A healthy diet needn’t be a
bitter journey
Today,
you’d have to be living in a cave NOT to know that sugary drinks and treats are
not good for you. Yet humans have an
innate preference for sweet over sour, and when faced with the prospect of
giving it up, many choose to indulge and pay the consequences.
But it
needn’t be an either/ or proposition.
You CAN have your health and eat sweets, too, provided they are of the
garden variety.
As
stated in a recent New York Times article: “sugar consumed in fruit is not
linked to any adverse health effects, no matter how much you eat. In a recent perspective piece in The Journal of the American
Medical Association, Dr. David Ludwig, the director of the New
Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital
cited observational studies that showed that increased fruit consumption is
tied to lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity-associated diseases.”
How so?
Fiber-rich foods break down more slowly in our digestive track, leaving us
satiated and less likely to overindulge. One of the challenges of refined
So what
are the smart choices?
•
Eat whole fruit in its entirety rather than fruit juices which lack
fiber
•
Alternately, throw whole fruit in a blender or juicer, along with some
nuts and enjoy a well balanced meal with a protein boost
•
Select unsweetened dried fruit as an ‘on the go’ energy alternative,
being mindful of the added calories these tiny pieces contain
•
Choose freshly blended juices over commercial types or at the very
least, juice with pulp
•
Finally, enjoy a wide variety of fruits ‘eating the rainbow’, since
each contains different nutrient packages
Healthy
eating needn’t be boring or bitter - you CAN have your sweets and eat them, too
if you just choose right!
Yours in
health,
Dr.
David J. Rowe
sugars as present in soda,
candy and most desserts is that it is absorbed quickly by the body rather than
being broken down. “Repeated surges in blood sugar make the pancreas work
harder and can contribute to insulin resistance, thereby increasing the risk
for Type 2 diabetes.”
So what
are the smart choices?
•
Eat whole fruit in its entirety rather than fruit juices which lack
fiber
•
Alternately, throw whole fruit in a blender or juicer, along with some
nuts and enjoy a well balanced meal with a protein boost
•
Select unsweetened dried fruit as an ‘on the go’ energy alternative,
being mindful of the added calories these tiny pieces contain
•
Choose freshly blended juices over commercial types or at the very
least, juice with pulp
•
Finally, enjoy a wide variety of fruits ‘eating the rainbow’, since
each contains different nutrient packages
Healthy
eating needn’t be boring or bitter - you CAN have your sweets and eat them, too
if you just choose right!
Yours in
health,
Dr.
David J. Rowe
