Blast the Sugar from Your Diet!

SUGAR LOVE AFFAIR
In the United States, an estimated 29.1 million people have diabetes and an astounding 86 million are pre-diabetic (on the verge of true diabetes).  These numbers increase every year.  Reports indicate that the average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar each year which is equivalent to 31 5-pound bags!  Nearly 66 pounds comes in the form of added sugars.  Dr. Ian says these numbers break down to: ¾ cup of sugar a day, 3 pounds of sugar a week, and 13 pounds of sugar a month!

Dr. Ian says his grandmother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was a first-year med student.  This was a blow to their entire family because she had been healthy all of her life.  Everyone looked to Dr. Ian because he was supposed to be the medical expert in their family.  “I knew virtually nothing about diabetes,” says Dr. Ian.  So he searched for and digested every bit of information about diabetes and what could be done to make a difference.  The more he researched, the more he found that diabetes was not the death sentence many of us think it is.  “It was controllable through lifestyle behaviors as well as appropriate medicinal therapy if necessary,” says Dr. Ian.  His grandmother made dietary changes by making better food choices, lost weight and exercised.  Soon she was able to cut her medications in half!  “It was my first experience understanding how people should treat diabetes in a non-medical way,” he says.  “It stuck with me.”

Dr. Ian says a steady march of weeks, months and years of sugar overindulgence will take their toll on even the most chiseled and athletic body.  Numerous studies show that a high intake of added sugar is linked to an increase in body fat and eventually obesity.  Sugar is a form of energy, so when you consume more than your body needs or uses, the extra energy is stored as fat.  Too much sugar can also compromise the immune system and high levels of consumption can harm the pancreas and its ability to make insulin.  Sustained high levels of blood sugar can also cause hardening of the blood vessels, so any part of the body can be harmed by too much sugar in the bloodstream.

BLASTING SUGAR OUT
Dr. Ian came up with a 5-week program with 3 major tenets in place:  simple, affordable and effective.  Each week is composed of daily meal plans that offer flexibility.  There are food choices to accomoodate food/drink preferences as well as convenience factors.  “The major goal of the 5-week plan is to develop a lifestyle that includes making wise nutritional choices along with establishing a regular regime of exercise,” says Dr. Ian.  

Week 1: Calibration.  Designed to see where you are; the beginning of a new you; reduces bad sugar intake;
Week 2: Focus.  Tends to be one of the most difficult weeks; becomes more restrictive;
Week 3: Breakout.  Usually the week where some people see results.  Blood sugars down, loss of weight, etc.
Week 4: Challenge.  The last mile; the most challenging week;
Week 5: Blast.  Propels you into the way in which you will eat and live!

Dr. Ian will show us Week 1: Breakfast: French toast with 1 tsp of maple syrup; Week 2: Lunch: Turkey-Quinoa Burgers (pg 145); Week 3: Dinner: Grilled Beef Eye Round Steaks w/Red Pepper Relish (Pg 160) and Week 4: Challenge: Snack: 3 cups air popped popcorn