It's week four in our challenge to reduce the amount of sugar we eat. Dietitian and author, Joan O'Keefe, has three new tips we can work on this week.
Tip #1: No calorie-free sweeteners
"When you consume calorie-free sweeteners, the brain expects calories and when it doesn't receive the spike in blood sugar, it craves sweets even more. It will never let you rest -- you'll always be craving something sweet," O'Keefe explained.
Tip #2: No snacking
"If your weak time for sweets is after dinner -- finish your meal and immediately do your flossing and brushing. This is a signal the eating is over and it will make it easier to stop those late-night cravings," O'Keefe added.
TIp #3: No gummy vitamins
"Basically gummy vitamins are just candy. They have low nutritional value and contain a lot of empty calories. Not to mention they stimulate the brain to want more sugar," O'Keefe said.
O'Keefe will be giving more helpful hints next week. She encourages everyone to continue keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink. You should also include how many hours of sleep you're getting and whether or not you're taking your vitamins.
For more information on diet and nutrition, the Kansas City dietitian and her husband, Saint Luke's Hospital Cardiologist, Dr. James O'Keefe, wrote two books:
- The Forever Young Diet and Lifestyle
- Let me Tell You a Story--Inspirational Stories For Health, Happiness and a Sexy Waist
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Cynthia Newsome can be reached at Cynthia.Newsome@kshb.com.
