Wondering how sugar affects the body? Part 1 of a sweet series!
We are constantly bombarded by "low fat" products these days, and many people are tricked by marketing into thinking that "low fat" means healthy or good for you. Often fats aren't the problem....and often low fat foods are loaded with sugar, salt, and chemicals to make it taste good.
Sugar, even from eating excess fruit (especially fruit juice!) can cause cravings, fluctuating energy levels,blood sugar issues, and lead to weight gain - especially around the belly, love handles and upper back. Does this sound like you? If so, you may have sugar intolerances, or you may be simply consuming too many sugars. Sugars can also lead to hormonal imbalances in both men and women, causing a whole plethora of health issues, including weight gain, hair loss for men, hair gain for women, and some other really nasty diseases.
However, the real evil sugar is hiding in processed foods, "fruit juices," refined sugars, treats, and even your "healthy" muffin, breads, sauces, pop, ketchup, crackers, and more obvious things like cookies and treats.
In the short term, sugar:
- decreases your energy (overall, after the sugar high is gone)
- makes you fat
- makes you moody, grouchy, and gives you big cravings for more
- decreases mental sharpness
- feeds the bad bacteria in your body
- decreases your sex drive & makes you sterile
In the long term, sugar:
- causes obesity
- causes hormonal issues - both male and female
- causes diseases - cancers (it feeds cancer cells), Alzheimer's, heart/cardiovascular disease,
- diabetes, of course, and many, many more
- makes you age very rapidly - the best anti aging isn't what goes on your skin - it's what goes in your mouth!
- causes inflammation in the body - the root of pretty much all disease, pain and degeneration
So what to do?
Try a sugar detox for even a week to 10 days - just avoid it like the plague, eat whole foods, no processed or baked or boxed products, and yes you can certainly have fruit too - just don't have more than a few servings a day. See how you feel after this time, and then if you really want, see how you feel going back. I guarantee you will notice a difference - and you will likely even drop a few pounds!
*Watch out for next week's blog post when I explain how you can still have sweets, without the sugar, and without the chemical sugar replacements!