"Live Well," Eat Well.
I am not a nutritionist. I've met a few, and I've read what some
have to say about watching what you eat, but I am certainly not an
expert. That said, nutrition is very important to me, and it's
something we should all be mindful of as we try to stay fit, stay
healthy and live well.
For many years, Chick-fil-A leadership has convened on Monday
mornings for a time of devotion and sharing. It's a great way to
start off the workweek, and I have cherished these times for a long
time. More often than not, we will have refreshments at these
meetings, and until a couple of years ago, we had
doughnuts!
I love doughnuts. I love everything about them: dough covered
in sugar and sometimes even filled with more sugar in the form of
custard or icing or fruit filling… What's not to love? I even
showed up early some days to sneak in a couple before everyone else
started eating my doughnuts!
The problem with eating things like doughnuts for breakfast is
what sometimes comes an hour or so after the fact. For me, I would
be sitting in an executive leadership meeting unable to keep my
eyes open. Some people are anti-sugar. I'm not one of those people.
Sugars are one form of carbohydrates, and carbohydrates are good
for you, as long as you eat the right kinds in the right amounts.
Carbohydrates are actually your body's main source of
energy!
But I am evidence to the fact that too much sugar in the early
morning can cause your body to "crash." No matter how hard I would
try to combat the effects of coming down from a sugar high, I was
almost helpless against it. Something had to change.
I started replacing the Monday morning doughnuts with fruit.
Sure, some - including me - missed the sugary goodness we were used
to, but we all noticed the difference that replacing the doughnuts
made in the rest of our workdays.
Now, I can hardly go a day without starting off with fruit.
Sure, there is a lot of sugar in fruit, but it's the
good kind of sugar. Here's something I
have learned along the way:
Fructose sugars are simple monosaccharides rather than
complex carbohydrates. Fruit sugars provide quick energy, but do
not excite the blood sugar roller coaster because the fiber slows
absorption of the sugars. Unlike the simple sugar glucose that
quickly enters the bloodstream, fructose sugar has to go to the
liver before it is released into the bloodstream and carried to the
body's cells. Since fructose is the preferred source of glycogens
(sugars stored in the liver), it is a valuable energy food before
and after long periods of exercise.
Now, I'm going to share with you a super-top-secret recipe
that is sure to give you energy and start your day off right. Let
me know what you think!
Dan's 32-Ounce Fruit Smoothie:
* 6 Ounces Pineapple Juice
* 1 Cup Blueberries
* 1 Cup Sliced Strawberries
* 2 Cups Red Grapes
* 1 Banana
* 2 tbs of Honey
Combine ingredients in a blender; blend well; and enjoy!
Let me know if you try the recipe, but in the
meantime, what are some ways we can eat well to live well? I'd love
to hear some of your thoughts!