No Fruit after 12pm?

As a 26 year old guy that has never gone through the process of trying to have a kid, I have yet to gain the appreciation for what a mother needs to sacrifice in order to bring new life into this world. Some of you may have had your children 54 years ago (speaking to you Grandma and Nanny), but that should not dilute the work you put in to be the best mother you can be. And for that, today is a celebration for you. Happy Mother’s Day to all mom readers of this blog.

And a tip for those who can’t think of what to say on their Mother’s Day / Father’s Day / Birthday Cards — as I’ve been told by Anthony at Phil’s Pizza, Gino at Gino’s Bakery, and many more leaders, do it from the heart. The words will start flowing. Progress > Perfection

My Current View on Sweets

I listened to a portion of a Diary of a CEO Podcast episode with an expert on sugar. To be honest I’m very wary of the information I hear on most podcast episodes, but the very act of listening to the episode probed me to write out my current view on Sugar. Whether you’ve heard these bullets 100 times or I’m speaking a foreign language, I urge you to read the section below. Understand I share this with you knowing that if the below helps just 1 person, it was worth the share.

Here is my non-medical, non-expert, still at the infancy stage of research POV on Sugar.

6 Points About Sugar

1. Salt > Sugar. If you find yourself needing to douse your hamburger in BBQ sauce, maybe the hamburger is just undersalted.

2. Refined Sugar does not contribute any positive health benefit to the body. There’s no reason to need to eat it. It’s also in everything we eat. Optimize your diet to avoid Refined Sugar at all costs unless properly intended. For example, bagels often have sugar added, Quinoa does not. If you think about it as refined sugar avoidance, the decision is already made.

3. Do not replace sugar with sugar free additives. If you find yourself addicted to sweetness, I’d recommend a fasting period during your normal eating hours. Break the cycle and prove to yourself you are not someone who needs constant sweetness to be happy. If you can’t live without Diet Coke during your meals, try doing a meal without any liquid. Surprise yourself.

4. Remember that carbohydrates raise your blood sugar. When you eat Oatmeal, your blood sugar goes up as the polysaccharides are broken down into monosaccharides by your body - the monosaccharide being Glucose (see Glycemic Index). Your body doesn’t want sudden periods of high glucose levels (or spikes). It’s interesting to look at why certain food combinations exist, and it may even be related to this concept. Why do we eat rice with beans? Perhaps the answer lies within reduced glucose spikes directed to a rice-only diet

5. Maple Syrup, Agave, and Honey are still pure sugar. Use them in moderation and understand the immediate and long-term health consequences to the sugar being delivered to your body

6. Fruit overload is sugar overload. Jesse Itzler has a rule of no fruit past 12pm. May be extreme, but I keep this in mind when I see the fruit platter at 8pm. At that hour, it’s sugar overload.

-Jack

PS if you were wondering what glucose breaks down into, the answer is Alcohol.