1. GET RID OF SUGAR!
2. REFER TO #1.
Sugar Suppresses Immunity
Sugar suppresses your immune system. It causes inflammation and produces damage and irritation throughout your body. Too much sugar puts you at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. You should avoid processed and “white” sugars including processed foods, white flour, and soft drinks.
Eat Low-Glycemic
If you are going to eat sugar, which we all do, strive to eat low-glycemic, as opposed to high-glycemic, foods. Low glycemic foods include apples, berries, whole grain foods, and foods in their natural state. Any food processed with white sugar or white flour is high-glycemic and should be eliminated. For all you junk food addicts out there that means bagels, breads, breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, crackers, candy, and soda.
Read Nutrition Labels
In our household, we read the labels of everything that comes in a package. My husband hates, but appreciates, this. Food manufacturers are sneaky. They often add sugar (and a lot of sugar) to foods that need very little sugar. For example, did you know beef jerky often has sugar added? Scary. I recommend keeping your ADDED sugars at about 12 grams. Most “healthy” protein and granola bars contain at least 12 added grams of sugar, if not more! As I said above: Scary.
Here are some substitution suggestions for common high glycemic foods:
Replace sweet drinks (soft drinks, juices & other sweetened drinks): Drink filtered water, herbal teas, mineral water, fruit-infused water.
Replace corn syrup & added sugar products including your condiments: Try unsweetened ketchup, mustard, and herbs and spices, such as basil, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, turmeric.
Replace those sweets you snack on including ice cream, cookies, muffins and even dried fruit: Try coconut milk yogurt with fresh fruit or dark chocolate covered almonds or cashews.
Replace those white flour, crunchy, salty snacks you munch on including pretzels, potato chips, crackers, popcorn or bagels: Switch to gluten-free whole grain crackers such as gluten-free almond meal crackers with hummus or guacamole, nuts, and seeds.
Minimizing sugar is one of the best things you can do for your immune system. Hopefully the simple tips above will help you decrease your sugar intake!
