8 Weeks to a Better You!

We have had a few questions regarding the no sugar/no white flour rule.  So we decided to do a blog post to describe what exactly that entails and also why this is part of the challenge.  So here I sit at my computer with my Greek Yogurt Parfait ready to go {if you have done our challenge before you know Karli & I are suckers for this delicious treat, get to know it well it can save you during the challenge}

 Okay, we all know that sugar is bad for us...but why??

The reasons are countless, but I will address a few. If you understand why you are cutting out sugar, it is much easier to be motivated to actually do it.

When we eat refined sugars our body absorbs it very quickly and it goes directly to our bloodstream.  We may feel a burst of energy soon after we eat it, but have you ever noticed that that energy doesn't last long?  Once the energy burst comes and goes you are left feeling tired and craving more sugar, its a vicious cycle that we all know too well.  I am always amazed at the increased amount of energy that I feel when I am eating healthy and cutting out processed sugars.

Processed sugars also have a high glycemic index which means that they can spike your blood sugar levels because our body absorbs them quickly.  A high glycemic diet can greatly increase your risk for Type 2 Diabetes.  For me in particular this alone is enough for me to be aware of the amount of sugar that I consume because Type 2 Diabetes is very prevalent in my family history.

Check out this article on the benefits of cutting sugar out of your diet!

Okay not that we have addressed why we are cutting out processed sugar, lets discuss why we are asking you to also cut out white flours this challenge.

 
I highly recommend reading this article here, it explains our reasoning PERFECTLY!
In a nutshell, enriched white flour is basically wheat flour that has been stripped of many of the good nutrients and replaced with some not-so-good "components".  Our body processes white flour the same way that it processes sugar, it goes directly to our blood stream and as this article says white flour "causes your body to scream through the ride of a sugar high/low roller coaster"

Okay, now that we have addressed the DON'Ts remember that there are alternatives that you CAN have and that luckily still taste great and are satisfying and will leave you feeling better than ever!

Throughout the next few days we will do some posts that give further detail on what IS allowed, how to read labels to know what you can/can't have and some yummy suggestions of challenge worthy natural sugars and whole grain alternatives.