Hey sugar – why don’t you come on over here

So, in my haste to not overpost, I guess I forgot to post for a few days. It’s also been one of THOSE weeks. So anyway, here we are, back again. Happy daylight savings everyone.

One thing about pregnancy is my sugar cravings are through the roof. I experienced gestational diabetes on the first go round and it made my sugar cravings all the more intense. So here we are, one month out from the test and trying to keep those cravings in line. Two chocolate chip cookies isn’t so bad, right? But I was pretty happy to find this article on fitnessmagazine.com. Sweet Talk: Get the facts on sugar. It dispels all sorts of sugar myths, like this…

#1: It Doesn’t Make You Fat

It only seems like those Girl Scout Cookies go straight to your thighs. Sugar doesn’t automatically change into fat in your body, says Tara Gidus, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). In fact, too many calories cause weight gain — whether they come from cookies or carrots. But when was the last time you OD’d on carrots? Sugary foods tend to be high-calorie and easy to overeat. They cause a spike in blood sugar, followed by a sudden drop that can leave you feeling depleted and hungry.

The Sweet Truth: Limit added sugars to less than 10 percent of your daily calories. If you eat 1,800 calories, that’s 180 calories from sugar — or 11 1/4 teaspoons.

Guess what? Our bodies need sugar. I admit to trying all sorts of those wacky diets, thankfully my long standing inability to stick to anything for very long made it next to impossible to do any major damage to my body (or my figure). And I’ve learned over these past few months that duh, what all those super fitness gurus say turns out to be true. The best way to lose weight and get fit is to find a healthy mix of exercise and healthy eating. But…our bodies are designed to need sugar AND fat. Of course we need to moderate our intake, but we don’t have to cut them out completely to lose weight or maintain our health. Yay science!

And speaking of healthy eating – here is a recipe that I’m super excited to try out this evening. Spicy squash salad with black lentils and goat cheese. Thanks http://www.smittenkitchen.com for your delightful recipes.