Did you know sugar is one of the most inflammatory foods if not THE most inflammatory for most people?
Did you know sugar is more addictive than cocaine?
Did you know sugar may actually wreck your health?
Sugar is a very addictive and toxic substance for your health.
You may already know this information, but you also may know family and friends that struggle with sugar. I used to be addicted to sugar and was able to break free. I want to help others do the same. Please share this information if you find it helpful.
No one should feel bossed around by sugar!
This topic is about added processed sugars not naturally occurring sugar.
Sugar is added to your food for flavor and also to extend the shelf life.
Please don’t just believe me, do your own research as well. You will find links to my research below.
This blog post on 12 Reasons to Quit Sugar, and the video of the same title are to empower and inspire you to make changes if needed!
Let’s look at 12 Reasons to Quit Sugar, learn 3 ways to help you stop the sugar cravings cycle and how reducing sugar will change your health pretty quickly!
Listen in or read on below to learn the 12 Reasons to Quit Sugar and what you can do to make changes for your best health!
#1 - Sugar Leads to Weight Gain
Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that are carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy. Many of these foods also contain fiber which helps slow down the absorption of the naturally occurring sugar.
Processed foods, such as cakes, cookies, crackers, candy, etc. contain added processed sugars, typically bad fats, very little protein and very little fiber.
The sugar causes your insulin to spike.
Insulin helps remove the excess sugar from your blood stream. Then the sugar can be taken to 3 places in your body: your brain, your blood cells and your muscles.
If the receptors are all full because you’ve been eating lots of sugar then sugar will be stored as fat.
#2 - Sugar Affects Your Brain Health
All of the cells in your body use glucose. The brain uses about 20% of the glucose that you consume. Even those people on the strictest Keto diet (very low carb, higher fat and higher protein) will convert energy sources like protein to glucose to be used by your body.
But the average American consumes 82 grams of added sugar a day. That’s almost 1/2 cup of added sugar every day! WOW!!
According to the neurologist, Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, “Consumption of sugar…stimulates specific areas of the brain that are linked to addiction. These areas are the same ones that light up on brain imaging studies when subjects are given cocaine.”
If you are addicted to sugar, now you know why! It’s a vicious cycle.
This is just one way sugar impacts your brain health. There are many more.
#3 - Sugar Disrupts Your Sleep
According to the Sleep Doctor, in a 2016 study it was found that when those people in the study ate more sugar it took them longer to fall asleep and they spent less time in deep, slow-wave sleep.
During this deep sleep stage, the body is physically restoring and healing.
Deep sleep is also essential for maintaining healthy metabolism and immune function.
These same volunteers also had frequent awakenings throughout the night which attributed to more restless sleep.
#4 - Sugar Causes Poor Oral Health
The development of tooth decay is predominantly caused by added sugar in food and drinks per Action on Sugar. Tooth enamel gradually deteriorates due to acid released as a waste product by bacteria in the plaque that use the sugar as energy.
Quitting sugar will definitely help your oral health.
#5 - Sugar Harms Your Heart
According to The Cleveland Clinic added sugar can harm your heart in the following ways:
Diets high in sugar can increase a type of fat called Triglycerides. High Triglycerides increase the risk of heart disease.
Weight gain due to diets high in sugar can lead to higher levels of LDL or “bad’ cholesterol. LDL Cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels with artery clogging plaque.
Sugar laden diets may lead to obesity which may contribute to high blood pressure increasing the risk of heart disease.
Sugary diets lead to chronic inflammation which can stress your heart and blood vessels increasing the risk of heart disease.
Sugar is toxic to your heart!
#6 - Sugar Damages Your Liver Function
As we learned previously sugar contributes to fat storage and sugar also contributes to inflammation in the liver.
Cytokines which are inflammatory chemicals are released when sugar is consumed. Chronic and systemic inflammation can be created by continually consuming sugar. This can lead to an inflamed, fatty or damaged liver which inhibits the liver from processing and removing toxins from the body.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is now a huge problem even in young children due to their increased consumption of sugary foods and drinks.
When the liver doesn’t function optimally toxins don’t get removed efficiently from your body.
#7 - Sugar Causes Anxiety & Depression
Depression can also be impaired by sugar. Your body’s ability to produce serotonin is disrupted by consuming sugar. Low levels of serotonin lead to depression.
Sugar is also linked to mood swings and symptoms of anxiety. When a person is in that crazy blood sugar roller coaster of eating sugar, getting a boost in blood sugar and then dropping only to crave and eat more sugar, adrenalin and cortisol can be released into the bloodstream, causing anxiety and sometimes even panic attacks.
Sugar may make you feel happy, but only temporarily.
#8 - Sugar Increases Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Type 2 diabetes develops when the pancreas makes less insulin than the body needs, and the body cells stop responding to insulin.”
The cells don’t take in sugar as they should which causes sugar to build up in your blood. This creates insulin resistance, which is when your cells don’t respond to insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes is usually caused by:
Lifestyle factors, including obesity, eating processed foods and a lack of exercise.
Genetics may come into play preventing cells from working as they should.
The good news is Type 2 Diabetes is usually reversible. I’m happy to help you with that.
#9 - Sugar Aggravates Pain in Your Body
Sugar can aggravate existing pain in your body and present as joint stiffness, muscle aches, tightness, tension, digestive discomfort, fibromyalgia, migraines, or even PMS pain.
Did you ever consider that what you are eating may be causing pain and discomfort in your body?
Sugar is probably the biggest offender for creating inflammation in your body.
#10 - Sugar Weakens Your Immune System
Consuming 100gm of sugar can turn off or weaken your immune system for up to 5 hours after eating it.
This is because the white blood cells that eat and destroy the microorganism invaders are weakened.
Immune cells also have a harder time tagging those foreign invaders to be eaten and destroyed. In one study high blood sugar also contributed to multiple defective immune responses.
For perspective, one 16.9oz coke is 55gm of sugar and will put you over ½ way to the 100gm amount.
#11 - Sugar Increases Your Risk of Cancer
Positron Emission Tomography or PET scans are used to detect cancer in a person. A PET scan uses radioactive glucose (sugar) to detect the cancer cells. The sugar is absorbed by the cells in your body.
Cancer cells often use more energy than healthy cells.
More sugar is picked up by those areas of your body that use more energy. The areas of your body where cancer cells are, light up on the scan because the cancer cells are feeding on the radioactive sugar.
PET Scans use sugar because Cancer loves sugar!
#12 - Sugar Causes Chronic Inflammation
Several studies have linked high consumption of sugar to chronic inflammation. Other studies have reported chronic inflammation may lead to chronic diseases.
In an NIH article, Chronic, low-grade inflammation was stated as a key factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, and is associated with the risk of developing diabetes, dementia, and depression. Also, low-grade inflammation is related to a higher risk of all-cause mortality in old age.
If you want to live a longer quality life than reduce your sugar consumption.
3 Ways to Stop the Sugar Craving Cycle:
Make sure you are eating real food not a lot of processed foods. Processed foods are loaded with sugar, bad fats, salt and other ingredients designed to make you crave them.
Have healthy snacks on hand that you will eat. The key is, that you will eat! When you’re hungry that can set you up for making unhealthy sugary choices.
Grab a friend for accountability and support and join my 5-Day Sugar Detox program that will help you both kick the sugar habit.
Because of what I went through breaking the sugar addiction, I created this 5-day program to help others break the addiction too! I’ll be there to support you on your journey to help you kick the sugar habit. Click below to see if the program is right for you.
Sugar is highly detrimental to your best health and very addictive!
Here’s a little extra encouragement…
By reducing this one thing in your diet you may find the brain fog lifting, inflammation reducing, possibly extra weight leaving, your skin clearing up, more restful sleep and so much more.
Please forward this video to someone who needs encouragement to limit their sugar intake!
Do you, a loved one or friend find you are struggling to limit sugar consumption?
Were you surprised by any of these 12 reasons to quit sugar?
Will you try any of the strategies to stop the sugar craving cycle?
Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an
email - sheri@empoweredhealthcoaching.com I would love to hear.
Live life empowered!
A great way to stop the sugar cravings is to eat clean real food. Grab my cheat sheet below.
It's FREE and will help you save money!
Sheri Johnson is a certified Transformational Holistic Health and Life Coach in the Central Florida area. She believes everyone deserves an amazing healthy, balanced life, full of energy and feeling fantastic! When you get back on track in life and feel like yourself again then you can easily step into who you truly want to be, living out your purpose, passion and what you were called here to do.
If you are ready to decrease stress and overwhelm while creating balance in your body, mind and spirit then please check out her website and book a free strategy session with her below.
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Excellent article, Sheri!