The Harmful Effects of Sugar: Why You Should Avoid It At All Costs

Forget Fat. We have been brainwashed into thinking the root of all evil and the cause of all illness is fat. We couldn't be more wrong. Introducing sugar - the most harmful food being eaten today. 

Sugar is everywhere. It is more than the white substance you store in a bowl and add to your tea. It is in so many different forms - table sugar, glucose syrup, dextrose  and honey - and it all affects the body in the same ways. 

The problem is we are also consuming more sugar than ever before - alot of it in hidden forms. The average Irish person consumes 238 teaspoons of sugar every week - often without being aware of it. I often hear people exclaim "But I don't have sugar in my tea" but sugar is in foods we might not even be aware of. 

The Hidden Sugar

Many people do not realise how much sugar is in their foods. The following is the amount of sugar in some popular foods: 

Can of Coke - 10 tsp

Mars Bar - 11 tsp 

Chocolate Milkshake - 13.5 tsp

Even "healthy" foods can have surprising amounts:

Yoplait Strawberry yogurt - 5 tsp

Granola Bar - 2tsp 

Refined sugar offers us zero nutrients - that is zero protein, zero fat and zero vitamins or minerals. In fact it is creates a nutrient deficit as our body actually robs nutrients from the body in order to process refined sugars in the body. Nutrients like potassium, calcium and sodium are robbed from your healthy cells meaning you are putting yourself at greater risk of osteoporosis. 

Sugar consumption also puts us at risk of developing diseases such as diabetes. High intakes of sugar leads to increased production of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to help bring sugar into cells). Over production of insulin can lead to our cells becoming overworked and overstimulated - putting us at risk of diabetes. Diabetes is a life long illness and nothing to be sneezed at. Many people die every year from complications relating to diabetes.

Sugar also increases inflammation in the body. Inflammation is like a kindled fire. Normal inflammation is an important part of our bodies natural defence strategy and is important if we injure ourselves for example. Inflammation becomes an issue when it is persistent or chronic. It can contribute to the development of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or dementia.

Sugar also contributes to imbalanced gut flora as it feeds bad bacteria. Gut flora is incredibly important for immune function and brain health.  

Sugar has been found to be as addictive as cocaine with it's chemical makeup being very similar to this other addictive white substance. 

It is also known to lower immunity substantially. Always sick? Your daily sugar intake may be contributing! 

Everything in Moderation

We all hear this mantra every day. But when it comes to sugar, there really is no safe amount. We should avoid it at all costs. Sugar should not form a part of your daily diet. 

Three Ways To Avoid Sugar

1. Read your labels: Know your sugar. If there is glucose, fructose corn syrup, maltose, sucrose or any of the other sugar derivatives in it - avoid it. Find a healthier alternative. Also worth noting is that the higher a food is up the list of ingredients, the more there is in it. (The first food is the most plentiful) Avoid if it in the first three ingredients. 

2. Ban Sugary Drinks: Soft drinks are laden with sugar. This also includes fruit juice which is high in fructose. Replace soft drinks with water and eat the whole fruit instead of their juices. 

3. Avoid Processed Food and Baked Goods - These foods contain more sugar than you realise. Manufacturers know we love sugar so they pack loads of it into their foods to make it taste nice and to encourage us to eat more of it. Our taste buds have been over sensitized to sugar and we now can't taste the natural sweetness of fruits. Cut these bad foods out of your diet and eat natural sugar in fruit form instead (2-3 portions a day, choose berries, apples or pineapple as they are lower in sugars than many others) 

Five Easy Ways To Boost Your Immunity This Winter

Autumn is most definitely here. There has been a noticeable change in the weather and it has been a lot chiller in the past few days.

With the colder weather comes the inevitable cold and flu season complete with the unenviable red swollen nose! 

Follow these 5 tips to boost your immune system and ensure you don't succumb to the sniffles this cold and flu season! 

1.   Eat Fermented Foods 

A huge portion of your body's immunity is in your gut. There is a delicate balance between the "good" bacteria and the "bad" guys with many factors impacting the ratios. These include stress, diet, genetics and medication. An imbalance or dysbiosis can contribute to poor absorption of nutrients and a compromised immunity. It is therefore vital that we eat fermented foods to ensure we get a good intake of healthy bacteria. Fermented foods include kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut. All can be purchased in a good health food shop or made quite easily at home. If fermented foods really is not your thing take a good probiotic supplement instead with as many bacteria strains as possible.

Get a better gut and be better prepared for fighting off those ailments! Find out how to make sauerkraut here

2. Eat The Rainbow
Colourful fruit and vegetables contain important nutrients and anti-oxidants which are very important to improving immune health such as Vitamin C and Zinc. The more colourful your food, the more different anti-oxidants you take in, so try to pack as many as you can into your meals. Why not try a tasty rainbow salad with tri-colour peppers, beetroot, tomatoes, red onion, rocket and avocado?

3. Vitamin D
Studies show that a great portion of those living in the Northern Hemisphere are lacking in Vitamin D. Whilst our bodies can manufacture Vitamin D from sun exposure, shorter days and lower sun height mean we cannot make the levels required for proper immune function. Take a good Vitamin D supplement providing around 1000IU during the winter months to ensure you get adequate levels and don't forget the kids too! Look for an oil based supplement and take with food to ensure good absorption.

4. Get Plenty Of Sleep 
Sleep plays a vital part in ensuring we stay fit and healthy. Sleep deprivation suppresses the bodies natural immune function and increases inflammation. This all means that the more late nights you pull, the less likely your body is to fight off cold and flu. Not only does it affect how often we catch a cold, it also affects how quickly we get over an illness when we get one.
So get enough kip! Aim for 8 hours sleep each night.

5. Drink Bone Broth 
Homemade bone broth has been used by different cultures through history as a way to build immunity and fight off illness. Bone broth is made by simmering bones slowly, in doing so breaking down bones and collagen. Doing so allows the bone marrow to release minerals, proteins and fats - which are all benefital and healing to the body. Collagen present in the broth also benefits the digestion and is absorbed quickly and easily. Most importantly bone broth also helps to improve the immune system by carrying oxygen to blood cells in the body.
So use that chicken carcass this weekend and make some bone broth, it really couldn't be easier!

I hope this helps you all fend off those colds!

Denise 

IPG 100% Paleo Protocol Challenge Shopping List & Suggested Meal Plan

I hope you are all well and looking forward to our January challenge as much as I am! We are coming to the end of the Christmas season so there are only a handful of days left to indulge. Don't go too crazy though! The more junk you eat the harder you will fall over the next few days so keep the treats to a moderate level! 

At this point you should have started to think ahead to the challenge itself and I hope you have started to eliminate the junk foods from the house! Do try to get rid of it all, it will make things alot easier for you in the coming days. 

The following is a list of items I make sure I buy every week or that I have in my cupboard. They are not set in stone - if you do not like something such as a fruit on the list, substitute it for something you prefer for example but try to keep roughly within it. The most important thing is to have foods which are easy to prepare and plenty of snack ideas. 

Fruit is permitted but do not eat more than 2 pieces a day, and always with protein to stabilize blood sugar and prevent dips in energy. 

Fresh Protein (from a butcher or quality supermarket. Buy the best quality you can afford)

Pork

Fish (wild salmon, mackerel, cod, shellfish)

Chicken (the cheaper cuts are often the tastiest - a good way to save money but make tasty meals)

Lamb

Beef

Bacon - as good a quality as you can get. 

Other protein: Eggs! Dont forget the eggs! 

Fresh Fruit & Veg 

Green vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Other fresh vegetables such as salad greens of choice (rocket, watercress etc - NB for packed salads), carrots, green beans (allowed as mostly green rather than legume, a handy freezer item), peppers, onions, beetroot, tomato, mushroom

Fruits of preference especially berries. Variety is key. 

"White potato replacements" - Because white potatoes are not permitted on this 30 day challenge you will need replacements. The most important are cauliflower (which we can steam and blend with salt, pepper and ghee to make "mash") and sweet potato which is versatile and is delicious steamed and mashed or roasted. 

Fats

Fats are an important source of energy and help to keep you fuller for longer. It is VERY important to add them to every meal, particularly at the beginning. One of the biggest reasons people fail on Paleo in the beginning is their failure to add fat. You have to eat fat to burn fat. Forget the myths and trust me. Eat fat and you will suffer less and will loose weight, I promise. 

Stock up on coconut oil (supermarket, health food shop) olive oil, cold pressed oils (flax, walnut oil for salads only, not for cooking) avocados for salads or other meals, nuts and seeds, 

Store Cupboard Essentials 

Coconut Milk (choose organic with just coconut milk, no stabilizers)

Spices such as turmeric, chilli powder etc to make meals more exciting

Here are three days of meals as suggestions:

Day 1: 

Breakfast: 3 x eggs scrambled in ghee with sauteed mushroom and rocket 

Snack: Handful of raw almonds and apple

Lunch: Tinned Mackerel in Olive Oil (John West do a nice tinned one) with salad greens, cherry tomatoes, sliced peppers, red onion, and lemon and olive oil dressing (do not dress the leaves until serving) 

Snack: Homemade guacamole (blend a ripe avocado, half a red chilli, garlic clove, tbsp of red onion and salt and pepper until smooth) with vegetables 

Dinner:  Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry (Recipe) Serve with cauliflower rice (steamed and blitzed until rice like) and steamed broccoli *(Make extra for leftovers)

Day 2: 

BF: Paleo Porridge (Check out recipe here on my friend's Olivia's page) with blueberries 

Snack: Strawberries, banana slices and ground flaxseeds 

Lunch: Leftover Coconut Chicken Curry 

Snack: Apple Slices with organic almond butter 

Dinner: Organic beef burger served with portebello mushroom and sweet potato fries with side salad

Day 3: Bacon & Egg Crustless Quiches (Can be made night before) 

(In a pan, sautee onion, garlic, mushroom and spinach in a little ghee until soft. In a muffin tray place raw pieces of streaky bacon along inside of each muffin cup. Combine the stir fried vegetables with 3 beaten eggs and pour into the muffin cups. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes for until eggs are cooked through and the bacon is cooked) 

Snack: Banana and handful of walnuts

Lunch: Chicken Tikka Salad with baby spinach leaves, peppers, tomato, cucumber, avcoado slices and sesame seeds. Serve with a herby olive oil dressing. 

Apple and almond butter

Dinner: Roast Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Butternut squash and sweet potato (recipe) 

Preparation is key. There is no excuse for not being organised! 

I hope this helps! Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me on theirishpaleo@gmail.com 

Denise