I think Def Leppard had it wrong. Weren't they the ones who sang "Pour Some Sugar on Meeeeeeeeee?" Well, turns out, sugar sucks. No real shocker here but none the less, we all should be a bit more aware of its dangers. I liked this little infographic. I am a visual learner. I wish the whole world was explained in infographics. Here are a few tips that I put together to help cut back on sugar intake.

1. If you are a baker, cut the amount of sugar in the recipe in half, if not more. I promise you, you will never miss it. I often wonder who the genius was who decided that so much sugar was needed in American dessert recipes.

2. Substitute with coconut crystals, stevia or raw cane sugar. Agave nectar, no.

3. Stop regularly buying sweet treats from stores, bakeries and restaurants. There is a reason they are so delicious and it's name is white sugar.

4. Like Michale Pollen says "If you want to eat junk food, then make it yourself from scratch." That way, you will know exactly what is going in your mouth. I have adapted a pretty killer chocolate chip cookie recipe that I will share soon.

5. Invest in some super dark, organic and fair traded chocolate. And eat in moderation.

6. Get up now and find a mirror, put on a smile and proclaim to the world "I am an amazingly beautiful person and I love being ME!"

NPR: POST SECRET LOVE.

 Gandhi said - Chew your drink and drink your food.
Smart man. My goal is to keep it simple and fun here. Life gets boring with a bunch of dull information.
I think Gandhi was trying to stress the importance as to why you should chew your food. Here are some mighty fine reasons I put together.

1. If you don't take time to chew your food, your body has to work extra hard to help digest the matter. On top of that, you will be in a food coma after your meal because your body will be in overdrive.
2. Chewing your food helps you absorb nutrients which in turns give you more energy. Unless you are on a candy bar diet. You'll be tired regardless.
3. Ever get bloated, constipated, the chronic or stomach aches after a meal-on-the-go? Not chewing your food properly promotes all that fun stuff. Even intestinal bacteria. Yucko. Those big chunks of food are not welcome down south.
4. The longer you keep your food in your mouth the easier it will be on your esophagus. The lubrication of your saliva helps this process. Sorry, that sounded kind of dirty.
5. Study after study show that speed eating, gorging and binge eating contribute to unhealthy weight gain. (And as a mom, I am so guilty of inhaling my meal and then eating my kids crumbs off the floor)
6. It's just fun to chew your food. It makes you feel connected to your body and it makes you feel good afterwards.

Until next time, get your chew on.