Summer’s fast approaching, and we all know what that means: ice cream trucks galore. That annoyingly catchy jingle may conjure up flashbacks to when we could pack in an entire tub of Fudge Marshmallow Madness — no problem.
But now, we are mature adults. We watch what we eat and stick to low-fat Skinny Cow dairy bars most of the time.
However, while watching cal intake is forever important for maintaining that fab physique, there is a secret antagonist in our local grocer’s freezer aisle, and it’s name is Sugar. The effects sugar has on our bodies doesn’t stop at fatigue and an overall grumpy feeling. Oh, no. Sugar consumption makes losing weight an exhausting uphill battle.
Not only does the ubiquitous product make us feel groggy and a little grumpy, hindering the possibility of making it through that post-work kickboxing class, it is directly linked to spontaneous and rapid weight gain. (Our bodies combat the overload of sugar in the bloodstream by releasing insulin, which promotes fat storage.)
And it’s not like we don’t try. Passing by the vending machine at the kids’ school and avoiding the muffin and pastry breakfast platter at work is a great start to keeping healthy habits, but, unfortunately, sugar is mixed in to almost everything we eat, from unavoidable bread and cereal to oh-so-good, yet bad mayonnaise.
So, next time you’re meandering down the dairy aisle, looking for a healthy alternative to the high-calorie, highly artificial ingredients in most ice cream, think twice before snatching up the 10-pack of yogurt — first, spin it around and check out the nutritional information. It may surprise you. Some yogurts include almost as much sugar as a can of Coke.
But don’t distress, because there’s still hope! Just try a scoop of plain yogurt on top of shredded wheat in the morning instead. Top it with some fresh raspberries and a squirt of honey, which have all the natural sweetness you need, and you’ll be ready to take on any day.
-Allie Haake
Tags: calories, coke, diet, fatigue, fudge, gym, health, ice cream, skinny cow, sugar, working out, yogurt
