Hey ladies! Today we’re talking about SWEETNESS. Now the ONLY thing sweeter than today’s topic, is of course my Power Girls, who I totally LOVE !!
For all of you who have read my Nutrition Ebook you know I love SUGAR.
In that book I talked about the dangers of too much sugar causing us to be sick and over weight.
Today I’m going to let you in on a little secret……
Even if you’re skipping the candy and chocolate and trying to eat healthier,
There is sugar HIDDEN in what you’re eating everyday!
Did you know that the average kid eats 53 teaspoons of sugar EVERY single DAY? That equals a 5 pound bag of sugar every 10 days!
Don’t believe me? Well I’ll give you the facts and you can decide for yourself.
Most girls our age drink 10-15 % of their daily calories as pop (or soda) which is LOADED with sugar. The average girl drinks 76 litres (20 gallons) of juice a year. Did you know that juice has more sugar than pop?
Let’s have a peek at how much sugar is in things that we drink everyday.
Ok, so now we can see how much sugar is in some popular drinks. Wow that is alot! One sugar cube is equal to 1 teaspoon (tsp) of sugar, so in a can of Coke there are about 10 tsp of sugar. In that small glass of lemonade there are 7 tsp of sugar!
Let’s have a look at some other drinks that girls our age love to have.
It is amazing that these pictures really can change how we feel about some of our favourite drinks. Chocolate milk is an good way to get calcium which our bodies need for our bones and muscles to be healthy, but 7 1/2 tsp of sugar in one little glass! Crazy! This yummy drink from Starbucks may taste good but almost 12 tsp of sugar? No thanks, this Power Girl body can choose something better.
This is the picture that surprised me the most. I always thought juice was good for you? A glass of juice has 6 tsp of sugar in it. This is definitely a better choice than pop, but still really high in sugar.
Are you starting to believe that we really do take in 53 tsp of sugar a day? It adds up quickly.
I want to show you a couple more pictures to help you become more aware of the amount of sugar you eat when you choose certain foods.
Even yogurt or a cereal bar, which seem like healthy choices, taste yummy but that is because of all the sugar they have in them.
There is sugar (and a lot of it) in everything! So what’s the problem with sugar? Well too much is just not good for you.
Too much sugar increases the chances that you’ll get sick, get cavities and gain bad weight. As a Power Girl, you should be trying to cut down on sugar.
Some suggestions are to choose your drinks wisely. What’s wrong with water! No sugar in that! White milk will give you as much calcium as chocolate milk and there is far less sugar in it! Remember how your mom would give you watered down juice? Well that was a great thing and you should continue with that habit!
Yogurt is so good for you. Why not choose a yogurt that is plain and add your own sweet touch! I love greek yogurt with a sprinkle of nutty granola and a few berries. Still very yummy and there is far less sugar then in the sweetened yogurt in the above picture.
I really hope that all this information I give you will help you choose wisely. God only gives us one body, so we better treat it right!
Since there is so much to learn about how to eat healthy, I’ll be teaching you more about food next week too. You’ll really like the book that I’m working on with my mom too “The Power Girl Nutrition Revolution” It will be available soon and it will make choosing the right foods super easy.
I also just released my new Total Body “Jump Training” workout on You Tube. So click this link and check it out for a new style of workout where you actually “jump” into a whole new level of fitness.
Keep those comments coming and let me know what you love, and what you need help with. Then I’ll do my best to find nutrition and fitness solutions for your health goals.
Your Friend and Coach,
Jessy Lipke
Hi Jessy! I just wanted to say that you are a huge inspiration to me and many other girls. My dad is a dentist and my mom is an orthodontist. Althought our parents are different type of doctors, my parents have always been careful about what my sister and I eat. With my dad being a triathlete, and my mom loving to work out I always had something different than my friends at the lunch table. While I had a wheat sandwich, water, and fruit, they had a white bread sandwich, juice, chips, and a dessert. I often asked my parents why I wasn’t allowed to have those foods for lunch. Because, after all, my friends and I were always the same weight. They explained to me it’s not just how you look, it’s more important in how you feel and perform in your activities (mine being a competitive dancer). Also, if they continued to eat like that as an adult they would become overweight and unhealthy because all of the junkfood would catch up to them. I always thought it was unfair when my lunch didn’t have all of the chocolate but this blog has helped me understand my parents’ reasonings. It never occurred to me that so much sugar was in such a small serving of something, or even just a drink! Now I realize why I am giving up just a small amount of foods for simple changes in my life so I can do what I love best. Thanks so much!
Love,
Jolie