Issue #45: Why We're Addicted to Sugar
Good morning. It’s Monday, October 17th. We heard you...today you'll notice a couple of changes to the newsletter format. The goal is to make it easier to read with more takeaways in less time. Tell us what you think! (team@thrive25.com)
Also, how we know we're getting older - Eminem is 49 today (yes, 49) and Ernie Els is already two years into the Champions Tour (52).
Miss any of our issues on CONNECTION last week? Catch up on Issues #40 - #44 here.
This week we're switching gears and talking about NUTRITION, specifically sugar.
Yes - we realize we're talking about sugar on National Pasta Day and the week before you're buying Halloween candy.
From the Lab: The Dose Makes the Poison
Take Action: Don't Drink Your Sugar
Speed Read: Get out into some Blue Spaces
Monday Metabolic: Got it all - Squat, Jump, Push & Climb
Monday Q: How You Decide on Food
Percent of packaged foods (anything not a whole food) with added sugar.
From the Lab
For most of human existence food was scarce. During cold months we didn’t exactly hibernate like bears, but we weren’t importing berries from Mexico and grapes from Chile either.
Humans are designed to store fat when calories are abundant to prevent future starvation. All those carbs from fruits and vegetables become energy or are stored as fat to see us through until the next meal. Today, that meal is always in a few hours.
All things are poison and nothing is without poison. Solely the dose determines that a thing is not a poison. (Paracelsus)
So why can't our liver handle sugar today and we're seeing all this fat in our waistlines?
There is no shortage of sugar (we eat at least 55 lbs per year)
More sugar is coming in the form of fructose (up 2500% in last 200 years)
A little sugar is ok - but our liver can’t process the quantity of sugar we eat today.
Fruit vs. Juice
An apple has 19g (5 teaspoons) of sugar and 4.4g of fiber. The fiber prevents some of that sugar from being metabolized in the liver and instead feeds our gut bacteria.
One serving of apple juice has 53g of sugar (Welch’s Unsweetened - makes sense since it takes 3 apples for a cup of juice) and virtually 0g of fiber. So we just got 4-5x the quantity of sugar than from an apple. (Now you know why the kids are nuts after they have apple juice at school or with dinner).
Doing this over and over is what leads to major health problems including heart disease and obesity - we aren’t only talking diabetes, but our daily inability to thrive!
Take Action
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
We're really excited about Seed Health. They are changing the game when it comes to probiotics.
Their DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic includes 24 scientifically validated probiotic strains with a patented, non-fermenting prebiotic. This breakthrough formulation not only supports gut health, but also heart and skin health.
Go to Seed Health and check out their DS-01™ for adults and PDS-08™ Pediatric Daily Synbiotic for kids ages 3-17.
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
The New Ryan Field: Pumped to see the design concepts for a brand new stadium for Northwestern. Looks like it'll be one of the best in the country - now we just need a Big Ten Champ to call it home. Check it out here.
Anxiety Screening for Children: Growing up is tough - not just for kids, but also for parents. How do you know if it’s a bad couple of days or something more. New guidelines have been released by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force to begin screening for anxiety at age 8 and depression at 12 (Read more).
The Benefits of Blue Space: I think we all know nature and being in green spaces is good for our health. There's now growing evidence that the unique sensory qualities of blue spaces (light reflections, wave motion, sounds) also increases people’s physical activity levels and lowers stress and anxiety (Learn more).
Monday Metabolic
Today we're getting into Zone 5 (Issue #32). Mostly just body weight and quick movements to get the blood going while building strength in our entire body.
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
Monday Q
How do you decide what you're going to eat everyday? Does reality reflect your intention?
Product Recs
Thanks for reading today! Think Eminem or Ernie Els want to join? See you bright & early tomorrow!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback? Tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com
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Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.