Helping Clients Crowd Out Sugar One Step at a Time

>> Welcome back. We've covered a lot of ground in this module on the topic of emotional eating and sugar. But before we wrap up, let's put this information to practical use and talk about how to coach clients to crowd out sugar one step at a time. It really is possible to eat less sugar without sacrificing much if any of the pleasures of eating. The best strategy is to find a few simple lasting ways to cut back on sugar. You can suggest to your clients that they choose one or two ideas and try them for a few weeks. Surprising as it may sound, many people who cut back on sugar find their new eating habits more pleasurable than their old ones within just a few weeks as their taste buds adjust. Here are my top 10 tips for helping clients crowd out excess sugar from their diets. Number one, start by cutting added sugar. Cutting added sweeteners is an obvious place to start, cutting granulated sugar and processed foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. Some clients who are especially sensitive to sweets may also benefit from cutting back on honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, and molasses. But this as always is bio-individual. You don't need to worry for now about the sugars that are a natural part of fruit and vegetables, and dairy products. Most people don't overeat these naturally occurring sugars because the fiber fills them up. Here's a tip for clients who want to make the change but feel scared or resistant. Sometimes, it's less scary to know that a decision doesn't have to last forever. You can challenge them to try eliminating all added sugars for just one month, then add back the ones that they miss the most. Number two, add in more nutritious options. As we've learned as Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches, adding in is a useful strategy because it's not focused on what you can't have. This technique can naturally help clients cut down on less nutritious foods. Some simple ways to add in more nutritious options and reduce sugar in the process are to drink water instead of soda, eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of more sugary foods, swap foods with questionable health claims on the package for homemade versions, snack on simple whole foods such as nuts, fresh fruit, or popcorn, eat dark leafy greens in place of refined carbohydrates, include sweeter foods like roasted vegetables to help you feel less deprived, and swap mindless eating for primary food instead, like self-care and relationships. Number three, crowd out prepackaged food. Crowding out is another useful strategy because it leaves room for some flexibility if needed. Prepackaged food is where most added sugars hide, so encourage your clients to try eating food that doesn't come in a package. Sugar is added to many pantry staples, such as chicken stock, soup, tomato sauce, salami, smoked salmon, tortillas, and crackers. Educate and empower your clients to read nutrition labels when they go shopping to compare various brands and to choose foods with the least added sugar. Some nutrition labels even have added sugars listed so you can distinguish between naturally occurring sugars and those that were added. Encourage your clients to make slow and steady changes. Those who are accustomed to a convenient grab and go lifestyle may not find it practical to ditch all processed foods, so you want to meet your clients where they're at and be careful not to convey any judgment. For clients who do eat prepackaged food, remember these numbers as a guide, 5 and 10, 5 meaning less than 5 ingredients on the food label, and 10 meaning less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Also, be aware that even some so called "healthy foods" aren't really healthy at all. It's always important to read nutrition labels so that you won't be fooled by marketing claims. Many granola bars are packed with added sugars. The same goes for fruit-flavored yogurts. And don't kid yourself about those fancy coffee drinks, they're more like a milkshake than a cup of coffee. Number four, slow down on sweetened beverages. While we're talking about packaged foods, let's also talk about beverages in bottles and cans. It's usually best to just steer clear of most of them. Sweetened beverages by far are the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet, 47% according to the Federal Government. Soda, sweetened sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened ice teas are essentially flavored liquefied sugar. One 16 ounce bottle of cola has 52 grams of sugar, that's more added sugar than most adults should consume in an entire day. But don't be fooled by fruit juice either. Even real fruit juice is high in easily absorbed sugar. Eating an entire orange is not the same as drinking a glass of orange juice. Many fruit juices have as much sugar as a soda, so read labels on fruit juices too. To crowd out a soda habit, try shifting to seltzer, club soda, or sparkling water, it turns hydration into a small treat that's still calorie free. Some brands now have as many as 20 different flavors all without added sugar. If they're not sweet enough at first, add a dash of juice to them and eventually cut back on the amount you add. Number five, don't confuse your body with artificial sweeteners. Educate your clients about avoiding fake highly processed foods whenever possible. Eating a whole foods diet that has a low glycemic load and is rich in phytonutrients is a healthier strategy. Some people may struggle going cold turkey from all sweeteners. For those who do, a little stevia or monk fruit might help with the transition away from sweetness. One strategy is to cut in half the amount of sugar and or sweetener used until the taste buds adjust to none at all. Some people find that adding in whole fruit, nut butters, and healthy fats helps to ease them through the transition. Number six, track what you eat and how it makes you feel. Here's an opportunity to expand on the cravings journal you started prior to this module. Add how you feel at 2 different times, 20 minutes, and 2 hours after each meal. Twenty minutes gives you information about the impact of the food on your blood sugar, and two hours helps you see rich foods keep you satisfied. Your body will tell you what's right for you, so try to listen to it. Number seven, eat a healthy breakfast. When I conquered my sugar addiction, I found it was easiest to tackle one meal at a time. Starting with breakfast can help set up your entire day for success. When you wake up, your blood sugar is low and a healthy breakfast helps stabilize you for the rest of the day. Some people are resistant to eating breakfast. For them, I like to point to research from the National Weight Control Registry which tracks the habits of successful weight loss maintainers including me. Their research shows that 78% of the people who lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year ate breakfast every day. A helpful rule of thumb is to eat within an hour of getting up and to include a good protein source in your meal. Many breakfast foods that sound as if they're healthy are in fact filled with sugar. Some yogurts have more sugar than any other ingredient, and some kinds of granola have more sugar per serving than sweetened cereals typically marketed to children. As Gary Taubes author of "The Case Against Sugar" says breakfasts have become lower fat versions of dessert. In much of the world, breakfast is a savory meal, not a sweet one. Suggest some of these low-sugar ideas to your clients. Plain oatmeal, adding fresh fruit, nuts, or cinnamon for flavor. Homemade granola, try making your own so you can keep the sugar low. Scrambled or fried eggs, fresh fruit, plain yogurt, a handful of nuts, or vegetables like spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes, or even soup. Number eight, practice daily self-care. Practicing self-care every day is beneficial in many ways. It can be as simple as lighting a candle or having a cup of tea. These small ways of honoring yourself can reduce stress, distract you from cravings, and boost your happy brain chemicals. Many clients benefit from keeping a list of their favorite self-care activities so that they can easily choose a simple swap from eating sweets and carbs to doing something good for themselves. Number nine, exercise to increase happy brain chemicals. Exercise has a positive impact on all three of the happy brain chemicals, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. It's the one common element that improves all three. Meet clients where they are when it comes to exercise. The key to exercise is finding what works for each person. As the saying goes, the best exercise is the one that you will do. Walking is a great way to introduce exercise to beginners. In my case, walking an hour a day was all it took to conquer my sugar addiction and maintain a 52-pound weight loss for 12 years. Number 10, get support. Being in community and connected with others is important to our physical and emotional health. Social connections are critical to our health. Encourage clients to ask family and friends for their support. Chances are their family and friends will benefit too. As a Health Coach, the IIN community is an amazing place for establishing healthy connections with likeminded individuals. As you can see, these simple steps can help clients crowd out sugar one step at a time, and these steps can be easily woven into your work with clients. I hope you've enjoyed our time together focusing on sugar. It's my purpose in life to share with others what I've learned and what has worked for me and my clients. It's such an important topic in the world of nutrition today. And as consumers, it's important that we're informed to make the best choices that we can for ourselves. Be well and enjoy the rest of this course.