05-JULY-2021
There are so many wonderful reasons for following a sugar-free diet. It can help you lose weight, prevent future illnesses and diseases, improve your energy, your skin, and the list continues! Although it seems like an easy diet to follow, there are a lot of “healthy” foods that are actually full of sugar.
A lot of these “healthy” foods are touted for being gluten-free, low in fat, heart healthy, full of fibre... But when you look at the nutritional values of these foods, you’d be SHOCKED at the amount of sugar they contain. These are, of course, mainly packaged and processed foods such as granolas, cereals, breads, packaged snacks, cookies, and more.
Although there can be healthier products that do contain better ingredients than others, looking at the sugar content is very important. Sugar is a compound that elevates our blood sugar, which then releases insulin to bring these blood sugar levels back down. When there are multiple blood sugar spikes throughout the day it can lead to cravings, “hanger”, low energy, inflammation and an overall hormonal imbalance. Plus, over time this can eventually reduce our health and vitality.
The more processed the food is, the less nutrition is in the food and the more it spikes blood sugar levels. When foods go through the processing and packaging system, a lot of the nutrients and fibers are removed to make the product shelf stable. Then it’s loaded with sugars and other substances to make it taste good!
That’s why eating a sugar-free diet full of whole foods can be so powerful for our health. Not only are you eating foods that are full of nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals, but you are also naturally balancing your blood sugar levels.
It’s important to say that everyone reacts differently to sugar and this really depends on a lot of factors including your metabolic health status, age, genetics, environment and more. Overall, everyone can benefit from consuming less sugar in the form of processed and packaged foods.
If the idea of following a sugar-free diet stresses you out, don’t be alarmed. There are still TONS of delicious foods you can eat.These foods include whole foods! Think fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, animal protein, and herbs. Although it can take more time and effort to cook up meals, you’ll be getting so much more nutrition, which can in turn make you feel so much better and alive!
One area that gets a little challenging on a sugar free diet is eating out. You don’t have a lot of control over the menu and a lot of restaurants use sugar to sweeten and flavour their dishes. If you’re living in Vancouver, you’ll be happy to know that Festal Cafe’s menu is completely sugar-free!
Our menu is made from naturally occurring sugar-free foods like avocado, sweet potato, grass fed sirloin, free-range chicken breast, organic eggs, coconut, cashews, romaine lettuce, zucchini, peppers, and so much more!
We’ve recreated restaurant classics such as sandwiches, pizzas, pasta and desserts with more natural ingredients so you can enjoy eating out without worrying about its sugar content. We want to make sure that our customers are enjoying the taste of our food, while nourishing their bodies and overall health!
Check out our menu here.We’re open for dine in, takeout and delivery!
