Keep Your Actor Body!
Cut Down on Sugar to Stay in Shape During Quarantine
(by Todd Bruce)
Coronavirus has robbed us of something many of us hold dear: our weekly or monthly trips to the gym. If you’re like me, a gym regular and workout warrior, you’re probably experiencing some serious workout withdrawal symptoms by now. Most gyms across the country are closed and will remain that way for some time.
But just because you can’t workout like you used to doesn’t mean you have to “quarantine and snack” yourself into obesity. You can still keep your “actor body” – the shape that fits your type and has helped you book your best roles – gym or no gym.
As a former athlete and health nut, I know that approximately 70% of your body shape doesn’t come from working out at all. It’s mostly determined by the good food or the bad food you shovel into your mouth on a daily basis. That old adage is entirely true. You, indeed, are what you eat.
And one of the most destructive foods you can consume to harm your body shape is sugar. To maintain your shape during the Covid-19 crisis, keep your sugar consumption in check.
Here are some simple things you can do:
Cut Down on Sugary Drinks
(Photo source: Erik Mclean/Unsplash)
Do you know how much sugar is in a Frappuccino? Depending on the size, a sugary, caramel Frappuccino can contain as much as 85 grams of sugar or more!
Your typical 12oz can of soda can contain as much as 40 grams of sugar. 40!
But, according to the American Medical Association, women should consume no more than 24 grams of sugar per day; 36 grams for men. The more sugar you consume beyond the recommended daily sugar intake, the more fat you put on your body, since much of the excess sugar gets converted into fat. The problem is exacerbated further, now that you’re not going to the gym regularly.
Those sugary drinks may have become a staple of your diet and lifestyle. But kicking the habit is a great way to keep your body in shape when you can’t get to the gym.
Cut Down on Juices
(Photo source: Briona Baker/Unsplash)
You might not think of juice as an unhealthy drink. After all, it comes from fruit. It’s supposed to be healthy for you.
But did you know that a small, 12oz bottle of juice can contain more sugar than a can of soda? A 12 oz bottle of Minute Maid juice can contain 45 grams of sugar, while a typical 12oz can of Coke can contain 39 grams of sugar.
Even juice that comes with a label reading, “No added sugar”, can still have an impact on your figure. Because, even if the sugar is not “added”, the juice itself still contains the natural sugar, fructose.
Drinking juice slams all that sugar directly into your body with no fiber to act as a buffer, which comes from the skin and pulp of the fruit.
Instead of drinking your fruit, try doing it the old-fashioned way: eat it!
Cut Down on Sugary Foods
(Photo source: Mike Meeks/Unsplash)
This can be difficult to do, when you’re quarantined and trapped at home all day, tempted with snacks.
But you’ve got to cut down on sugary foods. If you’re serious about maintaining your “actor body”, you’re going to have to make compromises and sacrifices.
Be prepared to say goodbye to the usual suspects: cakes, cookies, candy and sugary snacks.
Or, instead of giving them up entirely, why not save them for the weekends and for special occasions? Reserving these foods for special occasions is a great way to have your cake and eat it, too, so to speak.
Or, let’s just say, it’s a great way to have your cake and maintain your “actor body”, too, when your local gym is shut down.
Cut Down on Hidden Sugars
(Photo source: Matt Popovich/Unsplash)
Did you know that sugar can have similar addictive qualities as found in drugs like cocaine and heroin? That’s because sugar activates the same receptors in the brain: dopamine. It’s the reason why consuming sugary foods like ice cream and chocolate gives you a sense of pleasure. Our bodies are hardwired to crave sugar.
The food industry knows this. That’s why they pump sugar into foods and condiments where you least expect it. Foods like peanut butter, breads, soups and snacks, as well as condiments like ketchup and sauces can be laced with sugar.
That’s right! If your hamburger tastes better with a healthy dose of ketchup it’s probably because the ketchup is loaded with sugar. And hidden sugars from these foods and condiments can add up, fast!
Make sure you get in the habit of reading labels, with an eye specifically on the sugar content. It can help you maintain your shape during these quarantine days.
You may no longer have access to your gym. But that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain your “actor body”. It just means you must monitor what you eat even more closely.
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