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Some Sweet New Facts About Sugar and Crohn's Disease That Will Surprise You!

Much of what you hear these days about Sugar is that it is public enemy number one, as it relates to our health. The media in our country on a continuous basis likes to beat the drum over and over again about how bad sugar is for us and our children, because it makes us fat, and is unhealthy for us to eat overall. Some so-called experts even suggest sugar should be removed from our diets, recommending that popular restaurants like McDonald's be mandated to replace their milk shakes with apples and carrots. With that being said, just how much do we all know about sugars really, and are these people justified in making such a broad sweeping claim about them?

I found out that there are many different kinds of alternative sugars available for sugar lovers, good sugars that are completely harmless to Crohn's, Colitis and IBS sufferers. Not only are many sugars harmless, but have been found to be actually beneficial for us to consume, containing valuable healing properties in them, vital for our good digestive health! Not only are these sugars harmless for our bodies, but they actually possess healing properties in them as well!

True, the bad sugars, like so-called "table sugar" containing corn syrup, are really bad for all of us, and should be avoided at all costs, especially if you're a Crohn's, Colitis, or IBS sufferer. This is especially true if you take steroids for your condition. If you are taking steroids and have a diet that is high in sugar, you are setting yourself up for serious problems. Corn syrup based sugar is one of the most toxic foods on the digestive lining and pretty much intolerable by all those who suffer with digestive disorders. The most deceiving part of sugar, is that it does not cause pain or bowel obstructions like nuts or a high fiber food do. Consequently, many people don't link sugar consumption to their stomach flare-ups, and as a result, continue to suffer out of not knowing the truth.

So, why is Sugar so bad for Crohn's and like diseases? Sugar totally strips the intestines of its healthy bacteria and replaces it with an overgrowth of bad bacteria, which leads to a condition known as Candida. Sugar consumption also leads to a serious PH imbalance in the body making it harder for us to heal from a recent flare up. The side effects sugar has on the gut, is that it causes gas, bloating, diarrhea, even mouth ulcers (even in those without digestive problems). To make matters worse, Sugar obviously is addictive (just ask millions), and a hard habit to break. It can be especially difficult to wean children and teens with Crohn's off sugar because they are seeing their peers eating it all the time with no similar side effects. In addition to stay away from table sugar, even the imitation sugars, like NutraSweet and sorbital should be avoided as they are proven to upset the digestion of almost everyone, even those without Crohn's. Alcohol behaves like sugar too, when in the body and should be consumed only in moderation, if not at all, depending on the seriousness of your digestive condition.

Why Crash Diets Don't Work and Why Making Lasting Lifestyle Changes Do

When was the last time you heard someone say, "I need to go on a diet" or "I need to lose 20 pounds fast?" Perhaps it's for a big event such as a 20-year high school reunion or to fit into a bridesmaid's dress. Or maybe it's for an upcoming cruise or vacation. You may even hear someone severely obese proclaim that he or she will drop 50 pounds in three months!

The problem with all of these statements? Crash diets aren't healthy or realistic, and nine times out of ten, the weight will just come back on... and then some. That's because when a person diets in an unhealthy way, including drastically reducing calorie intake, he or she is set up for failure, both physiologically and psychologically.

Physiologically, when a person diets, he or she begins consuming less calories than his or her body requires. When a person drastically reduces the amount of calories he or she consumes, the body will lose weight quickly. But, the body has a tremendous ability to adapt. It will soon recognize the lack of adequate nutrients, and will begin conserving energy, rather than burning it. In other words, the body's metabolic function slows. Combined with extreme exercise and this is a recipe for disaster. In fact, in many ways, you're doing more harm than good.

And since extreme caloric restriction can have an impact on the brain, a person may begin to experience difficulty concentrating, moodiness, irritability, and extreme cravings. When the diet is over, guess what the first thing a deprived and hungry person will reach for - FOOD! And lots of it. This type of dieting is unhealthy both psychologically and physiologically. You can also do long term damage to the body.

On the contrary, a diet with a moderate caloric deficit that still contains all essential nutrients, combined with exercise, will help the body burn fat in a healthy way.

Because the diet contains all essential nutrients and is not at an enormous caloric deficit, there's never a sense of panic with the body. With this type of plan, weight loss is gradual but will continue over a long period of time because the body's metabolic functions and hormones are working properly.

What Foods Should I Be Eating For A Healthy Digestive System?

Foods With Fiber

Fiber is one of the most important nutrients we could put into our body. Fiber is needed to break down food in our small and large intestine. Fiber is also needed to alleviate digestive imbalances such as constipation. Fiber helps to keep the inner lining of our digestive tract healthy and clean, which allows it to function better.

Plant foods are a great way to get your daily dose of insoluble fiber. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains all contain a large amount of insoluble fiber that our body needs. Soluble fiber is four in proteins, such as beans.

Both soluble and insoluble fiber is important for digestive function, so getting both of these into your diet is important.

Eat whole grain bread and a fruit each day.

Fluids

Your body needs fluids in order to clean out your digestive system and also to keep things moving in there. The best fluid you can put into your body is water. Our body is mostly made up of water, so it makes sense that we should be drinking a lot of water each day.

Fluids can also be extracted from fruits and veggies as well. Fiber and fluids go hand in hand, because they both allow keeping your stool soft, so it is easily passable through the rectum and anus.

Eat fresh veggies with your lunch and drink a bottle of water.

Gum Is Great For You

You heard us right; chewing gum is actually beneficial for your digestive system. This is because when you chew gum, you release many different types of digestive enzymes in your saliva. More saliva can help to neutralize the acidity of your stomach, which is very beneficial if you suffer from heart burn or acid reflux.

Carry gum with you always if you suffer from these problems, and you will surely see a difference.

Chew one piece of gum each day. Sugar free is best!

Salad Before Your Meals

It has been proven that eating a small side salad before eating the main course is able to make you eat less. Salad is very healthy for you if you choose the right dressing, so it is smart to fill up on your salad before your meal.

This will cause you to eat less, which could stimulate weight loss and thus help your digestive tract work well.

Eat a small side salad before dinner.

Natural Probiotics

Eating foods containing probiotics are very beneficial for your digestive health. Finding foods that you like, such as yogurt, is a great and easy way to add probiotics to your daily life.

These probiotics help to keep microbial levels at a good balance in the digestive system, which is important if you have digestive imbalances you may be dealing with.

Natural probiotics are healthy and easily can be added to any diet.

A Real Diet That Works

Fad diets are everywhere, and this country is suffering because of it. The very word "diet" is problematic. Have you ever noticed that the first three letters of that word spell DIE! Sure, most diets will not kill you, but many of the fad diets out there won't actually cause you to lose weight and may actually be counterproductive.

You need to break the endless cycle of dieting and instead create a lifestyle around putting healthy things into your body. Such a lifestyle involves the following principles.

1. Instead of just looking at food as a source of pleasure, look at it as a source of fuel and health. Most of us only consider how we feel during the ten minutes or so that we spend actually eating the food. What we usually don't consider is how we feel for the next three hours after eating the food.

Processed sugars taste great and give you a nice little high immediately after eating them, but a half an hour later you crash and just want to lie down. On the other hand whole wheat noodles may not taste amazing while you are eating them, but when you go for a walk an hour later you will be filled up with energy.

2. Eat a balanced amount of "good carbs," "good fats," and "good proteins." Instead of demonizing particular types of nutrients, focus on quality. Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not to be avoided at all costs. In fact, eating "good carbs" is crucial to giving your body the energy that it needs to operate. You will not get fat if you eat a healthy amount of whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, if you eat a lot of processed sugars, you will gain weight.

Likewise, not all fats are bad. Mono and polyunsaturated fats are very good for you. Olive oil and peanuts are excellent sources of these "good fats." On the other hand, saturated and trans fats should be avoided as much as possible.

3. Give your body the nutrients that it needs. Two nutrients that most people miss out on are omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Eat fish and use supplements to get your omega-3's. To get an adequate amount of fiber (most women need at least 25 grams per day), you should eat at least five servings of vegetables per day.

4. Eat frequently and keep portion sizes small. Eating three square meals a day may be popular, but it is not good for your weight. Instead of eating three large meals every day, you should eat five to seven small meals. This will make it much easier to keep portion sizes small since you will not be "starving" and load up your plate with food.

5. Things besides what you eat affect your weight. Emotional stress, dehydration and not getting enough sleep all contribute directly and indirectly to gaining weight. You cannot maintain a healthy weight if you do not generally take care of yourself.

3 Tips To Avoid Being Hijacked By A Restaurant's Menu

Restaurants are businesses. Their incomes come from what they sell to you and their main selling tool is their menu -- which is targeted not just at your stomach, but also to your mind. It's the main way a restaurant tries to influence your choice of what to order.

The way a menu is written and laid out can make or break a restaurant. It's in the restaurant's best interest to really pay attention to its menu - a redesign can improve sales by an average of 2 to 10 percent.

Restaurants hope that a magical brew of prices; superlative or descriptive words; and varying fonts, sizes, and colors will play with your brain cells and nudge you toward making the choices they would like you to make.

Tip 1: "Eye magnets" like colored boxes, larger fonts, and icons or symbols are used to help direct your gaze. Bold typefaces grab attention and are designed to steer you to what they want you to order. Well thought out use of eye magnets can increase restaurant sales up to 10 percent.

Tip #2: You'll likely find a restaurant's most profitable items or specials -- the things they want you to order -- on the top right of the front page of a two-page menu or the top half of the page on a single page menu. Because most people don't "read" a menu but rather "scan" it with their eyes, it makes sense to put the items the restaurant wants to sell where your eye goes first.

On a two-page menu people tend to look at the right page first, go back and read the left page, and then go back to the top right to take another look. Attention fades by the time we get to the middle and bottom of the right page. That's where you'll usually find items that aren't marked up or ones the restaurant knows will sell anyway. Items they don't want to feature -- stand-bys like burgers or eggs - usually go below the high profit items or on the back of a three or four page menu.

Tip #3: Prices on the menu are often shown without dollar signs. They're not there because they act as a subconscious reminder that you're about to part with your hard-earned money. Restaurants don't want you to think about money when you order. A study found that customers spend less when prices are listed with dollar signs rather than without them. Even the word or symbol for dollar can trigger "the pain of paying."