Sugar is like, so five minutes ago!

Refined sugar is probably the most familiar and overly used sweetener on the market.  We consume it in mass quantities on a daily basis and it's slowly killing us.  Things such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, tooth decay and even mental illness have been linked to the consumption of these little man made crystals.  Sugar is derived from sugar cane or sugar beets.  Sounds natural right?  That is until scientists and manufacturers get their hands on it and refine and process it into tiny grain sized killers and send it out into the world for us to ingest.  Doesn't sound so natural now, does it?

Luckily, we have options!  Honey is a rich, all natural sweetener (Produced by honeybees, not humans.) that is a better choice than refined sugar for more reasons than you would think.  Although, both refined sugar and raw honey contain glucose and fructose and can be used interchangeably in most recipes, they are very different in many other ways.  For example, did you know that raw honey has served as both food and medication since ancient times?  Beekeeping dates all the way back to 700 B.C. and raw honey was considered sacred because of its rarity and yummy sweetness.  It has also been proven that raw honey can help with allergies if it is purchased from a beekeeper that is local to your area.  So why then, do we continue to poison our bodies with refined sugar?

Twelve things you should know about Honey!

1.  Consuming organic raw honey is a healthy way to get energy.  The carbohydrates in honey provide us with energy and strength, and has been known to increase endurance and reduce muscle fatigue.

2.  Organic raw honey has been proven to relieve morning sickness in expecting women even better than traditional soda crackers.

3.  The sticky sweetness can be used to soothe sore throat, including laryngitis and pharyngitis.

4.  Honey and cinnamon mixed together have been known to relieve bladder infections, arthritis, upset stomach, and even bad breath!

5.  Raw honey, reportedly slows the process of hair loss.

6.  Honey can be used to medicate men with impotence problems and women dealing with infertility.  Warm raw goat milk and honey is believed to help increase low sperm count significantly.

7.  A salve using raw honey can be used on diabetic ulcers where other topical antibiotics may not be tolerable.  This mixture can also be used on eczema, canker sores, and bleeding gums. 

8.  Honey and apple cider vinegar can be used to alleviate constipation and migraines.  Refined sugars have been known to cause headaches. 

 

9.  Honey and lemon work in the body to shift extra fat stores, converting it into usable energy for normal body functions.

10.  Raw honey has absolutely no cholesterol and can, reportedly, keep cholesterol in check.

11.  Raw honey has a very thick texture, due to its lack of water, which makes it a poor environment for bacteria to grow.  Thus, making honey a great natural preservative.

12.  There are 64 calories in a tablespoon of honey as opposed to 46 calories in refined sugar.  The difference is that honey is sweeter than refined sugar, therefore it takes less to sweeten your food or beverage.

The Journey Begins

A few weeks ago, the owner of my local CrossFit box approached our 8am morning class with a proposition.  The deal was...he was willing to offer any member of our class two months of free CrossFit if they accepted his challenge and lost the most amount of weight by changing their diet to Paleo for 24 days.  Everyone was eligible and the challenge would start the following Monday.  Being a competitor and knowing that I could benefit from the prize, not to mention the change in my diet, I decided to accept his proposal.  I was hellbent on changing my diet first thing Monday morning.  The problem was, I knew very little about the Paleo lifestyle.  It was time to do some research. 

I surfed the web for the next several days and found enough information to get me started.  I discovered really quickly what not to eat - no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no sugar or processed foods.  In other words, no fun.  That's what I thought at first but in the past 20 days my outlook on the Paleo lifestyle has changed completely and so has my mid-section.  I've dropped ten pounds and shrunk two inches in my waistline and I haven't felt hungry at all, unlike the other diets I've tried in the past.  I have four days left of my 24 day challenge and I have decided to extend the journey for an entire year.  I have also decided to drag my better half along with me for the ride and anyone else who wants to follow us along our path to great health and fitness.

What is the Paleo diet?

The Paleo diet comes from the eating habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors - leans meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts/seeds.  It's the healthiest diet in the world and it is grounded by the belief and understanding that the best diet is the one in which we are genetically adapted.  It is backed by documented scientific evidence and by real-life achievements in weight loss by everyday people.  I have experienced the results first hand.  In doing my research, I found that the best description I got of the Paleo diet came from The Whole9 Nutrition Elevator Pitch at whole9life.com.  Here's how it goes.

The Whole9 Nutrition Elevator Pitch
I eat “real” food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit. I choose foods that are nutrient dense, with lots of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition. And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat comes from, and buy produce locally and organically as often as possible.
It’s not a low calorie “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy and a healthy weight. In fact, my diet is probably much higher in fat than you’d imagine. Fat isn’t the enemy – it’s a great energy source when it comes from high quality foods like avocado, coconut and nuts. And I’m not trying to do a “low carb” thing, but since I’m eating vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal and pasta, it just happens to work out that way.
Eating like this is good for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and reducing inflammation within the body. It’s been doing great things for my energy levels, body composition and performance in the gym. It also helps to minimize my risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Why choose Paleo over other diets?

I'm choosing to go Paleo for a year to show not only myself, but everyone, that there are ways of preventing illnesses like obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke through proper diet and exercise.  I believe in the Paleo diet because it works!  It makes perfect sense.  We were designed to eat this way.  Not to mention, there are so many delicious foods and creative recipes to choose from on the Paleo diet that it would be a shame to eat any other way.  Whether you are an athlete who is trying to improve his/her perfomance or an on-the-go mom/dad just looking to shed a few pounds, anyone can reap the benefits of eating clean and staying healthy.  So...In the spirit of my own journey, I challenge everyone to take control of your own health.  Give up those late night trips to the drive-thru and pour those soft drinks down the drain.  Put down those donuts and trash those Dorito's!  Change your diet to Paleo for three weeks, if you don't see results go back to the twinkies and ice-cream.  Commit to a cleaner diet and you will start living a fuller life.  You ask, "Why should I choose Paleo over other diets?"  My response to you is, "Why not?"  If that's not good enough, here are a few reasons, in addition to the ones I've already given.

- Helps weight loss efforts.
– Increased strength, endurance and performance.
– Sex drive in overdrive.
– Constant and radiant energy.
– Clear and smooth skin.
– Deep and restful sleep.
– Good for mental clarity and positive attitude of the natural.