There has been a lot of talk sugar lately. Most people are getting to realize that added sugar is bad, actually quite destructive. Many of us have at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day. When this is combined with foods that turn to sugar in our bodies we begin to see the cause for concern. According to a recent Medscape article citing recent literature found that drinking just one or two sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk for type 2 diabetes by as much as 26%, heart disease by 35% and stroke risk increases by 16%. That is pretty scary considering how many people are getting sugary coffee whipped up drinks and not to mention diet drinks.
Insulin resistance is on the rise. The prevalence of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. In 2013, over 25 million people were diagnosed with diabetes. Not to mention 87 million US adults who were diagnosed with prediabetes. I think it’s important to mention that heart attack and stroke are serious complications of diabetes. (Targeting Insulin Resistance: The Ongoing Paradigm Shift in Diabetes Prevention)
It is not easy cutting out sugar because of the dependency we have created, sugar is addictive. Studies have shown when rats eat sugar, it results in a release of dopamine in the brain. This is the same chemical the brain releases while gambling or using a drug like cocaine. Over time the
brain adjusts resulting in the needs for more sugar in order to have the same effect. Human brains are similarly vulnerable to these effects. Sugar also blocks our brain’s satiety signals which means even if you are full you might continue to eat. Combined with the fact that sugar hinders fat-burning enzymes resulting in fat storage, it is also associated with inflammatory chemicals that raise heart and diabetes risk and raise LDL cholesterol levels. People ask me about cheat days and beer, and social eating. It is not easy to sugar proof your diet because it has infiltrated so much of daily food supply that It seems to be hiding in places you wouldn’t expect. Cereal, salad dressing, yogurts. There are over 50 different names for sugar listed on processed food. We really have to be mindful of what we are putting in our bodies each and every day. It seems we are disconnected to what will make us feel our best. We may get into a new lifestyle/diet for a little while fee great and then go back to our old ways.
How to kick sugar to the curb:
1. Aim 20 grams or less of added sugar per day. This means every time you eat something
it should have 5 or less grams of sugar total.
2. Take out all “trigger” foods. Think of the foods that you just can’t seem to stop eating.
Don’t buy them of have them in your house. (donuts, chips, fries)
3. Hydrate often. Increasing water consumption can calm down your appetite, boost your
metabolism, and decrease bloating.
4. Eating healthier meals (foods that don’t spike insulin levels so skip flours, fried, bread, pasta etc) Think long term energy and food as fuel.
I work with creating healthy meals and incorporating food and workouts for maximum results. Contact Light Up Performance today and get started on the path to reboot your biology 704-839-9440.
