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Come And Visit An Independent, Caring Family Hearing Aid Clinic Latest in technology, models and styles,Latest in technology, models and styles, blue tooth and accessories.blue tooth and accessories. Price ranges from $500.00 to elite levels. All Services, Sales, Hearing Tests, Programming, Repairs, Batteries, Home Visits All Services, Sales, Hearing Tests, Programming, Repairs, Batteries, Home Visits 113 JONES STREET, OAKVILLE, ON • 905-827-2902 Over 25 yearsof knowledgeand experience. Established Since 1979 Lakeshore Paramedical H E A R I N G S E R V I C E S Jennifer Nolan Wendy Caswell Over 35 years of knowledge and experience. health By Dr. Hilary Chambers Do you have a sweet tooth? There are lots of physiological reasons that we might crave sugar. When patients come in asking about curbing their sugar cravings, the first goal is to understand why they might be experiencing cravings in the first place. How much sugar are you eating daily? Many people are consuming more than three times the American Heart Association and World Health Organization's daily recommendation of a maximum of 25g of added sugar daily. Where is sugar hiding? - Barbecue sauce and dressings: 2 tbsp of a popular barbecue sauce has 11g of sugar - Protein bars: one bar can have 22g of sugar - Too much fruit, including in "healthy" smoothie: one banana has about 17g sugar - Juicing and juice cleanses: one juice can have 30g of sugar or more Here are three ways to curb your sugar cravings: Reason #1: Low energy levels: When we're tired, our bodies seek out ways of boosting energy. The fastest way to make energy is by using sugar circulating in the blood stream (glucose), and the fastest way to get them there is by eating simple sug- ars. This is why at 3 p.m., when we're running low on energy, we often crave a sweet treat. Solution #1: Understand why you're tired and fix it: This often means improving your sleep quality and or sleep quantity. It also means investigating other common underlying causes of fatigue, like dehydra- tion, nutrient deficiencies, or having an under-active thyroid. Reason #2: Emotional eating and boredom: When we eat sugar, our brain releases a hormone called dopamine, which is our reward hormone. Re- search shows that over time this response becomes diminished, so that we need more and more sugar to get the same dopamine "feel good" response. Another source of emotional eating is often be- cause treats were used to reward us as children are associated with happy memories. We often seek out sweets as a way to comfort or reward ourselves. Solution #2: Mindfulness: The key lies in recog- nizing these patterns so that they no longer have a hold over us. For the person who eats for comfort, it might be recognizing that and then engaging in posi- tive self-talk, or finding another activity to release do- pamine like going for a walk or hugging your partner/ child/pet. For the person who reaches for sugar out of habit or boredom, try using a smaller bowl and eat one bite at a time, trying to savour each bite, and see how you feel. Reason #3: Blood sugar crashes: When we eat simple carbohydrates (foods that are easily broken down into sugars), our bodies digest them quickly and then dump a large amount of glucose (sugar) into the system all at once. This causes a spike in blood sugar, and a subsequent release of insulin to help metabolize the circulating sugars. When the dust settles, we get a blood sugar crash and our bod- ies crave sugar again to boost these low blood sugar levels. The result is that the higher the high, the lower the low, and the stronger the craving after each crash. Solution #3: Balance blood sugar: My mantra for keeping blood sugar stable is: fat, fibre, and pro- tein with every meal and every snack. These three macronutrients are harder for the body to break down, so they slow down what's called our "gastric emptying time". This means that instead of a quick spike and subsequent crash, it's a slow-release of fuel into the blood stream, with a lower insulin re- lease, and slower utilization of circulating fuel. This prevents the crash from happening, and we avoid the subsequent sugar craving all together. Dr. Hilary Chambers, ND is a licensed and reg-Dr. Hilary Chambers, ND is a licensed and reg-Dr. Hilary Chambers, ND is a licensed and reg istered Naturopathic Doctor who graduated with a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine after receiving her Honours Bachelor of Science in Physi- ology at Western University. Understanding and satisfying your sugar cravings