01 Feb Feb Fast
Can you believe it? We have already powered through January. 2016 is going to be quite a fun journey. February is now upon us and with that comes Feb Fast. Feb fast is an initiative that is about giving up alcohol and sugar for the month of February. Seems really tough right?! Well, it may be for the first week or so. The health benefits of alcohol and sugar fasting are endless!. Alcohol and sugar both play such havoc on our bodies, our immune systems, skin as well as many other health issues in our body. Feb fast is a great initiative that helps young Australian’s who battle with drug and alcohol addiction, that do not have access or the resources that are required to lead healthy fulfilling lives.
Here at Complete Health Care Sunbury we believe health is an overall approach. Looking after our diet, our bodies, and of course our minds. We can be attuned to our bodies in terms of Osteopathy and massage, but not be achieving the results we would like. This can be due to factors such as not eating the right foods, getting enough sleep etc.
Diet and nutrition play such an integral part of our overall health and wellbeing. If our diet isn’t in order our health can suffer greatly. A big part of our diet is the increasing amounts of sugar we’re having daily. Sugar plays such a dramatic toll on our body and we may not even notice the impact it is having.
Ask yourself, are you waking up tired all the time? Do you struggle to get enough sleep? Do you have excess weight you’re carrying? Do your joints and muscles ache unexpectedly? If you find yourself saying yes to 1 or more of these questions, there is a high chance you’re consuming too much sugar. These symptoms can all be due to the amount of sugar in ones diet. By cutting out sugar from our diet it allows our weight to normalise, we feel more energised, our sleep is better amongst many other health benefits.
We have some great tips to help reduce the sugar intake in your diet, which can dramatically improve our health and wellbeing. We’re urging you to give Feb Fast a go this February, and to notice how good your body feels without either alcohol and sugar.
Our tips to reducing sugar in your daily diet
Stop with the added sugar- Are you adding sugar into your coffee or tea every morning? Just a couple of teaspoons here and there is adding to the large amount we’re consuming daily. Starting small by cutting out added sugar can have significant benefits.
Stop the soft drinks- By now we all should know how bad soft drinks are for our health. Cutting them out completely will go a long way in reducing our overall sugar intake. One can of coke is approximately 9 teaspoons of sugar.
Take a look at your condiments- Salad dressings, tomato sauces, pre-made sauces all have whopping amounts of added sugar in them. Why not do a take of your own salad dressing or sauce without the added nasties.
Cut down on your alcohol intake- the festive season has well and truly come to an end, so time to limit the amount of drinks we’re consuming. If you’re doing Feb Fast and are giving it up altogether with sugar, try drinks such as soda water with lemon and lime.
Limit your complex carbohydrates- swap your breads, pastas and white rice for foods such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, quinoa and brown rice. Also cut out pastries and the sweet cookies. We all know that we never just stop at one. Eating a high amount of complex carbohydrates messes with blood sugar levels, setting up a cycle of grabbing a donut or muffin for energy that doesn’t last.
Fill up on protein and good fats– When we cut out sugar from our diet our best advice is to eat quality protein and healthy fats at every meal. This will help keep you full, and stop you from reaching for that sugary hit. Food such as eggs, avocado, grilled chicken. walnuts, coconut oil and seeds. Remember to consume these foods in moderation though!
Clean out your cupboards- it’s pretty simple, if sugar isn’t in your cupboards you won’t reach for it. Start fresh this new year by cleaning out all the sugar-laden foods. Remember fresh is best!
This February please help to raise awareness for such a great cause in Feb Fast. Here at the clinic we will be donating and giving up alcohol and sugar!