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The Plant Powered Collective Podcast helps women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond live vibrantly and nourish boldly. Hosted by integrative nutrition coach Lori Willinski, each episode blends science-backed nutrition with approachable strategies for hormone balance, energy, and healthy aging. Rooted in lifestyle medicine and personalized coaching, Lori shares her story of thriving on plants since age 14 and managing autoimmune disease with nutrition. Discover how a plant powered lifestyle fuels not only your health, but also your leadership and your future self.
Welcome back to the Plant Powered Collective Pod I am so happy you're here with me today. My name is Lori Walinski and I'm the founder and integrative nutrition coach for Plant Powered Collective. And I am so excited today because this is podcast number 38. I can't believe that I procrastinated for so long about doing this podcast. And now I've done 38 episodes and I love it.
Speaker 1:I look forward to this part of my week when I can sit and record something about nutrition and lifestyle medicine that I feel is important for me and hope that others feel it can be important for them. So today we're going to continue our guide health series and today we're talking about sugar. And honestly I want to say this from the beginning. This is not one of those conversations where I tell you sugar is terrible, you should never eat dessert again and you need to clean out your pantry. It's absolutely not going to do that.
Speaker 1:That is not my style and honestly I don't think that kind of conversation helps most women. Remember I think about consistency over restriction and lifestyle modifications over shame because we are real people. We have full lives. We have stress. We have families.
Speaker 1:We have work. We have caregiving. We have hormones that are doing all kinds of things to us in midlife. And sometimes we want something sweet. Sometimes a cookie is emotional support.
Speaker 1:Sometimes chocolate at night feels like the only moment of the day that belongs to us. So I want to talk about sugar in a way that feels honest but not shamefiled. Because I do think sugar matters. I do think the kind of sugar we eat matters. Also know that sugar affects our gut, our energy, our craving, our inflammation, and for many of us even how we experience menopause symptoms.
Speaker 1:But I also believe we can have this conversation without fear and without shame. Imagine we're sitting together at my kitchen counter, maybe we're having a tea or maybe we're walking outside And maybe we're having one of those conversations where one friend says to another, Hey, tell me the truth. What is really going on with sugar? That is the kind of conversation I want this to be. I want you to ask yourself as we start, what is my relationship with sugar right now?
Speaker 1:Not the answer you think you should give, the real answer with no shame. Do you feel peaceful around it? Do you feel a little out of control with it? Do you crave it every afternoon? Do you reach for it at night after a long day?
Speaker 1:Do you feel guilty when you eat it? Do you feel like you're good when you avoid it and bad when you don't? Just notice no judgment and no shame Because we cannot change what we shame. We can only change what we're willing to understand. And with that, let's dive into the podcast.
Speaker 1:So let's start off this podcast with the basics. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and carbohydrates are not bad. Our bodies use carbohydrates for energy. When we eat many types of carbohydrates, the body breaks them down into glucose, which is a form of sugar that our cells can use. Your brain uses glucose.
Speaker 1:Your muscles use glucose. Your body knows what to do with glucose. So sugar itself is not evil. It's not bad. I think that is really important to say because the wellness world can get so dramatic.
Speaker 1:Right? You cannot have an ounce of sugar. One minute fat is bad, then carbs are bad, then fruit is too much sugar, then everyone is afraid of bananas. And I just want to pause here and say, let's breathe. A banana is not the problem.
Speaker 1:An apple is not the problem. Berries are not the problem. The real conversation is the type of sugar, how much we're eating, how often we're eating it, and what sugar comes packaged with because sugar in a strawberry is very different from sugar in soda. Sugar in a date is very different from sugar in a candy bar. Sugar in an apple is very different from sugar in a frosted breakfast pastry.
Speaker 1:So when sugar comes inside a whole plant food, it comes with fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and all of these beautiful plant compounds that support our body. That fiber slows things down. It helps our blood sugar rise more gently. It feeds our gut bacteria. It gives our body something to work with.
Speaker 1:But refined sugar is different. Refined sugar is sweetness without the fiber. And we need fiber as Americans, or if you are American listeners, then we generally don't get enough fiber in our diet. So when we eat refined sugar, it's sweetness without the structure. It's sweetness without the whole plant.
Speaker 1:And that is where we can start to feel the difference. When we eat something sweet, especially something with refined sugar and very little fiber, that sugar can move into the bloodstream pretty quickly. Then blood sugar rises. The body responds by releasing insulin which helps move glucose out of the blood and into the cells and that is normal. That is not bad.
Speaker 1:That is how the body is supposed to work. The issue is, when this happens over and over and over again throughout the day, sweet coffee in the morning, a packaged breakfast bar, flavored yogurt, a salad dressing with added sugar, a little snack in the afternoon, something sweet after dinner, maybe a glass of wine, maybe a few bites of chocolate, and then we wonder why our energy feels so up and down. I've been there. You guys, the other day, I went to the store. As you know, if you listen to my podcast, I am taking care of my dad with dementia.
Speaker 1:I went to the store to pick up a couple of things, and there at the checkout were jelly beans. They were vegan, and so I bought them. It was a small bag. I love jelly beans, and I ate the whole bag. And I felt that my body responding to the sugar and reacting in the way that it's supposed to, and then I felt a crash.
Speaker 1:So listen. We've all been there. Right? There's no shame in it. It's that feeling of being fine one minute and then suddenly needing something sweet, something crunchy, something immediate that's at the checkout counter.
Speaker 1:And for a long time, I think many of us thought that that was a willpower issue. But it's not always willpower. Sometimes it's blood sugar, sometimes it's undernourishment, and I will tell you that's what it is for me right now. Sometimes it's stress, it's also that. And sometimes it's poor sleep.
Speaker 1:It's also that. Sometimes it's your body saying, need energy, and I need it now. So I want you to ask yourself, where does sugar show up in my day without me even really noticing it? Not the dessert you truly enjoy, not the birthday cake, not the beautiful piece of dark chocolate you eat slowly and love at the end of the night. I'm talking about the sugar that sneaks in, the sugar that does not even feel special.
Speaker 1:The sugar in a drink, the sugar in a sauce, the sugar in a packaged snack, the sugar you eat standing up at the kitchen because you are exhausted, the sugar that you eat in your car because you buy jelly beans at the checkout counter. That is the sugar I want us to become curious about. Not judgmental. Curious. Now let's bring this into gut health.
Speaker 1:Your gut is alive with trillions of microbes, bacteria, fungi and other tiny organisms that are consistently and constantly interacting with your immune system, your metabolism, your hormones, your nervous system and even your mood. That still amazes me. The gut is not just about digestion. It is communication. It is regulation.
Speaker 1:It is resilience. And those beneficial gut bacteria, the ones we really want to support, they love fiber. They love plants. They love variety. Remember when we started this gut health series?
Speaker 1:30 plants in a week. 30 different plants in a week to help feed that gut bacteria. They love beans. They love lentils, oats, berries, greens, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. It's easy to get in those 30 when you're eating all of these whole foods.
Speaker 1:When we feed those gut microbes and the gut bacteria fiber they produce compounds called short chain fatty acids. These short chain fatty acids help support the gut lining, inflammation regulation and overall metabolic health. So when I say feed your gut, I really mean feed the microbes that are helping take care of you. Now, what happens when the diet is high in added sugar or refined sugar and low in fiber? Research suggests that a high added sugar pattern can shift the gut microbiome in ways that may not be as supportive.
Speaker 1:It can reduce diversity, contribute to imbalance, and create an environment where the more beneficial bacteria may not be able to thrive as well. Does that mean one cupcake ruins your gut? Absolutely not. So please hear me on that. One cupcake does not ruin your gut.
Speaker 1:That's what I told myself when I ate one bag of jelly beans. One holiday dessert does not erase your progress. One sweet coffee does not mean you failed. Our body is resilient, But our patterns matter. Our consistency matters.
Speaker 1:What we do most of the time matters. So I like to think about the gut like a garden. If you have a garden and you keep giving it compost, water, sunlight, diversity, that garden becomes stronger. If you keep feeding it with things that do not support the soil, eventually the garden changes. Our gut is similar.
Speaker 1:It responds to what we repeatedly give it. So the question becomes, am I feeding the gut I want to have? Am I giving my body the raw materials to feel steady, clear, calm, and energized? Or am I accidentally feeding the cycle of craving, bloating, inflammation, and fatigue? And again, no shame.
Speaker 1:Curiosity. Because most of us were never taught this. We were taught calories. We were taught dieting. We were taught the things that we eat are either good or bad.
Speaker 1:We were not taught to ask, What is this doing for my gut? And that question is powerful. Let's talk about cravings because this is where sugar really gets personal. Have you ever had one of those afternoons where you feel like you are suddenly searching the house for something sweet? You open the pantry, then the fridge, then the pantry again, as if something new will magically appear?
Speaker 1:I know that feeling. I think for women, especially in midlife, cravings can feel really frustrating because we often think what is wrong with me? Why can't I just stop? But sometimes cravings are not a failure. Sometimes they are information.
Speaker 1:Maybe breakfast did not have enough protein or fiber. Maybe lunch was too light. Maybe you had a coffee instead of real nourishment. Maybe you are dehydrated. That's an important one.
Speaker 1:When there is a craving, drink a glass of water. Maybe you are overwhelmed. Maybe you are tired. Maybe your nervous system is saying, I need comfort. Sugar works quickly.
Speaker 1:That is part of why we reach for it. It gives us a fast reward. It gives us a quick lift. It gives comfort. But if it is refined sugar without fiber or nourishment, the lift often does not last.
Speaker 1:And then we're right back where we started. Tired, foggy, and craving more. So instead of asking, why do I have no willpower? I want you to ask, what is my body asking for? Do I need food?
Speaker 1:Do I need rest? Do I need protein? Do I need fiber? Do I need water? Do I need a walk?
Speaker 1:Do I need connection? Do I need five minutes where no one needs anything from me? Because sometimes the craving is about sugar. And sometimes the craving is about a life that has become too depleted. That is why I always come back to nourishment on and off the plate.
Speaker 1:Last week's podcast was about off the plate and movement and how movement, a small walk, even just a five minute walk, can help your gut. Now let's talk about menopause because this is where I started paying closer attention in my own life. Midlife can be humbling. I say that with love, but also with honesty. The things that used to work do not always work the same way.
Speaker 1:I know that happened with me. During menopause, I gained a significant amount of weight. And instead of leaning into that and looking at why, being curious, I was judgmental. And I said, well, if I'm gonna gain the weight, then what the heck? I might as well have sugar.
Speaker 1:I might as well eat what I want. I might as well have that french fry. And it was only after I recommitted to my health, I recommitted to myself mind body and soul and I started cutting out refined sugars. And honestly I was also at the end of my menopause journey did I really notice a change in how my body responded. Now you may notice more bloating, more belly changes.
Speaker 1:Right? Belly fat. I have that. More disrupted sleep. I still have that.
Speaker 1:More cravings, more mood swings, more inflammation, more sensitivity to alcohol, more sensitivity to sugar, more why do I feel off when I didn't do anything different? That was definitely me. And that is because your body is different. Your hormones are shifting. Estrogen changes.
Speaker 1:Insulin sensitivity can change. Sleep can change. Stress resilience can change. Your gut can change too. And while sugar is not the only factor in menopause symptoms, blood sugar stability can make a difference in how steady we feel.
Speaker 1:There is research connecting hot flashes and night sweats with insulin resistance and glucose regulation. I know myself if I have a couple of glasses of wine in the evening, I sleep differently than if I don't even now at the end of my menopause journey. That does not mean sugar causes every hot flash or is the only reason why you might have sleep disruption and night sweats? That would be way too simplistic, and our bodies are much more complex. But it does mean metabolic health and hormone symptoms are connected.
Speaker 1:And for me personally, when I started replacing more refined sugar with whole food sweetness, I definitely noticed a difference. My gut felt calmer. I was less bloated. My cravings were not screaming at me the same way. My energy felt more even, and even my menopause symptoms felt less intense.
Speaker 1:Not gone. Not magically solved, but less amplified. And that mattered. It felt like my body had a little more stability. And for me, it was not about never eating dessert.
Speaker 1:It was about changing the default. Instead of reaching for processed sweets most often, I started reaching for dates and berries and bananas and oats and cacao and nuts and seeds and cinnamon and homemade things that felt comforting but also nourishing. And, honestly, that changed my relationship with sweetness. It was not I can't have that. It became what would actually feel good in my body, and that is a very different question.
Speaker 1:Now let's talk about good sugar versus bad sugar. I know we use those phrases because they're easy, but I want to be careful. You are not good because you ate fruit. You're not bad because you ate cake. Food does not define your worth or your value.
Speaker 1:But nutritionally, some forms of sweetness are absolutely more supportive than others. So instead of good versus bad sugar, I like to think about it this way. Whole food sweetness versus added sugar. Supportive sweetness versus disruptive sweetness. Intentional sweetness versus hidden sweetness.
Speaker 1:Whole food sweetness comes from foods like bananas and berries and apples and pears dates figs prunes sweet potatoes unsweetened applesauce. These foods contain natural sugar but they also contain fiber and nutrients. Added sugar is different. That includes white sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, agave, maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar. And I know some of those sound healthier.
Speaker 1:Maple syrup sounds cozy and natural. Honey sounds healing. Coconut sugar sounds very wellness world. And listen. I use maple syrup sometimes.
Speaker 1:I used it this morning in my breakfast yogurt. I'm not saying you can never use those things, but we need to be honest about what they are. They're still added sugars. Some may have tiny amounts of minerals or beneficial compounds, but they are still concentrated sweetness. So the question is not is maple syrup good or bad?
Speaker 1:The question is how am I using it? A drizzle? A small amount in a recipe? Beautiful. Pouring it into everything because it feels healthier than white sugar.
Speaker 1:Maybe we pause and look at that. This is where intentionality comes in. One of my favorite questions in the kitchen is, can I sweeten this with a whole plant first? Can I use a banana? Can I use a date?
Speaker 1:Can I use applesauce? Can I use berries? Can I use cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest, nutmeg, ginger, or cacao to create sweetness and depth without needing so much added sugar? That is where food gets creative, and I love this. That is where plant powered living becomes super fun.
Speaker 1:Now if you're thinking, okay, Laurie. Where do I actually start? It sounds super complicated. I would start with sugars that do not bring much joy because I do not want you to begin by removing the sweet thing that you truly love. Start with sugar that is just there.
Speaker 1:The sugar that sneaks in. The sugar that does not feel worth it. First, sugary drinks. Soda, sweet tea, lemonade, energy drinks, sweetened coffee, bottled smoothies, and juice. Liquid sugar can be tricky because it goes down quickly, and it usually doesn't come with much fiber.
Speaker 1:A whole orange and a glass of orange juice are not the same thing in the body. The orange comes with fiber. You chew it. It takes time. Satisfies differently.
Speaker 1:Juice is concentrated. Again, not evil. Just different. Second, ultra processed breakfast foods. This is a big one.
Speaker 1:So many breakfast foods are basically dessert wearing a wellness outfit. Flavored oatmeal packets, sugary granola, breakfast bars, muffins, sweetened yogurts, cereals, coffee drinks. When we start the morning with a blood sugar spike, sometimes we spend the rest of the day trying to steady again. So ask yourself, is my breakfast setting me up to feel grounded, or is it setting me up to chase energy all day? I know when I, first moved to China and lived in Shanghai, the breakfast always consisted of more savoriness, more protein heavy, more noodles and soy.
Speaker 1:And it was really interesting to me because I'm like, who would eat noodles with soy sauce and, you know, small slivers of tofu and and spinach or some other type of green? It's kinda weird. That's more lunch. But then I ate it. And I'm like, oh, this is good.
Speaker 1:This gives me energy. Then I started craving it. And now most days, I still have a savory breakfast rather than a sweet one. It's all what you get used to. So ask yourself, is my breakfast setting me up to feel grounded, or is it setting me up to chase energy all day?
Speaker 1:And the third thing is sauces and condiments. This one surprises people. Ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, marinades, pasta sauce, packaged meals can have more added sugar than we realize. And you don't need to obsess about this. Just look.
Speaker 1:Read the label. Check the added sugar. And ask, is it worth it? Fourth, sweets. When you are undernourished.
Speaker 1:This one is personal because many women are not eating enough early in the day. We're busy. We're caring for everyone else. We are working. We're running around.
Speaker 1:We're trying to be productive. And then by the evening, our body is desperate, and, of course, we want sugar. The body wants fast energy. So sometimes the answer to sugar cravings is not more discipline. It's a better breakfast.
Speaker 1:It's a real lunch, more protein, more fiber, more plants, more nourishment earlier in the day. That is not glamorous, but it works. Now let's make this very practical. If you love something sweet in the morning, you do not have to give that up. Like I said earlier, I had yogurt this morning.
Speaker 1:I put a little bit of maple syrup in it. I put some, slivers of dried, apricot in it, a little bit of chia seeds for protein, a little handful of raw cashews. It was delicious. So if you do love something sweet in the morning, just build it differently. Instead of a packaged muffin, make an oat muffin with banana, flax, walnuts, cinnamon, and berries.
Speaker 1:Instead of sweetened yogurt, try plain yogurt like me or a plant based yogurt with chia seeds and cinnamon and a few chopped dates or, like I had, some apricots. Instead of sweet cereal, try oatmeal with apples, hemp seeds, cinnamon, and almond butter. Instead of a sweet coffee creamer, try unsweetened plant milk with cinnamon and vanilla. If you need a little sweetness, use a small amount and slowly reduce it over time. You'll find that those little shifts will create a different habit, and your body will get used to it.
Speaker 1:If you want dessert at night, think fruit first. Baked apples with cinnamon and walnuts, berries with chia pudding, dates stuffed with almond butter, frozen banana blended with cacao. Taste just like ice cream. Dark chocolate with raspberries. This is not punishment food.
Speaker 1:This is beautiful food. This is food that will give you a return on your investment in it. And this is food that still feels like pleasure, and that matters. Because if it does not taste good, we're not gonna keep doing it. Right?
Speaker 1:So here is the hopeful part. Your palate can change. If you're used to very sweet foods, less sweet foods may taste boring at first. That is normal. But when you slowly reduce added sugar, whole foods start tasting sweeter.
Speaker 1:Berries taste brighter. Carrots taste sweeter. Roasted sweet potatoes almost tastes like a dessert. Cinnamon feels cozy. Dark chocolate tastes rich instead of bitter.
Speaker 1:Your body adapts. Your cravings can soften. Your taste buds can wake up, and suddenly the food that used to taste healthy start tasting genuinely good. And that is such a powerful shift. Not because you're forcing yourself.
Speaker 1:You're retraining your body gently one choice at a time. So I wanna share something a little personal here. When I started paying attention to refined sugars versus whole food sweetness, It was not because I was trying to be perfect. Right? Like I said earlier, I was really trying to feel better.
Speaker 1:My gut was more sensitive. My body was changing. Menopause symptoms was still there, and my energy did not always feel steady. I mean, I was going through a super stressful time. I was going through my divorce.
Speaker 1:And I started noticing that when I had more refined sugar, especially in those sneaky everyday ways, I felt it. I could feel it in my digestion. I could feel it in my craving. I could feel it in my sleep. I could feel it in my mood.
Speaker 1:And when I shifted more towards whole food sweetness, I felt that too. My gut felt calmer. I didn't feel as bloated. I felt more satisfied. I did not have the same intense cravings.
Speaker 1:My energy started to feel steadier, and my menopause symptoms felt less like they were being turned up louder by everything I ate. Stress during that really stressful time felt like it was more under control because I was eating whole foods and less refined sugars. And that was a huge realization for me. Because I did not have to remove sweetness from my life. I just had to change the kind of sweetness I was choosing most often.
Speaker 1:That felt empowering and it felt like I was working with my body instead of fighting it. And that is what I want for you. I do not want you fighting with your body. I want you listening to it. I want you to be curious about it.
Speaker 1:I want you to feel like your body is giving information, and your food choices can become a way to respond with care. Now let's talk about a morning muffin because I love a good muffin. But I want a muffin that loves me back. I want something cozy and satisfying but not something that sends me into a blood sugar crash in an hour. So this is a simple morning muffin made with whole food sweetness.
Speaker 1:It's a banana date oat muffin. And so it's two red bananas, unsweetened applesauce, date paste blended with a splash of warm water, ground flaxseed, unsweetened plant milk, vanilla extract, oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, walnuts or pecans, and a half a cup of blueberries, chopped apples, or even grated zucchini. You blend all of that together. You put it in an oven at 03:50. It takes about twenty minutes or so and what you're coming out with is like an amazing food.
Speaker 1:Here's why I love them. The banana and dates bring sweetness. The oats and flax bring fiber. The walnuts bring healthy fats. The berries apple or zucchini add more plant diversity.
Speaker 1:And so it feels like a muffin but it's also supporting your gut. And that is the goal. Not a perfect food. A supportive food. There's also other recipes that I want to share with you that I make all the time.
Speaker 1:And a link to the download will be in the show notes. So before we close Please don't make it complicated. Do not decide you're gonna change your entire life tomorrow. Choose one sweet shift. Just one.
Speaker 1:Maybe you change your breakfast. Maybe you look at your coffee, and maybe you replace that afternoon candy with dates and almond butter. Maybe you make the muffins. Maybe you read the label on your salad dressing. Maybe you stop drinking your sugar and start eating your sweetness in whole food form.
Speaker 1:That is enough. Small changes count, and I actually think small changes are often more powerful because they're sustainable. So ask yourself, what is one sugar habit I could gently upgrade this week? Not eliminate. Upgrade.
Speaker 1:That word feels better to me. Does it feel better to you? We're not punishing ourselves. We are upgrading how we nourish ourselves. So before we close, I want to leave you with a few questions.
Speaker 1:You can think about these on a walk, while you're making dinner, or maybe write them down if that feels good. If not, these questions will be in the show notes. Where does my sugar show up most often in my day? Where does sugar feel joyful and intentional? Where does sugar feel automatic?
Speaker 1:What sweet foods leave me feeling good afterward? What sweet foods leave me feeling bloated, tired, foggy, or craving more? Am I eating enough earlier in the day? Am I using sugar for energy, comfort, reward, or all three? What is one whole food sweetener I could try this week?
Speaker 1:What recipe could I upgrade instead of give up? And maybe the biggest question, what would it feel like to have a peaceful relationship with sweetness? Because that is really what I want for us. Not fear, not shame, not perfection. Pete.
Speaker 1:So here is what I want you to remember. Sugar is not automatically bad. Your body uses glucose. Sweetness can absolutely be part of a healthy life. But the sauce matters, the amount matters, the frequency matters, and the pattern matters.
Speaker 1:Whole food sweetness gives your body more to work with. Refined added sugar, especially when it shows up without fiber, affect your body, affect your blood sugar, cravings, energy, gut microbiome, inflammation and for some of us how intense our midlife symptoms feel. But this is not about restriction, it is about feeling better. It is about listening to our bodies. It is about learning what supports our gut, our energy, our hormones, our mood and our future health.
Speaker 1:So this week try one sweet shift, make a muffin, make the dessert, add cinnamon, use dates, choose berries, read one label, notice your body. And remember this is not about being perfect, it's about being curious. This is about becoming more connected to what nourishes you on and off the plate. Thank you for spending this time with me today. If this episode supported you please subscribe and share it with a friend or leave a review.
Speaker 1:And if you want to go deeper, join us inside the Plant Powered Collective community where we keep having these real conversations about plant powered nourishment, gut health, lifestyle medicine, and living vibrantly in real life. Check out the show notes. The link to the Plant Powered community is there. Until next time, keep asking, What is nourishing me on and off the plate? Always nourish boldly and live vibrantly.