeling ravenous afterward. Try to consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates, that’s about 120 to 240 calories every hour after your first hour. Avoid anything with protein, since it takes longer to for the stomach to digest.
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment-only gym in Sandton, Johannesburg using a rigorous, results-focused methodology. We are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
Indian Food Diet For Weightloss
23 November 2022
Indian cuisine is known for its vibrant spices, fresh herbs, and a wide variety of rich flavors. Though diets and preferences vary throughout India, most people follow a primarily plant-based diet. Around 80% of the Indian population practices Hinduism, a religion that promotes a vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian diet.
The traditional Indian diet emphasizes a high intake of plant foods like vegetables, lentils, and fruits, as well as low consumption of meat. However, obesity is a rising issue in the Indian population.
With the growing availability of processed foods, India has seen a surge in obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
This article explains how to follow a healthy Indian diet that can promote weight loss. It includes suggestions about which foods to eat and avoid and a sample menu for one week.
A Healthy Traditional Indian Diet
Traditional plant-based Indian diets focus on fresh, whole ingredients — ideal foods to promote optimal health.
Why Eat a Plant-Based Indian Diet?
Plant-based diets have been associated with many health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers such as breast and colon cancer. Additionally, the Indian diet has been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe this is due to the low consumption of meat and emphasis on vegetables and fruits.
Following a healthy plant-based Indian diet may not only help decrease the risk of chronic disease but can also encourage weight loss.
What Food Groups Does It Include?
The Indian diet is rich in nutritious foods like grains, lentils, healthy fats, vegetables, dairy, and fruits. The diets of most Indian people are heavily influenced by religion, particularly Hinduism. The Hindu religion teaches nonviolence and that all living things should be valued equally.
That’s why a lacto-vegetarian diet is encouraged, and eating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs are discouraged. Lacto-vegetarians do, however, eat dairy products. A healthy lacto-vegetarian diet should focus on grains, lentils, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats like coconut oil.
Spices such as turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, ginger, and cumin are at the forefront of traditional dishes, adding rich flavor and powerful nutritional benefits. Turmeric, one of the most popular spices used in India, is celebrated for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer properties.
A compound in turmeric called curcumin has been found to fight inflammation in the body, improve brain function and reduce risk factors of heart disease.
Summary
A healthy Indian diet focuses on lacto-vegetarian guidelines and emphasizes grains, lentils, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, dairy, and spices.
Healthy Foods to Eat
There are many delicious foods and beverages to choose from when following a lacto-vegetarian diet for weight loss.
What to Eat
Try incorporating the following ingredients into your daily meal plan:
Vegetables – Tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, mustard greens, okra, onions, bitter melon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cabbage, and more
Fruits – Mango, papaya, pomegranate, guava, oranges, tamarind, lychee, apples, melon, pears, plums, bananas
Nuts and seeds – Cashews, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, watermelon seeds, and more
Legumes – Mung beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lentils, pulses, and chickpeas
Roots and tubers – Potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, yams
Whole grains – Brown rice, basmati rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, corn, whole-grain bread, amaranth, sorghum
Dairy – Cheese, yogurt, milk, kefir, ghee
Herbs and spices – Garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin, coriander, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, fenugreek, basil, and more
Healthy fats – Coconut milk, full-fat dairy, avocado, coconut oil, mustard oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, ghee
Protein – Tofu, legumes, dairy, nuts, and seeds
Meals and snacks should focus on fresh, whole foods flavored with herbs and spices. Additionally, adding non-starchy vegetables like greens, eggplants, or tomatoes to your meals will provide a boost of fiber that can help you feel satisfied for a longer period after eating.
What to Drink?
An easy way to cut back on excess calories and sugar is to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and juices.
These drinks can be high in both calories and sugar, which can negatively affect weight loss. Water, Sparkling water, Unsweetened tea including Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri teas
Summary
A healthy Indian diet should focus on fresh ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, tubers, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, and unsweetened beverages.
Unhealthy Foods to Avoid
Choosing foods and beverages that are highly processed, loaded with sugar, or high in calories can sabotage your weight loss efforts.
Not only are items like sweets, fried foods, and soda not good for weight loss, they aren’t good for overall health.
Eating too much-processed food and products laden with sweeteners can increase the risk of chronic diseases. For example, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages like soft drinks, fruit punch, and juices every day has been associated with increased risks of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
Consuming unhealthy foods can make it harder for you to lose fat and maintain a healthy weight.
For optimal health, minimize the following foods or avoid them altogether:
Sweetened beverages – Soda, fruit juice, sweetened tea, sweet lassi, sports drinks
High-sugar foods – Sweets, ice cream, cookies, rice pudding, pastries, cakes, sweetened yogurt, high-sugar cereals, digestive biscuits
Sweeteners – Jaggery, sugar, honey, condensed milk
Sweetened sauces – Salad dressings with added sugar, ketchup, barbecue sauce, sweetened curries
High-fat foods – Fast food like McDonald’s, French fries, chips, fried foods, bhujia
Refined grains – Products including white bread, white pasta, biscuits
Trans fats – Margarine, Vanaspati, fast food, highly processed foods
Refined oils – Canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil.
It’s okay to enjoy an occasional treat, limiting the foods and beverages listed above is best for overall health.
Summary
Avoiding sweetened beverages, fast food, fried items and products high in added sugar can help you lose weight and get healthier.
Healthy Menu for One Week
Below is a healthy one-week Indian sample menu that focuses on fresh, nutritious food. You can adjust it according to your calorie needs, dietary restrictions and food preferences.
Monday
Breakfast – Sambar with brown rice idli
Lunch – Whole-grain roti with mixed-vegetable curry
Dinner – Tofu curry with mixed vegetables and a fresh spinach salad
Tuesday
Breakfast – Chana dal pancakes with mixed vegetables and a glass of milk
Lunch – Chickpea curry with brown rice
Dinner – Khichdi with sprout salad
Wednesday
Breakfast – Apple cinnamon porridge made with milk and topped with sliced almonds
Lunch – Whole-grain roti with tofu and mixed vegetables
Dinner – Palak paneer with brown rice and vegetables
Thursday
Breakfast – Yogurt with sliced fruits and sunflower seeds
Lunch: Whole-grain roti with vegetable subji
Dinner – Chana masala with basmati rice and green salad
Friday
Breakfast – Vegetable dalia and a glass of milk
Lunch – Vegetable sambar with brown rice
Dinner – Tofu curry with potato and mixed vegetables
Saturday
Breakfast – Multigrain parathas with avocado and sliced papaya
Lunch – Large salad with rajma curry and quinoa
Dinner – Lentil pancakes with tofu tikka masala
Sunday
Breakfast – Buckwheat porridge with sliced mango
Lunch – Vegetable soup with whole-grain roti
Dinner – Masala-baked tofu with vegetable curry
Drinking water, seltzer or unsweetened tea with and between meals will keep you hydrated without adding extra calories. Make sure to consume plenty of non-starchy vegetables at every meal, as well as sources of healthy fat and protein. This will keep you feeling full throughout the day and reduce the chances of you overeating.
Summary
A healthy lacto-vegetarian meal plan should be rich in vegetables, fruits, vegetarian protein sources and healthy fats.
Healthy Snack Options
Replacing high-calorie, sugary snacks with healthier options can promote weight loss and help keep you on track towards your weight loss goals. Like meals, nutritious snacks should revolve around w, whole ingredients.
Here are some weight loss friendly snack ideas:
Small handful of nuts
Sliced fruit with unsweetened yogurt
Vegetable chaat
Sprout salad
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Sliced fruit with nuts or nut butter
Roasted chickpeas (channa)
Hummus with vegetables
Bean salad
Salted popcorn
Unsweetened kefir
Homemade trail mix
Fennel seeds
Fresh fruit with cheese
Broth-based vegetable soup
If you are craving a sweet snack to have with evening tea, swapping out your usual dessert for fresh, sliced fruit might do the trick. For another healthy dessert option, top unsweetened yogurt with cooked fruit and crunchy nuts for a satisfying combination.
Summary
When choosing a snack, pick a nutritious option that is low in sugar and high in nutrients. Vegetables, fruit, cheese, nuts, seeds and unsweetened yogurt all make excellent snack choices.
Smart Ways to Lose Weight
Aside from focusing on fresh, whole foods, there are other lifestyle changes that can help you lose weight. What’s more, adopting the following healthy habits can help you maintain a healthy weight over your lifetime.
Increase Activity
To create a calorie deficit that will help you lose weight, it’s critical to increase the amount of activity in your day. Find an activity that you enjoy, whether it be a sport or working out at the gym. Even if you don’t exercise formally, try increasing the number of steps you take every day. It’s a simple way to burn more calories and get fit. To lose weight, aim for a goal of 10,000 steps per day and work up to that goal over time.
Practice Mindful Eating. Many people eat on the run or consume meals while they’re distracted. Instead, make a point to focus on your meals and pay attention to feelings of hunger and fullness. It’s a great way to get more in tune with your body. Eating more slowly can also promote weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness and decreasing hunger. Another useful habit to control your food intake is to avoid eating in front of the television or while surfing the web.
Make Smart Choices
Eating healthy can be a challenge, so set goals ahead of time and stick to them. This can help you maintain your plan, even when you are feeling tempted to make an unhealthy food choice, such as when you’re socializing with friends or family. Reminding yourself why you want to get healthier in the first place can make you feel empowered and lead you to make smarter food and lifestyle decisions.
Summary
Being more active, practicing mindful eating and reminding yourself of your health and wellness goals are excellent tools that can help you stay on track.
A Weight Loss Friendly Shopping List
Having ingredients on hand to prepare nutritious meals and snacks at home is vital for weight loss. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods. It will motivate you to test out your cooking skills and try new recipes. Research shows that people who cook more meals at home are more likely to have better overall diet quality, a healthier weight and less body fat than those who eat meals at home infrequently.
Here are some healthy items to add to your shopping list:
Vegetables – Greens, cauliflower, herbs, carrots, peppers, garlic, eggplant
Fruits – Apples, strawberries, mango, papaya, banana, grapes
Frozen produce – Mixed vegetables and frozen fruits
Grains – Oats, millet, quinoa, whole-grain breads, brown rice
Legumes – Lentils, pulses, beans
Nuts – Almonds, pistachios, cashews
Seeds – Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, lotus seeds
Dairy – Milk, unsweetened yogurt, unsweetened kefir, cheeses, curd
Condiments – Sea salt, pepper, turmeric, ginger, paprika, cinnamon
Starchy vegetables – Potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnip, pumpkin, corn
Proteins – Tofu, dairy products, legumes, hummus
Healthy fats – Olive oil, unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, ghee, sesame oil, avocado, peanut butter
Beverages – Green tea, coffee, sparkling water, Darjeeling tea
Focus on filling your cart with fresh foods. These are usually stocked around the perimeter of the grocery store. The shelves in the middle of the grocery store typically house packaged and processed foods, which you should keep to a minimum in your diet.
Buy grains, nuts and seeds in bulk to save money and stock up on staple items you use regularly. Steer clear of tempting foods by making a grocery list and purchasing only the items you jotted down ahead of time.
Summary
Cooking more meals at home will allow you to save money and experiment in the kitchen. It may even help you lose weight. To start, create a grocery shopping list filled with fresh, nutritious items.
The Bottom Line
Following a lacto-vegetarian Indian diet is a great way to lose weight. It will help you cut back on sugary foods and beverages, eat more vegetables and increase your protein intake. Regular exercise to your regimen to boost your health and weight loss even more. Incorporating even one or two of the foods or lifestyle changes listed above into your routine can help you get healthier and happier.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer custom in person or online exercise programs with a personal trainer.
Together Changes Everything. Let’s Workout.
Run For Fun
23 November 2022
Welcome to the introductory week of your couch-to-street plan designed to help you start running and stay running.
In it are combination run and walk intervals totaling 30 minutes of hard work and dedication. Distance moved isn’t an issue it’s purely about the amount of time you spend on your feet. Let’s get running!
According to fossil evidence of some distinctive features of the modern human body, humans started to jog around two million years ago, A new study suggests humans may have left their tree-swinging ancestors behind because they developed into endurance runners.
Running or ‘moving fast of foot’ is a natural ability that most people learn as toddlers. As simple as that sounds, starting to run as a workout or vocation as an adult can be intimidating, even appear frighteningly difficult.
At first glance all you need is a little, ‘get-go’ and comfortable sports shoes, but as many who have tried will tell you, it’s a little more involved than that. When I stopped playing rugby in 2000 and competitive karate a year or two later, I turned into one of those gym guys that love to lift big things and hate to run.
In 2013, I had a massive health scare and as I fought my way back to health, a gym mirror severed my left Achilles tendon in a freak accident on the same leg whose knee had forced me to stop playing rugby, it was very hard road back to get healthy and learn how to walk normally again but being the dreamer I am, I just didn’t want to walk, I wanted to run again.
I finally got the guts to ‘lace-up’ in 2018, the idea that I would reinjure myself and not do well at something I had always taken for granted scared me immensely, but I laced up my sports shoes and headed out every single day and did some sort of slow run/fast walk combination for about 30 minutes at a time.
Within about a month, my running periods became longer than the walking ones. By the second month, I had completed my first continuous 5km run, add a few weeks and I had completed my first 10km run, more confident in my ‘new’ ability, happy that I had turned my fear of running into a habit I thoroughly enjoy.
As a personal trainer and owner of the leading private gym in Sandton, I enjoy encouraging my clients to start running by being kind to themselves first and just enjoying the process. Gaining the mental toughness to overcome the physical demands of learning a new skill like running is tough enough without you being too hard on yourself.
I want you to know that it's perfectly okay to dictate your own pace, every time you lace up and step out it’s a step in the right direction. The only thing that matters is remembering that this is for you and the result will be a happier and healthier version of you.
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment-only gym in Sandton, Johannesburg using a rigorous, results-focused methodology we are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment-only gym in Sandton, Johannesburg using a rigorous, results-focused methodology. We are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
Introduction
Day 1: Run 3 Minutes. Walk 3 Minutes. 5 Sets.
Day 2: Active Rest – Walk 30 minutes.
Day 3: Run 3 Minutes. Walk 3 Minutes. 5 Sets.
Day 4: Active Rest – Walk 30 Minutes.
Day 5: Run 3 Minutes. Walk 3 Minutes. 5 Sets.
Day 6: Active Rest – Walk 30 Minutes.
Day 7: Run 3 Minutes. Walk 3 Minutes. 5 Sets.
Sugar Addict?
23 November 2022
It’s a fact that most of us love our sugar and sweet treats. Former US President Ronald Reagan famously always had to have jellybeans on his desk. Vending machines and even the aisles leading to till points in major shops almost everywhere feed our cravings for sweets.
South African sales of sugar-filled drinks and other sweets soaring, at 63%, we have the highest percentage of fat children and adolescents on the planet, as a nation, we are addicted to sugar in all its glorious forms.
While sugar is not literally addicting, (scientists long ago proved that people are born with a preference for sweets), this innate desire does not disappear as we grow older.
Some people find it impossible to leave the dinner table without dessert; others can’t fathom a day without chocolate. Many women blame hormonal surges for the sweets cravings they get around the same time each month.
Sugar and other sweeteners add calories with few other nutrients and have no doubt helped contribute to our current epidemic of obesity.
True, sugar is not alone in promoting obesity, a lack of exercise and excessive calories from poor nutrition habits also contribute.
Sugar has been blamed for everything from diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, and heart disease to disruptive behavior in the classroom. But sugar by itself will not cause any of these conditions, except for cavities.
A comprehensive review of scientific research, published in the journal Nutrition Research in 1997, showed that sugar is not a direct cause of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or hyperactivity.
A more recent American government report concurs that sugar is not by itself linked to any of those conditions. However, too many calories, in any form, can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Changes in our behavior are often attributed to changes in our blood sugar levels. When you consume a meal made up of simple, refined carbohydrates – like a doughnut or a soft drink – the result is a spike in blood sugar.
Your body responds to this spike by secreting large amounts of insulin to normalize your blood sugar level. In response to the insulin, your blood sugar level drops quickly, leaving you with a feeling of sluggishness and irritability.
When your blood sugar gets too low, hunger reappears, and the roller-coaster ride resumes, that is, at least until your if your next ‘fix’ of simple carbohydrates. It’s simple carbohydrates that we need to watch specifically, not the healthy, fibrous carbohydrates that come from whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
As your personal trainer, I help you choose healthy carbohydrates or give you nutritional advice that adds protein or fat to your meal, so your blood sugar will rise and fall more normally without the negative side effects.
When we say we have a sugar addiction, we may mean anything from a mild desire to intense cravings for sweet foods and drinks.
Some people go so far as to equate the effects of sugar to a drug, saying it calms them and helps them deal with stress.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid recommends we limit added sugars in our diet to 12 teaspoons per day, as far back as 2001, the average American ate and drank the equivalent of 31 teaspoons of sugar daily, however, even with these scary numbers, South African children still manage to feature as amongst the fattest on the planet.
Sugar finds its way into virtually every kind of processed food, from tomato sauce to soups and, especially, soft drinks. One 330ml can of your favorite soft drink contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar.
As if that is not bad enough, some data suggest that we consume an average of 155 liters of soft drink per person annually. That’s a lot of sugar and extra calories!
Sugars have 4 calories per gram or 15 calories per teaspoon. If you want to shave calories, it’s a good idea to limit added sugar in your diet.
Sounds simple enough, but what about those hard-to-ignore cravings? Here’s the trick: Gradually decrease the amount of sugar you eat, and how often you eat it. This will help you reduce your desire for sugars while lowering your caloric intake.
Old habits are hard to break but as your personal trainer, I guide you into making small and gradual changes in your eating style which will help you break free from your sugar addiction.
Many people, newly diagnosed with diabetes find that after they start eating fewer sweets and simple carbohydrates, foods like fresh fruit taste sweeter and can satisfy their cravings for sweets. Remember, moderation is the key. If you can control the quantity, you will be able to enjoy sweets on occasion.
The first step you take towards a healthier lifestyle is the most important and provides secure footing for your weight loss journey. Book a consultation and health appraisal with me and get some professional help.
One of your most important defenses against sugar is by learning to understand food labels, being able to distinguish between unhealthy and healthier food options.
Making a habit of always reading food labels and understanding what they mean will soon become second nature with this 2-step guide.
To begin with, read the Nutrition Information table displayed on the packaging of most foods. This can help you to decide if a product is a healthy option or not as it lists how much of each nutrient it contains.
All nutrients are listed in two columns – per 100g and per serving. The 100g column is great to use to easily compare similar products because serving sizes may differ, this way you are comparing apples-for-apples.
The “per serving” column tells you how much of each nutrient and energy (kilojoules) you’ll consume if you consume that suggested serving. Be careful here because the “suggested serving” is not always the same as the packaging size – for example, the suggested serving on a 500ml bottle of a sugary drink is often only around 250ml, half of the packaging size.
Use the table to decide if the food is high or low in fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium (salt). Foods in the ‘low’ group can be eaten more often, but foods in the ‘high’ group should rarely be eaten or only on special occasions.
Become familiar with sugar terminology and find the hidden sugar in your diet. Recognize that all of these are sweeteners: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, molasses, turbinado, and brown sugar.
Keep up with your food journal, and use the notes section to document your mood, setting, and activity whenever you feel the urge to eat sweets. Review your notes and look for patterns or triggers that you can alter to help control your sugar intake.
Don’t put yourself under pressure. Select one behavior to change weekly. Try satisfying your sweet tooth with a snack-sized chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one. Next week, trade in a soft drink for sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice.
Fight your cravings. Satisfy your desire for sweets with the natural sweetness of whole fruits or no-sugar-added juices.
Buy unsweetened food and beverages and add small amounts of sweeteners if you need them. Enjoy whole-grain cereal with one teaspoon of sugar instead of presweetened cereals, which contain much more sugar per serving.
Gradually decrease the amount of sugar you consume in your tea and coffee, let your taste buds slowly adapt to change. Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar; this will do little to alter your desire for sweets.
Moderate amounts of artificial sweeteners are not unhealthy, but they won’t help you retrain your taste buds.
Allow yourself small portions of sweets on occasion. If you just go ‘cold turkey, it will be hard to think about anything else. Rather reward yourself with a portion of one small treat ever so often to resist ‘pigging out’ when your resistance wanes.
Second, read the list of ingredients. These are always listed in order of weight, those used in the greatest amounts are listed first, right down to the ingredient used in the smallest amount listed last.
Often the first three ingredients listed on the label make up the largest portion of the food item. Sugar, salt, and bad fats are the ones to look out for to avoid and come in a variety of which may often be listed under the guise of different names as listed below.
Sugar – Brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, corn syrup, dextrose, treacle, fructose, glucose, glucose syrup, golden syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt, malt extract, maltose, isomaltose, maltodextrin, maple syrup, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, sugar, cane sugar.
Bad Fats – Animal fat, beef fat, butter, chocolate, carob, coconut oil, cream, dripping, ghee, hydrogenated oils, lard, margarine, milk solids, monoglycerides, palm oil, seeds, nuts, coconut, tallow, shortening, trans fats, vegetable fat.
Salt – Baking soda, salt, MSG (monosodium glutamate), any word containing the term sodium, nitrates, nitrites.
If you’re a sugar “addict,” kicking the habit will do your body good. Doctors' newest nutritional recommendations suggest a balanced diet, low in fat, with reduced sugar intake, along with regular exercise, as the best way to lose weight and keep it off.
My custom programs for fitness and weight loss are a smart combination of exercise and good nutritional advice based on data from your consultation and health appraisal.
My programs promote safe and effective weekly weight loss and encourage the eating of healthy foods while weaning you from excessive sugar. Book a consultation and health appraisal and find out just how sweet better health can be!
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment-only gym in Sandton, Johannesburg using a rigorous, results-focused methodology. We are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
Discover the latest techniques and tips.