How does your drink stack up when it comes to sugar consumption? We have so many choices to quench our thirst that it’s easy to grab something outside of good ol’ water, but are we creating a health risk by doing so?

Hands-down, sugar is the number one food ingredient feeding disease in America, and unless you’re aware of how much sugar you consume you’re most likely exceeding the recommended limit of 25 grams of added sugar per day.

Looks can be very deceiving when it comes to soda, sport drinks, coffee and more and it’s all readily available. There’s a coffee shop on every corner, a gas station every mile marker and the refrigerator section of the grocery store is filled with hundreds of options to choose from.

As with any food item, we need to understand the quality of the drink we’re consuming and it all starts with the ingredient list and nutrition label. This one act of label reading will change your perspective and empower you to make wise, healthy choices. First, check for the number of servings per can/bottle. Secondly, check the grams of sugar per serving so you are aware of how much sugar you’re consuming. Lastly, check the ingredient list to see what forms of sugar are in your drink.

The World Health Organization suggests consuming no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day (sugar that has been added to a food, not including natural sugars found in fruits etc.). You often get twice this amount by drinking a coffee drink, soda, or sports drink. It’s time to rethink your drink!

Take one day at a time. If you’re selecting drinks that are high in sugar, replace one drink per day with water and stick with that plan for 7 days. Then, in week 2, replace another drink with water, and so on until you build up to 64 oz of water per day. You’ll find you have more energy, your mind will feel crisp and on task, and you’re cravings for sugar will naturally go away. Other benefits of removing sugary drinks from your diet include weight loss and increased health.

Are you up for the challenge? It’s time to rethink your drink and take one step every day to make it happen. You can do it!!

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness! 

XO,

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blueberries
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 quart filtered water

Directions: 

Blend all ingredients and chill before serving.

Recipe compliments of “The Daily Essential Cookbook Collection: Lunch” by Angela Gaffney & Janielle Hultberg

“OWN YOUR HEALTH” is about acknowledging your state of health and recognizing that you have full claim, authority and power to create a healthy body, mind and life for yourself.  It is yours for the taking and now is the time to make it all happen.    

I never once considered that I needed to take ownership of all aspects of my health until my health was deteriorating at such a fast pace that doctors told me to go home and prepare for “what was to come”, meaning the slow progression of a disease that would inevitably take my life.  When given news such as this, it takes your breath away, it caused my world to stop in its tracks, and it made me take a deep look into the reasons why it could be happening.   

At first, I blamed everything else for my ill state of health and questioned how I could be put through such hell.  But after a couple months of my ranting I started a big internal investigation and came to the conclusion that everything about my life was contributing to my fast deterioration.  While I exercised pretty consistently I had a few other things working against me…I always functioned at 100 miles per hour, putting everyone else’s needs before my own, committing to things I didn’t have time for, eating a lot of sugar and nutrient-void foods, drinking a few diet cokes a day to keep my energy up, staying up way to late and waking too early, worrying about what everyone thought of me versus just living in my truth, and missing out on a lot of nutrient-rich veggies, beans, whole grains, greens and nuts and seeds.   

I simply did not own my body, my mind, or my life.  I just existed and thought it’d all just work out.  I’ve learned that it doesn’t happen this way, we must each make daily effort to rise to the occasion, make intentional choices that serve us and own every bit of our happiness, our health and our life.  

What part of your health do you need to take ownership of?  Here’s a little exercise to get your internal investigation off to a solid start: 

Answer the following questions as quickly as possible, no need to analyze, just answer: 

1. I always have good intention but never really get around to ______________________. 
2. The three things that are holding me back just getting it done are:  
   1.  
   2.  
   3.  
3. If I were to consistently accomplish my good intention, I would feel… ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. If I were to take my last breath today, I would regret not having done this for myself because_______________________________________________.  
5. If it is meant to be, it’s up to me!  I will do these three things for the next 30 days to take ownership of this one area of my life: 
   1.  
   2.  
   3.  

By doing this exercise, you’ve identified your starting point, your barriers, what it means to you to get the job done, and the steps you’ll take to make it happen.  The final part of the exercise is to share your details with one person who will provide positive encouragement to help keep you on track.  Lastly, keep your answers where you can read them daily; this is the best reminder to own your health and keep moving forward.   

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness! 

XO,

RECIPE:

Egg Salad

Ingredients:

Angie’s Note: This protein rich recipe can be consumed alone and/or used as a protein option to add to other dishes and recipes. Protein is found throughout your body; in muscle, bone, skin, hair and virtually every other body part of tissue. Protein supports many chemical reactions in the body and helps carry oxygen to our blood. When you eat protein throughout the day you’ll achieve sustainable energy and help repair muscle tissue after physical activity.

Ingredients:

4 hardboiled eggs
2 tbsp mayonnaise or greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp cooked bacon crumbles (optional)
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of dill
Pinch of granulated garlic

Directions: 

In a medium bow, mash the hardboiled eggs. Add all remaining ingredients and blend.

Recipe compliments of “The Daily Essential Cookbook Collection: Lunch” by Angela Gaffney & Janielle Hultberg