Sugar... bad, bad, very bad!

I got this newsletter from Shin Ohtake with the MAX workouts and this is what he said about sugar. (My thoughts are in RED)

Alisha, are you completely frustrated with the one problem area you just can't seem to get rid of....your belly? YES!!!

It seems like you're doing all of the right things...putting time in at the gym, sweatin' up a storm, and you may have already made headway with other areas of your body. Yet those elusive flat, sexy abs still hide somewhere underneath that stubborn layer of belly fat. YES!! They have my whole life!

The reason you have excess stomach fat may be due to one thing...

SUGAR.

I know what your thinking..."I only eat sugar here and there". But if you really counted how much sugar you consume in a day, I bet it's a lot more than you think. TRUE

The thing with sugar is that it's in too many things. Ready made foods, fast foods, processed foods, etc.. all have TONS of sugar in them. Tell me about it!

It's hidden almost everywhere and unfortunately, even if you don't taste it, your body knows it's there.

You see, every time you consume sugar, it triggers a biochemical process in your body that releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is responsible for maintaining healthy sugar levels in your bloodstream.

But the problem is that there's just too much sugar in most of our diets and it ends up overwhelming your system.

The end result? The de-sensitization of insulin. This is not a good thing...

A lack of insulin sensitivity slows the uptake of sugar from your bloodstream. The extra sugar left behind ends up being stored as fat. And guess where it loves to settle...

Your belly. YEP!

So even if you think you're being good about not eating too much sugar, if your insulin is already insensitive from your prior bad eating habits, even a little amount of sugar that you eat will get stored as belly fat.

And remember, sugar doesn't have to be sweet. Booze (beer and liquor) and starchy foods like bread, rice, and pasta break down into to sugar quickly, perpetuating the problem at hand.

Bread and baked goods are my weakness. These are some things that I am changing in my eating habits and either changing to whole wheat/grain or eating very seldom. And of course I don't drink alcohol so I don't have to worry about those calories...

The good news is you can re-sensitize your insulin and lose the love handles, but you MUST ditch your sugar habit.

Here's what you can start doing today:

Eliminate refined sugars (sweets like candy, soda, cookies, etc...) at least 5 days out of the week, moderate your starch intake, and go easy on the alcohol. Instead, replace your sugar cravings with fruits and starch cravings with vegetables. The fiber content in fruits and vegetables slows down the entry of sugar into your bloodstream, helping your insulin from being overwhelmed and becoming insensitive. Good to know!

If you can change just this ONE bad habit, your insulin will thank you and body will start shedding away that stubborn belly fat so you can finally get rid of the muffin-top and finally get reveal your tight, sexy midsection.

CANNOT WAIT!

So this is why I have decided to stop eating sugar and white flour and reduce my starchy foods. I challenge you to try it and let me know about your results...

I know you might be concerned about never having sugar again, but I think having a cheat day once a week is just fine and is actually healthy for you. :) Make that yummy dessert you have wanted to try and eat it on your cheat day.

Good luck!