What are Sugar Alcohols ?

What are Sugar Alcohols? 

You’ve no doubt seen a chewing gum or candy label that states the product contains sugar alcohols. The product is usually appealing because it has significantly less calories than the same product made with regular cane sugar. Sugar alcohols are neither a sugar nor an alcohol, but get their name because their chemical structure is similar to sugar and alcohol. It’s easy to assume sugar alcohols are just another sugar substitute, but that is not the case.

So what’s the difference between sugar, artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols?

SugarTable sugar has 4 calories per gram and causes blood sugar levels to change.

Artificial sweetenersThese contain zero calories, but do not contain carbohydrates. Thus, artificial sweeteners do not cause blood sugar levels to increase.

Sugar alcoholsSugar alcohols have an average of 2.6 calories per gram, but depending on the sugar alcohol, may contain from .02 to 3 calories per gram. Sugar alcohols do contain carbohydrates and thus can impact blood sugar levels.

Some of the more common sugar alcohols include mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt and maltitol. Some of the foods, other than the ones already mentioned, that might contain sugar alcohols include hard candies, cookies, soft drinks and throat lozenges. Mouthwash and toothpaste may also contain sugar alcohols. A reason that sugar alcohols are used in chewing gum is that bacteria in the mouth do no act upon sugar alcohols, so tooth decay does not occur.

Sugar alcohols are used for the same reason that artificial sweeteners are used: they provide fewer calories than regular sugar. According to the International Food Information Council, sugar alcohols are slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine into the blood. Little or no insulin is needed to convert sugar alcohols to energy. The sugar alcohol that is not absorbed into the blood pass from the small intestine to the large intestine and ferment. As a result, abdominal gas and discomfort can occur after consuming foods that contain sugar alcohols. Eating too much sugar alcohol can also have a laxative effect.

Used in moderation, sugar alcohols can play a role in healthy eating plans for people managing weight, and for diabetics. However, people with diabetes should consult their physician, dietitian or diabetes educator about incorporating sugar alcohols into their eating plan.

Again  - read the labels !!

5 Ways to Avoid Weight Gain !!!

5 Ways to Lose Fat

Small changes are the way to go for fat-loss results – make these simple tips part of your routine.

1. Climb two steps at a time.
Whether on the stepmill at the gym or scaling the floors in your office building, taking steps two at a time will provide greater muscular benefits and a greater overall caloric burn.

A study published in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that skipping a step when climbing burns up to 90 additional calories per hour and also engages hip and leg extensors at a greater rate.

Quick tip: You’ll burn more calories if you pump your arms at your sides, but if you find it difficult to keep your balance while stepping two stairs at a time, place one hand lightly on the railing for support.

2. Map out your plate. Taking a moment to mentally separate your dinner plate into sections can help you visualize how acceptable serving sizes look. “Break” your plate in half; fill one of these sides with vegetables and whole grains. Split the other half into two once again; one of these sections will hold your lean protein serving while the other is the perfect size for a serving of healthy fats.

Quick tip: Use your side salad plate – not the gigantic large size that you may have grown up using – and be sure not to fill your plate to the brim.

3. Add five minutes to your time.
If you generally go for 30 minutes during your cardio workout, try boosting your time to 35, tacking on another five minutes every second workout until you reach 45 minutes. Increasing your workout time gradually will make the jump from a half hour to three-quarters of an hour seem like a breeze!

Quick tip: Even though you are exercising longer, don’t let your intensity drop. Keep your speed, incline and other workout settings at the same rates you would have during your shorter, original workout length.

4. Try a new, exotic food each week.You don’t have to be making squid and lemongrass stir-fry for every meal, but taking your taste buds on a culinary adventure every now and again can help relieve the mediocrity of dieting.

Never tried Quinoa? Hit the search engines and research a new dish. Interested in Mango but haven’t taken the jump? Pack one for tomorrow’s lunch and share it with a work pal.

Quick tip: Check your local grocery store to see what’s in season; if you don’t like what you purchase, you’ll throw away less money than if you had purchased something that isn’t at its peak.

5. Do an exercise – backward.I don’t mean that you should do an about-face when squatting or pressing. Instead, try focusing on the eccentric motion of each rep – the part where your target muscle lengthens.

For example, as you are doing a biceps curl, slowly return the weight to the starting position, fighting gravity, instead of letting your arms swing to the bottom.

Why? Your muscles are actually able to move more weight during the eccentric portion of a lift – up to 40 percent more – than during the concentric portion (when your muscle shortens to move a load, like when you flex your arm).

Quick tip: Try doing your reps at a two-counts-up, four-counts-down pace to keep the emphasis on your eccentric contract.

 

AND as always - FOCUS on what you are doing at all times !!  Too many people take their minds off the workouts they are doing.  Really focus on each bodypart you are working on !  It does work !

"Inspire, Create, Motivate"

ABSolute Crunch Fitness

Cleanse and Colonics do NOT work !! Get off your ass !

How many of you have been roped into believing that Cleansing, Colonics and the fad diets like Grapefruit, Cabbage, Cayenne Pepper and Maple Syrup (are you kidding me with this ?!) or taking pills will work to help you shed the weight ? 
I'll bet some of you have tried it and maybe lost 5 - 7 lbs right away....but then put it ALL back on a few weeks later correct ??
Well, guess what ?  The ONLY thing that works is BEING ACTIVE and eating Clean ! 
Cleansing Diets are not successful weight loss strategies and totally "eff-up" your metabolism.   It's short lived, and does not fuel an active lifestyle ! Starving your body instead of "fueling" it with healthy food won't give you the energy levels you require to maintain a healthy level of activity !
Increase the  the high-performance fats in your diet; fats from fish, olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.  Unless you are eating these; your brain will not promote fat-burning in your body.
Remember 20 - 30 percent of your diet should consist of healthy fats !
Follow the 40/30/30 rule of Proteins, Carbs and Fats and YOU WILL be successful !
There is NO such thing as EASY out when it comes to fat-loss.
Get off you Butts and get active !

"Inspire, Create, Motivate"
ABSolute Crunch Fitness