10 Reasons to Decrease Sugar Intake
The maximum recommended daily intake of sugar is 6 teaspoons a day, but research suggests Australians are consuming more than triple that amount – possibly without realizing it – via added sugar in foods including bread and sauces.
Sugar makes your organs fat A diet high in sugar, and fructose, a common sugar-like food additive, triggers your liver to store fat, which can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – a condition rarely seen prior to 1980. What you can do: check the labels on foods – especially biscuits, cereals, fruit juices, snack bars and yoghurt – and opt for ones that contain little or no fructose.
It can lead to heart disease Chronically high insulin levels cause the muscle cells around each blood vessel in your arteries to grow faster than normal, leading to high blood pressure. What you can do: count the grams of sugar you’re consuming and aim to stick to the daily limit: 20g for women, 36g for men, 12g for children.
It plays havoc with cholesterol levels Recent studies show people consuming the highest level of added sugars also recorded the biggest spike in levels of unhealthy cholesterol, and the lowest levels of healthy cholesterol levels. What you can do: eating protein-rich eggs for breakfast helps combat sugar cravings.
It’s linked with Alzheimer’s disease US research linking insulin resistance and high fat diets to Alzheimer’s portrays the condition as a metabolic disease where the brain’s ability to process glucose is damaged.What you can do: avoid sweet, fatty foods. Here is a list of sneak names for sugar that you may not be aware of.
It turns you into an addict Sugar triggers the release of chemicals – opioids and dopamine – that activate the brain’s pleasure centre. It doesn’t take long to acquire a tolerance, meaning you need larger doses. What you can do: cut down on the sweet stuff and allow at least a week for your taste buds to adjust. To get over the hump, try eating smaller meals more often and, if you can’t fight the craving, opt for a sweet treat of no more than 150 calories. Nuts, fruit and unsweetened popcorn are also healthier options.
It disables your appetite control Fructose acts negatively on the leptin hormones that tell your brain when you have eaten enough. A high fructose diet can you leave you feeling hungry even when you’re overeating. What you can do: walk it off. Brief exercise, such as a 15-minute walk, has been shown to help reduce sugar cravings.
It can make you depressed and increases your experience of stress Apart from the fact it takes just 30 minutes to go from a sugar rush to a crash, long-term junk and sugary food consumers face an almost 40 per cent higher risk of developing depression than healthy eaters. When we’re under stress, our bodies immediately kick into fight-or-flight mode, releasing large amounts of hormones. Surprisingly, the body has the same chemical response when blood sugar is low. After you eat a sweet snack, stress hormones begin to compensate for the crash by raising your blood sugar. The result? Unexplained anxiousness, irritability, and even shakiness. What you can do: take an honest look at your diet, figure out exactly how much sugar you’re consuming and aim to limit your intake and make healthier choices.
Your immune function can be affected by sugar. As if being sick wasn’t bad enough, studies have shown that sugar can interfere with the way your body fights disease.5 Bacteria and yeast feed on sugar, so excess glucose in the body causes these organisms to build up and cause infections. What you can do: Drink lots of water before and after consuming any sugar and take long breaks before having any more sugar. Balance it with proteins such as nuts or soy products.
A high-sugar diet can lead to chromium deficiency. Chromium, a trace mineral, helps regulate blood sugar in the body. While it can be found in meats, seafood, and plant foods, 90% of Americans still don’t get enough chromium because of refining starches. Other carbohydrates can also rob foods of their chromium supplies, so limiting your carbs is your best bet for increasing those mineral levels. What you can do: Eat more whole foods
Sugar accelerates aging. While you probably know that sugars can affect your body composition, they can also mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging. After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging. What you can do: Cut excess sugar out of your diet. Join us for a 2 week Sugar (Less) Challenge. It’s just long enough to get you through the withdrawals and into a new habit. Watch you skin take on a new glow and your eyes will sparkle. You”ll see great improvements in your energy levels, sleep, digestion and in your over-all health.
Start your own group challenge or join mine and we'll support each other on our journey and you can share your experiences with others taking on the same challenge. We’ll all come out lighter, brighter and refreshed and much more alive!.