A few weeks ago, I decided I would drink the highly recommended recovery drink of chocolate milk after my workouts. So, I bought Nesquick, "No Sugar Added" to mix with my milk as an alternative to the more expensive whey protein that can be mixed with milk or water. So it dawned on me today: what IS Nesquick sweetened with if there is no sugar added? The ingredients do not list any sort of sweetener that I am familiar with, so if it had not said so in parenthesis, then I would not have know that ACESULFAME POTASSIUM was a non-nutritive sweetener.
Here's what stood out to me when I read about it on Wikipedia, read more about it: "Acesulfame K has been shown to stimulate dose-dependent insulin secretion in rats, though no hyperglycemia was observed.[8]"
Basically, ACE K is like sugar, in that it leaves you feeling like you want or need more: it makes you dependent. It is not the sugar that you are dependent on, it is the insulin that your body produces when you eat sugar that your body wants. So, is "No Sugar Added" any better for you? You skip those calories, but not the domino effect of eating more than you need to eat, or eventually eating the sugar laden foods that you have tried to avoid. When it comes down to it, we have to accept the side effects of what we choose to eat. Chocolate milk every day was causing me to gain weight. I can't have chocolate milk without having the effects of sugar. Darn it.
About this blog
In other words, the Zone + Crossfit = Optimal Heath!
This blog focuses on nutrition, using the Zone Diet as the basis. However, I often eat Paleo foods in Zone proportions.
I love to investigate anything having to do with food- what we eat and why. And what happens within our bodies, our organs, our brain, when we do? My precious mother struggled with eating disorders. I want to avoid this delimma based on research, common sense, and the natural consequences on my body. The Zone shows me where the balance lies between eating too much and eating too little.
My husband runs a Crossfit gym. Exercise and choosing the right foods have become a mission for ourselves and our children. We don't want to be nerds about it, we just want to be healthy.
I have been asked by several friends what I feed our family, especially our kids. My husband and I follow the Crossfit prescription to nutrition (meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar). If you know me, you know that the sugar part of this equation will be a life long struggle given my love for chocolate! Evan adheres to the stricter version known as the Paleo-Zone diet (and I do on my good days!) which requires the same foods in a ratio of 40% protein, 30% carb, and 30% fat. Children require 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you're wondering how to figure this out, I do it on a per meal basis and I have a "block" chart from the Zone website.
It seems like a headache at first, but if you're interested, just know that it is not that bad once you practice it for a couple of weeks. All you need is a $10 scale and some determination. It really is quite simple and makes my life easier at the grocery store and when cooking dinner. Most of all, I feel great when I eat well- mentally and physically, and we all know that the physical can affect the mental and visa versa!
Evan and I are hunter/gatherer wanna-be's! This blog will track my journey of health as it should be, and the honest reality of living in a sugar fried culture. When it comes down to it, I get excited to talk about nutrition, but I am definitely not perfect at it! If you have the desire to eat well, but it is often a challenge to overcome the temptations along the way, then you are in the right company!
I hope you leave this blog feeling enlightened and encouraged as you go throughout your day!
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