Sugar, Sweeteners & Alcohol on the Whole30

Sugar, Sweeteners and Alcohol
Hi everyone,

Let's hit the the not-so-fun part of the Whole30 - getting rid of sugar, sweeteners and alcohol. Here are some very basic facts about how Sugar, Sweeteners and Alcohol affect our health.

1. These foods can undermine the body's ability to accurately feel satiation. In fact they do just the opposite - they give us the sugar high with no brakes, which leads to a desire to over consume and a complete lack of self-control. Know the feeling? 
2. Hormones can go out of whack because these foods affect your normal hormonal balance. 
3. They can interfere with a healthy gut. I've mentioned this healthy gut issue before and again, without getting too technical, your gut can get "leaky". Here's a great link to more info on Leaky Gut. An unhealthy gut leads to a lot of problems, the biggest of which is increased inflammation. 

"There are some metabolic differences between specific forms of sugar (glucose, fructose, lactose, etc.) but they all have one thing in common: a sweet taste that promotes overconsumption, and no significant nutritive value."  - It Starts With Food

Sugar.  Sugar (including honey, agave and, well, sugar) and Sweeteners are out on the Whole30. (Note: "traditional" paleo allows for agave, honey, date sugar and coconut sugar - so that is something you can look forward to transitioning to after 30 days.)

Alcohol.  I can say a lot of great things about the non-nutritive benefits of alcohol, but this much is true: "alcohol has no redeeming health qualities." It's addictive, leads to poor food choices and interferes with glucose function in the body. Health claims come from the manufacturers of alcohol. I mean, let's be honest, you'd be way better off having grapes or blueberries instead of red wine.


Love,

Tracey