Sweet Sugar Blues by Integrative Essentials

www.IntegrativeEssentials.com

Sweet Sugar BluesKick Your Sugar Habit

Sharing the essentials that bring abundance and vibrancy to life!

Copyright © 2012 Libby Doubler


Libby Doubler, CHC, AADP

Your life is out of balance. One day you look around and do not like what you see. Overweight, alone, and depressed. What to do?

• You have the desire, but don’t know where to start.

• You’re tired of trying, so close to giving up.

• You know you could succeed, if you had the right support.

• A Certified Health Coach can be just what you need!

At the end of this session, I will introduce some of my programs that will support your effort and help you take action.


My Personal StoryLike most of us, I’ve always loved food. I remember eating an entire box of donuts in one sitting. However, about 12 years ago, my wonderful husband needed care by me while he went through 2 bouts of cancer. It was my privilege. However, I didn’t notice how much weight I was gaining, nutrition for myself was non-existent. I became very sick and intolerances to food became apparent. After he passed away about 7 years ago, I had to look at myself and didn’t like what I saw. I was sad, obese and felt very alone.

On the left is me 8 sad years and 60 pounds ago

On the right, this is me now. I’m not smiling

because I’m thinner. I’m

smiling because I’m happy again.


Our Topic Today

Sugar is everywhere. It has not only short-term but also long-term impact on our health and wellbeing. Getting off sugar is not just the matter of “willpower” – there are underlying physiological and emotional causes behind the addiction. I will show you these causes and give you tips on how to counter them.

Know Thy Enemy

Yin/Yang Imbalance

Energy Quick Fix

Stress Management

Nutrient Deficiency

Nourishment for the Soul


Know Thy EnemySugar = carbohydrates = easily accessible energy our “caveman” body likes that. We are programmed to have a sweet tooth!

Sugar is a simple carbohydrates that occurs naturally in foods such as grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit.

When unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins.

Refined sugar (sucrose) is extracted from either sugar cane or beets and then refined, striped of their vitamins, minerals and fiber. It actually requires extra effort from the body to digest – the body must deplete its own store of minerals and enzymes to absorb sucrose properly, creating deficiency.

Refined/simple sugar enters swiftly into the bloodstream, and has a negative effect on the blood sugar level, first pushing it sky high – causing excitability, nervous tension and hyperactivity, and then dropping it extremely low – causing fatigue, depression, weariness, and exhaustion.


Know Thy EnemySugar qualifies as an addictive substances for two reasons:

Eating even a small amount creates a desire for more.

Suddenly quitting causes withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, cravings and fatigue.

Health issues caused by sugar:

Suppressed immune system

Weakened eyesight

Hypoglycemia

Weight gain

Exacerbated arthritis

Increased risk of osteoporosis

Increased cholesterol

Higher risk of prostate and ovarian cancer


Know Thy EnemyHealth issues caused by sugar:

Increased risk for diabetes

Premature skin aging

Increased fluid retention

Poor concentration

Mood swings, emotional instability

Depression

Today, sugar is found in many of our packaged foods: canned vegetables, baby food, cereals, peanut butter, bread, and tomato sauce.

It is often disguised in fancy language, labeled as corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose, or fructose.


Yin/Yang ImbalanceOur body wants to maintain balance at all times – if we eat something that throws our body off balance, it can create a craving for sugar.

Sugar is an extremely Yin food, so if you eat a lot of extremely Yang food, your body will crave sugar to balance itself out.

Examples of extreme Yin/expanding foods include: sugar, alcohol, dairy, chemicals, honey, spices.

Examples of extreme Yang/contracting foods include: salt, egg, red meat.

To create balance, we need to limit foods that are too Yin or too Yang.

Refined sugar (an extreme Yin food) causes rapid elevations in serotonin, followed by rapid declines. When serotonin level falls, we experience depression, low energy, anxiety and loss of concentration.

When this happens, our body craves extreme Yang foods to balance the equation. We often overshoot and find ourselves ping-ponging between the two extremes, using one type of extreme foods to alleviate the effect of the other.


Yin/Yang ImbalanceTo create balance, choose food that are more neutral on the Yin Yang spectrum:

Sweet vegetables such as corn, root vegetables and winter squash

Sea vegetables

Leafy green vegetables

Nuts and seeds

Whole grains

Beans

Fish


Energy Quick FixWhen we feel tired, we tend to reach for sugary foods because the sugar gets into our blood stream quickly, giving us a quick energy boost. Unfortunately it comes with a price – you will crash hard very quickly.

3 strategies to increase energy without relying on sugar for a quick fix:

Create sustained energy

Nourish and strengthen the nervous system

Reduce body’s toxic load


Energy Quick Fix – create sustained energyTips to create sustained energy:

Eat meals with a low glycemic load.

Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B – critical for body’s energy production. E.g. whole grains, nutritional yeast.

Eat foods that are rich in enzymes and good bacteria. E.g. raw foods, cultured and fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi and sauerkraut.

Eat the type and amount of protein that works best for your body. Keeping a food journal is a good idea.

Drink water! Dehydrating can cause fatigue. It can also mask itself as hunger, making you to reach out for sugary food.


Energy Quick Fix – nourish nervous systemYou will be able to stay focused without the sugar or caffeine jitter. You will be calm and relaxed, so that you can get the rest you need when you need it, eliminating the need for a quick fix the next day.

Tips to care for your nervous system:

To restore and replenish your energy: burdock, dandelion, gingko, nettle, oats and adaptogens such as Siberian ginseng and Ashwagandha.

To encourage calm and relaxation: chamomile, valerian, lemon balm and oats.

Calcium, when taken with Magnesium, has a calming effect on the nervous system. Eat food rich in calcium for dinner (leafy greens, bone broth). If you do take a calcium supplement, taking it with dinner in the evening is a good idea.


Energy Quick Fix – reduce toxic loadYour body needs to spend energy to detoxify and eliminate environmental toxins that you put into your body. The more energy is diverted to processing toxins, the less energy you will have available for other things that matter.

Tips to reduce toxin exposure:

Use foods and herbs to support the body’s detox organs:

o Liver: milk thistle, yellow dock, dandelion root, warm water with lemon

o Kidney: dandelion leaf

o Colon: apple and carrot juice, psyllium husk

Encourage elimination through skin: sweating, dry brushing.

Buy and eat organic food as much as possible (Dirty Dozen, Clean Twelve)

Avoid processed and packaged foods

Reduce high-fat animal produces (fatty tissue retains fat-soluble toxins)

Use household and personal products that contain as little artificial and chemical ingredients as possible.


Stress ManagementStress often causes us to eat mindlessly. Physiologically, stress hormones exacerbate sugar cravings because sugar stimulates our brain to produce feel-good hormones.

Tips for stress management:

Meditation and breathing exercise; yoga; stretching

Regular physical activities – releases the feel-good hormone endorphin

Focus on one task at a time – no multi-tasking!

Journaling

Practice a bed-time ritual to help wind down – e.g. shut down TV an hour before bed, relax with a book and a cup of chamomile tea. Better and more sleep = less cortisol


Nutrient DeficiencyLow protein intake:

If your diet is relatively low in protein, try increasing your protein intake.

If you feel you have adequate protein in your diet, consider assimilation and absorption – which affect how well your body is able to use the nutrient.

Good sources of protein: meat, fish, dairy (high quality), nuts and seeds, eggs and beans.

For vegetarian and vegan, pay special attention to food combining.

Low chromium:

Helps regulate carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar level.

Reduced absorption is related to aging, diets that are stressful to the digestive system, excessive fat intake, as well as intake of refined flour and sugar.

Good sources of chromium: brewer’s yeast, beef, liver, whole wheat, rye, fresh chilies, oyster, onions, potatoes, wheat germs, eggs, chicken, apple, butter, banana and spinach.


Nutrient DeficiencyLow phosphorous:

Needed in many enzyme systems that affect energy production and exchange.

Absorption can be reduced by use of antacid, as well as too much iron, aluminum or magnesium.

Caffeine causes increased phosphorous excretion by the kidney.

Good sources include: meat, fish, chicken, milk, cheese and egg.

Low sulfur:

Critical in the body’s detoxification process.

Important in estrogen metabolism – a healthy estrogen level can reduce PMS, which causes sugar cravings in many women.

Good sources include: meat, fish, poultry, egg (yolk in particular), milk, legumes, onion, garlic, cabbage and kale.


Nutrient DeficiencyLow tryptophan:

L-tryptophan and 5-HTP have been found useful in the treatment of depression and insomnia – both of which can lead to sugar cravings. Remember, if you are highly stressed and thus have high cortisol levels, use L-tryptophan and not 5-HTP (which can raise cortisol levels).

Tryptophan is the precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which influences sleep and mood.

Good sources include: turkey meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds.


Nourishment for the SoulNon-food related reasons behind sugar cravings:

Boredom

Loneliness

Need emotional and spiritual support

Need to fill a void in life

Need for comfort – foods that are often associated with positive childhood memories

Need a hug (translate into craving for sugary, creamy foods such as ice cream)


Nourishment for the SoulFind nourishment for your soul in these areas:

Relationship – do you have a relationship that fulfills you?

Spirituality – do you have a spiritual practice that is nourishing for you? Beside religion, consider yoga, mediation, gratitude, or being in nature.

Career – do you do the work you love, and have a career that you enjoy?

Physical activities – do you move your body in a loving way that is appropriate for your body type?

Create a “Soul Nourishment Menu” for yourself, and keep it handy so that you can do something to nourish your soul rather than using sugar to fill the void.


Recap

Know Thy Enemy

Yin/Yang Imbalance

Energy Quick Fix

Stress Management

Nutrient Deficiency

Nourishment for the Soul

What did YOU find most useful?

What are the three things that you can do right away to improve your health and cut your sugar cravings, starting today?


Get Support, Take Action

This workshop gave you a ton of information. However, knowing is not

doing. You can’t succeed by knowing something. You have to decide

you want change in your life, take control and just do it! You will need

the right consistent support and take action to create healthy habits that

will help you feel good now and also bring you life-long vibrant health.


Nutrition for Energy

The Sugar Blues class mentioned that low energy makes

people look for a quick fix in sugar, and I just gave you a

taste of the energy strategies that I offer. Check out my

Nutrition for Energy Class for more in-depth information

about getting more energy.

For more information, go to http://IntegrativeEssentials.com

http://integrativeessentials.com/





Detox 101

I discussed how lowering toxic load can increase energy

and reduce sugar cravings for a quick fix. The Detox 101

Class goes into greater depth on how to detox.

For more information, go to http://www.IntegrativeEssentials.com

http://www.integrativeessentials.com/





Free 30-minute Strategy Session

Get Support, Take Action

• Private 30-minute, no strings attached

• Discuss health and wellness goals

• Create roadmap to support your goals

• Select a program to help you take action

Sign up and make an appointment. You’ll be glad you did!


Libby Doubler, CHC, AADP, AHMA

As a certified Health Coach (certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners) and a member in good standing with the American Holistic Medical Association, I am here to share the essentials that bring abundance and vibrancy to life. I have several programs that allow you to make small painless moves that will eventually lead you to a beautiful place. You’ll be singing Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” all day long!

• Feel great in the skin you’re in.

• Wake up feeling like it’s going to be a good day.

• Learn how to be good to yourself. Love yourself.

• Watch weight drop off without counting a calorie or carb.

• All from the comfort and safety of your home using Skype or a phone.

• What will your life look like if you don’t take action to get it back?

Sign up for free strategy session and find out how this works!Copyright © 2012 Libby Doubler

Sweet Sugar Blues by Integrative Essentials

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Sweet Sugar Blues by Integrative Essentials