Green Ramadan is my friend on Facebook. Green is actually Badr Bakry (I think it's ironic his last name looks like bakery), author of Cleanse Your Life Now. His website describes him as a Mind-Body wellness practitioner, holistic nutrition specialist, international speaker and life coach. Job titles like life coach and mor.tga.ge bro.ker tend to turn me off, but his postings are just too much common sense to turn away.
I've included several postings here today because I want to be able to quickly refer to them when the lure of sugar starts gnawing at me (or me gnawing at it). I've heard all this stuff before, years of knowing better but too lazy to do better. There's no reason I can't be the healthiest I can be. I want that for my kids. Which ultimately means I have to be the model for them. Too much pwesha!!
So to that end, I'll be exploring sugar substitutes, listing foods and beverages I'm reducing to zero consumption. By the end of the month, I'll post where I am in this process. Since I'm allergic to follow-through, I'm setting the bar really low for myself. I'll be happy if I end the month will a suitable substitute for sweetening iced tea. I'll tackle caffeine in another month.
Wish me luck!
From Green Ramadan:
"Natural Sugar Alternatives: Raw honey & Stevia. Stevia is an herb native to South America, is now grown and cultivated throughout the world. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar but does not affect blood sugar levels, can be used for sweetening beve...rages and for baking. Stevia is easily digested, dissolves quickly and it is safe for diabetics. It has no calories or carbohydrates.
95% of people are addicted to sugar to some degree! Refined sugar is a pure chemical. In my opinion, it is like heroin, and even more of a threat because it’s legal and cheap. It’s a chemical that has been stripped through the refining process of all... the natural food nutrition that originally resided in the plant. Heroin and sugar are produced by very similar processes.
Refined sugar has absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. It also robs the body of enzymes, minerals and vitamins, especially B-vitamins. Symptoms of B-vitamin deficiency include: fatigue, depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, poor memory, insomnia and irregular heart beat."
