Low Sugar Challenge Day 4-cupcakes for breakfast?

Last night I ate a banana for a snack. I barely like bananas for breakfast so choosing one for my nighttime sweet treat was a big deal, considering this is usually the time- when the kids are tucked in bed-that my inner cookie monster gets her snack on. Tonight, I'm crunching on apple slices. While these are no doubt good decisions, I'd much rather be chewing on some dark chocolate raisenettes right now!

Day four of the low sugar challenge finds me with a headache, which I suspect is from the lack of caffeine from my faithful sweet teas and absence of my morning coffee. If I'm being honest I've also felt tired and sluggish all day, which may or may not be due to staying up past midnight last night reading a good book and then waking up several times afterwards with Asher the teething machine. In any case, I'm sort of hoping this is the proverbial "hump day" in this sugar bust. I digress...

I've had a good amount of interest in what snacks qualify as low sugar. Again, I'm no expert, but here are some of my favorite low sugar snacks and meals so far. Pretzels and saltines not pictured, because I ate them already, several times over, there is nothing left to show of them...

Naturally sweet plantain chips from Trader Joes-yummy!! I have a nostalgic spot for plantains, and these do not disappoint.  I need to get more ASAP. Note to self, just buy 5 bags next time. 

Okay so not NO sugar, but LOW sugar-these are a delicious savory option, especially with cheese cubes!

And then there's popcorn. If you don't have a popcorn maker, you must get one. There's nothing like homemade popcorn, and there are so many variations of recipes to try out. An old neighbor of mine put honey and cinnamon in hers, and we've loving taken on the recipe in our house. It's a great way to make your popcorn sweet and healthy while stopping short of kettle corn.

Cashews are my fave! 

Meals really haven't been a struggle(though of course I'd like to pair mine with something other than water). Over the past few days we've had steak, chicken, broccoli, rice, tacos and so on. I was even pleased to find out my favorite cobb salad from Chic Fil A only has 5 grams of sugar.

Get in my belly!!!

I will note though, to beware the breakfast foods! I can't tell you how surprised I've been to read the nutrition labels on the back of my kids yogurts, cereals and breakfast bars. And then you've got the breakfast cupcakes(ahem, muffins), donuts(cake for breakfast?), pancakes, and dare I mention pop tarts-ahhhh!!! Sugar is sneaky sneaky in the morning-the price of all these quick, convenient options I'm sure. 

Going back to the more savory, home cooked breakfast foods, I actually feel kind of like a pioneer woman, or Paula Dean when her hair was "jacked to Jesus." I've been cracking eggs and boiling grits, and have plans to sizzle up some yummy sausage and bacon soon. Over the weekend I'm going to whip up some homemade granola bars-it's amazing how much healthier you can make things on your own. Yes, it takes more time and dirties more dishes, but it tastes so much better too! I used to make these more frequently but have long since fell off the wagon. This little experiment has been a nice reminder to get back to basics. Happy snacking!

Low Sugar Day 2-On Artificial and Natural Sugars

Day 2:

I started off today with an omelet and side of strawberries for breakfast. Since I enjoy eggs, this was no hurdle for me; it was delicious. To be clear here, I'm giving strawberries the stamp of approval because, like all fruits, they are what you call "natural sugars." That is, whole foods found in nature and providing good nutrition for your body.  Over this next week I plan to eat a lot of fruits to get my sweet fix the healthy way. 

What you won't catch me eating is anything made with artificial sugars. These go by the names of aspartame,  sucralose and so on, and are the trademark of most anything prefixed by "diet". While the jury may still be out here, I'm of the strong opinion that these artificial sugars are much more damaging than the real thing, and that it is much better to consume good ol' refined sugar in moderation over regularly putting those artificial sugars in your body. In this department I've done a "splendid"(hehe) job over the past few years because I've always preferred the real thing over that diet-y taste.

In summary: Natural sugars=fruit/whole foods=good for you. Artificial sugars=thumbs down.

That said, there are a host of sugar "substitutes" that are natural. I found this helpful chart online:

Did you know Blue Agave nectar comes from the same plant Tequila is made from?

It's come to my attention that I drink most of my sugars. As an alternative, I'm trying to get my tastebuds around healthy teas, sweetened with agave nectar and milk instead of sugar and cream.

It's actually really good, and at this point I'll take anything over more water! Side effect #1-I'm may or may not be a little cranky about the H2O. I knew going into this that drinking water almost exclusively could be my biggest hurdle-ding ding. I'm guilty of spreading coffee, juice, sweet tea and the occasional soda over my everyday, and have long known that a good piece of my calorie pie can be contributed to the liquid drinks. That said, I'm open to any ideas that would spice up my boring drink game(and yes, I do put lemon in my water to flavor it). Please, fire away!

Low Sugar Challenge-Day 1

Alternately titled "Confessions of a snack-aholic," "When picky gets pickier" or "Sugar-it hurts so good."

I recently read an article about the dangerous poison we all love called sugar. I believe that being healthy and fit is about more than how you look, it's about how you feel. And while I don't necessarily appear to be unhealthy, I could write a different story on how I feel. Tired during the day, restless at night, often "bloaty" and no stranger to headaches. And let's not even talk about the dentist...the not so secret culprit I suspect is SUGAR.

"By now, you've probably heard that sugar is killing you sweetly. It's been linked to breast cancer, damage to the cardiovascular system, obesity and more. If you're not paying attention to the sugar content in the foods you eat, you should probably start"

Today I am beginning a "low sugar" challenge, wish me luck!! The reason I'm going "low sugar" over "no sugar" is because I like to be realistic about my expectations. Knowing myself and my ferocious love of sweet tea, to start with a "no sugar" diet would be a recipe for failure. And so, cheers to making small but meaningful changes. With moderation in mind, I decided I would let myself have one cheat treat everyday-my morning coffee.

To give me the push I needed, I conveniently ran out of sugar last week. It's currently sits at the top of my grocery list in progress, but I will not buy it this week! I struggle enough with self control when it comes to food, and I do not need that sweet bag of sugar calling my name from the pantry.

Lastly, a disclaimer...
I don't claim to be a nutritionist or foodie expert, and yes I know that sugar is not the only problem plaguing in my pantry. My goal is to go low sugar for an entire 7 day week, and let the results speak for themselves. I want to come away more aware of the nutritional value in the food I consume, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not curious to see if there will be any felt effect on my tummy area. I can tell you right now it won't be Pinterest perfect-I may post a picture of a roast beef sandwich with a side of strawberries as a "low sugar" lunch. Comparatively, that's pretty low sugar for me-and I'd be super proud of myself to consistently eat that way. We've also recently joined the local YMCA, so I'm riding a good wave here. And I'm sharing with you dear readers because I need the encouragement!! Without further adieu, here goes something!

Day 1:
A quick reference to google and Pinterest taught me that the recommended daily dose of added sugars to a woman's diet is 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons. New lesson learned: there are 4 grams of sugar to 1 teaspoon. Now let's talk about that coffee...

I like my coffee to resemble a milkshake. After my two teaspoons of sugar and generous helping of french vanilla creamer a la Coffee Mate, I estimated my sugar level to be at 18 grams of sugar. Wait what?! As in, already busted my sugar limit FOR THE DAY before 8am??? True story. This may be harder than I thought...

Let's hope I don't turn into this girl tomorrow. ;-)

CTCMath Homeschool Membership, a Review

Since Math is one of Evan's favorite subjects, we were both excited for the opportunity to review the Homeschool Membership from CTCMath. CTCMath is an online math curriculum offering over 1400 tutorials to learn from. This program provides a full math curriculum for grades k-8 and is designed to be an additional supplement for high school. The material, created by seasoned math teacher Patrick Murray, is solid and very clearly communicated; this is the type of math I wish I had learned from myself!  Based on the assessments offered, we primarily worked in first grade math with the exception of a few topics I wanted to explore further. 

The short 4-9 minute video tutorials have been an especially helpful teaching tool for us. Because Evan really benefits from that type of multi-sensory learning, CTCMath is right up our ally. The neat thing about video tutorials is that you can pause, rewind, or watch them as many times as you need to fully understand the topic. If only all of our math teachers could be so patient! 


Here is a screenshot of a first grade level lesson on place value. In the picture below you see the video is selected to play first. 

After watching the video, you click over to the interactive "Questions" tab to gauge your understanding of the topic. You can also print worksheets there for further practice. I think it's important to have that pen to paper relationship with math so being able to print out worksheets to go along with the lessons is a great feature.

As you can see below there is quite a comprehensive scope of lessons covered. Pictured below is an outline of the first grade curriculum. 

As the parent teacher, regular reports are provided for you as your student progresses through the material. You can also set up their individual tasks so that when your student logs in, he/she can go to their assigned tasks for the day.  For the combination of its video tutorials, interactive questions and printable worksheets, I believe CTCMath to be a superior program and would readily recommend it to friends looking for an online math curriculum. You can purchase as subscription to CTCMath online for either 1 or 2 or more students with payment plans monthly, every six months or for one year. The one year access plan offers the best value. Also, membership allows access to all grades and levels so your student can have the freedom to explore topics either above or below their specific grade level.  For more reviews on this product, be sure to check out the Schoolhouse Review Crew post below... And, check out CTCMath on social media at the following links...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath?ref=hl Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctcmathofficial Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/ctcmathofficial Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/ctcmath/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWn5e6974bpIEAe46VnovZw
Maths Online (Australia Only) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsonline.com.au Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MathsOnlineAU