By SAND Member: Brittany Huston
Although October has come to an end and Halloween is finally over, that doesn’t mean all the sugar you’ve been consuming over the past few weeks has gone away too. With Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly approaching, it’s important to stay or get back on track with your health goals so you are looking and feeling great the next time you see friends and family for the holidays!
Regardless of the holidays, we all still get an unhealthy craving or two every once in a while. If you dug deep into the candy bowls for Halloween, it’s important to remember the negative effects sugar overloads can have on your body.
Sugar can rewrite the brain’s pathways, and too much can even increase the risk of depression by 58%. Sugar also inflames the lining of the arteries to the heart and can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. These overloads can also damage the filtration of our kidneys, which causes diabetes and can lead to kidney failure. High-sugar diets can even jumpstart arthritis and age our skin, causing wrinkles!
Although one weekend of too much sugar will not cause all these harmful results to you, it’s beneficial to know the risks you face when you consume too much sugar. Be sure to watch what you are putting into your body as the winter months approach.
In addition to lowering sugar intake and working out, there are plenty of great alternatives when you want to satisfy that sugar craving while still being reasonably healthy:
Although it’s hard to beat unhealthy choices every once in a while, there are always other options that will keep you on track. Be sure to drink plenty of water with all of the seasonal changes going on, and try to wait 30 minutes after your craving first occurs. If you’re still feeling the urge, snack on one of these great alternatives or create your own! Staying on track is hard as the weather gets colder, but it will always be worth it if you’re feeling and looking awesome, even during the coldest season!
Regardless of the holidays, we all still get an unhealthy craving or two every once in a while. If you dug deep into the candy bowls for Halloween, it’s important to remember the negative effects sugar overloads can have on your body.
Sugar can rewrite the brain’s pathways, and too much can even increase the risk of depression by 58%. Sugar also inflames the lining of the arteries to the heart and can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. These overloads can also damage the filtration of our kidneys, which causes diabetes and can lead to kidney failure. High-sugar diets can even jumpstart arthritis and age our skin, causing wrinkles!
Although one weekend of too much sugar will not cause all these harmful results to you, it’s beneficial to know the risks you face when you consume too much sugar. Be sure to watch what you are putting into your body as the winter months approach.
In addition to lowering sugar intake and working out, there are plenty of great alternatives when you want to satisfy that sugar craving while still being reasonably healthy:
- Go fruit picking. This is a great activity to do with friends or family while the weather is still nice and is cheap to do! Apples are in season, so get them while you can!
- Freeze your fruit. Whether it’s bananas dipped in peanut butter or grapes and strawberries, they all taste great frozen as dessert!
- Make your own trail mix. Rather than eating those processed store-bought mixes, make your own with your personal favorite healthy mix of nuts and dried fruit!
- Indulge yourself with dark chocolate. A chocolate craving is a hard one to beat; try swapping milk chocolate with dark for a healthier alternative.
- Pick up some fruit leather or other snack from the health foods isle! If you’re looking for something sweet or salty, this part of the store has it all.
Although it’s hard to beat unhealthy choices every once in a while, there are always other options that will keep you on track. Be sure to drink plenty of water with all of the seasonal changes going on, and try to wait 30 minutes after your craving first occurs. If you’re still feeling the urge, snack on one of these great alternatives or create your own! Staying on track is hard as the weather gets colder, but it will always be worth it if you’re feeling and looking awesome, even during the coldest season!