Let's talk about refined table sugar. This sugar is commercially processed and stripped of all its beneficial properties. It depletes calcium and magnesium from the bones. It has no nutritional value and it's also high in calories. Worst of all, it will put weight on you quickly. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Another high glycemic sugar is high fructose corn syrup. high fructose corn syrup is added to so many processed foods that it's difficult to find a processed food without this ingredient. high fructose corn syrup has been linked to diabeetus so avoid it whenever possible. Finally, sodas and koalas are full of sugar. One soda usually has as many as 10 teaspoons of sugar. Others may have artificial sweeteners and call themselves diet drinks, but these ironically, can lead to weight gain The sugars found in fruits called fruit toasts have a glycemic index of 19.

So this is good. Fruits are healthy and high in fiber, which has the additional benefit of filling you up, not out. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. So if you do eat sugar, add some fiber along with it to slow down that absorption. Let's talk about cravings. As previously mentioned, cravings are caused by dips and spikes in your blood sugar levels.

The more stable you're able to keep your blood sugar, the fewer cravings you're going to experience. So can cravings because by emotions, many people turn to food to calm their racing thoughts or their tumultuous feelings. It sounds like you take heart their actions you can take to calm these emotions. But we'll talk about that And in a later lesson. Another cause of cravings is adrenal fatigue. When you're feeling exhausted, it's tempting to turn to a sugar or a carbohydrate for a quick pick me up.

The problem is that although the sugar and carbs do give you that temporary boost, what goes up must come down. That surge of energy eventually plunges. And you then we experience the fatigue and the cravings. It's like a roller coaster ride that you can't get off. You may feel like a victim of your cravings. We this resist the temptation to browbeat yourself for your lack of willpower.

And cravings have nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with your physiology and the food choices you're making. And food choices can be changed. You know, for some people sugar is a drug. It's a powerful drug and as Such it can create an addiction. If you find that you have great difficulty staying away from sugary foods. Keep a food diary for a week or two to discover how much sugar you're actually eating.

You may be surprised. Many foods contain hidden sugars. So read the labels on everything you eat to educate yourself as to which of your favorite foods contain these hidden sugars. You may think that you're not taking in sugar when in actuality you're accumulating sugars through other sources. Not all sugars are created equal though some sugars are high on the glycemic index level and others are not. So become a wise consumer and use the sugars that aren't going to spike your blood sugar.

Note how much sugar you're consuming today. Can you tweak that amount just a little bit. Today's lesson is called tips into This is information about various things that can contribute to your weight loss program, as well as your odds of avoiding diabeetus. The first thing we'll talk about is fiber. Many women don't get enough fiber in their diets. And here are some of the reasons that you need an adequate amount of fiber in your diet, which by the way, is 25 grams a day for women younger than 50 and 21 grams for women over 51st it normalizes your bowel movements by adding bulk to your stools.

As women age, there's more chance of developing diverticular disease where small pouches develop in the colon and trap bits of food. A high fiber diet decreases this risk as well as the risk of hemorrhoids which are no fun at all. Do you remember that having high LDL cholesterol is a risk for diabetes. Well According to the Mayo Clinic, the soluble fiber found in beans and oats can lower this bad cholesterol. Here's another bonus. soluble fiber can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels.

And isn't that the whole point of this program. Finally, fiber fills you up. So look for beans, oats, apples, citrus fruits, carrot, nuts and vegetable to get your fill of fiber. In addition, you can choose high fiber snacks such as low fat popcorn, handful of almonds or walnuts, fresh fruits or fresh vegetables, but start slowly, because high fiber foods can cause gas if you're not used to eating them. And also, you need to be sure that you have plenty of water To go along with this. So bottom line, aim for at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber per day.

Now let's talk about flossing. What in the world does flossing have to do with diabetes prevention? Well, you may be surprised. As you probably know, your mouth contains a lot of bacteria. But when this interacts with sugar, it forms plaque, which leads to cavities. So the more sugar you're eating, the more plaque is forming.

And the more plaque you have, the higher your chances of developing Gingivitis, which is an irritation along the base of your teeth. You'll start noticing bleeding when you brush. And if this advances to periodontal disease, not only will you be in danger of losing your teeth, but this disease can cause your blood sugar levels to rise, putting you in more danger of developing diabetes. or making it harder to control you already have diabeetus so your dental health actually affects your blood sugar. But here's the good news. You can take action today to stop this entire process by taking one or two minutes before you go to bed to floss your teeth.

This simple action helps remove the plaque buildup between your teeth and gums. It's a really important step in preventing diabetes. And of course, have your teeth cleaned at least twice a year. It pays off big time. Okay, here are your action steps for today. Aim for 25 grams of fiber.

For example, if you had one cup of Raisin Bran cereal, a large Apple, a bean burrito and a cup of strawberries, you'd have it covered. It's not that hard to accomplish then Try flossing your teeth. If you haven't already established this habit, your blood sugar levels will thank you