By now you’ve probably heard that sugar isn’t good for you, but do you know exactly what that means? Many people don’t understand why exactly sugar is detrimental to their health, and they’re not sure how to limit the amount of sugar they consume.
If you want to learn more about sugar’s effect on your brain and body, read on for more information about its harmful effects and tips to avoid it.
Obesity
Scientists have been telling people for some time that obesity rates are rising in both children and adults, and much of this rise can be attributed to excess sugar in the American diet. Whether it’s soft drinks, pizza, or fast food meals, sugar is added to almost every processed food that people eat. Constant sugar consumption leads to a higher calorie intake, which leads to weight gain.
Even worse, sugar has no nutritional value. There are no vitamins or minerals in sugar and no essential nutrients that contribute to your daily diet. Since you should only eat a limited number of calories each day, making sure all your calories are nutritionally dense and worthwhile is a crucial aspect of a healthy weight.
Addiction
If it were easy to give up sugar, everyone would do it, but it’s not easy, and for some people, sugar is just as addictive as alcohol or drugs. In fact, for people with addiction issues, lessening their sugar intake isn’t enough. Just like an alcoholic or drug addict, they need to abstain from sugar entirely or risk being pulled back into addiction.
Even if you aren’t addicted to sugar yet, you should definitely be concerned about its addictive properties. Avoid it like you avoid cigarettes or other harmful drugs.
Disease
Excess sugar in the diet can lead to Type II diabetes, and it can also be responsible for many other conditions, including:
High blood pressure
Fatty liver disease
Metabolic disorder
Insulin resistance
Don’t forget that sugar also causes tooth decay, which can lead to painful and expensive dental procedures. If you need a little extra encouragement, do an internet search for tooth decay or fatty liver to get a sense of what excess sugar can lead to.
Read Labels
Sugar is hidden everywhere. Without reading the label or requesting nutritional information, you might not know that there’s sugar in many of the products you eat every day including:
Jarred tomato sauce
Canned soup
Fat free salad dressing
Barbecue sauce
Multi grain crackers
Fast food French fries
Educate yourself, so you know all the ingredients in what you’re consuming. Once you know exactly what you’re eating, you’ve taken the first step on your journey to make healthy decisions.
Substituting Fruit
If you have a sweet tooth, try substituting fresh fruit (not dried fruit) for other sugary treats. While fruits may contain sugar, it’s a different type of sugar. More importantly, fruits are nutritionally valuable, unlike simple sugar, and contain many vitamins and minerals. The fruit fiber helps to moderate how the body responds to sugar and blood sugar isn’t spiked so quickly or so high when fruit sugar is introduced with fruit pulp and fiber.
Be aware that fruit juice isn’t the same as whole fruit. While it does have vitamins, it lacks the fiber of whole fruit and often has added sugars as well.
Talk to Someone
Because sugar is in so many foods and has such a strong pull on many people, it might be helpful for you to talk to someone. Whether it’s a psychologist, nutritionist, or life coach, talking to an expert can help you understand the addictive properties of sugar and why it’s so important to cut it out of your life.
Taking a holistic approach to controlling sugar and improving your diet makes sense if you consider that this is a life change to improve your health, not just a temporary diet fix.
Curbing Cravings
Evidence has shown that some natural supplements curb sugar cravings. If you’re not having luck cutting sugar out of your diet on your own because of your intense cravings, try nutritional supplements. Check with your doctor and ask if the following might help you control your sugar cravings:
L-glutamine
Magnesium
Chromium
Eating Better
Now that you have some information regarding the harmful effects of sugar, go ahead and research the ways in which you can live a healthier, less sugary life.
Author Bio:
Carl Turner is a freelance writer and a health enthusiast from Los Angeles, California. With his expertise in health and medicine, he enjoys helping his clients reach their optimal health. When he is not busy with work, he publishes informative articles on news and media outlets around the world.
Five Ways To Keep Your New Year's Resolution of Losing Weight In 2017
Dr. Elaina George is a Board Certified Otolaryngologist and Author of the new book "Big Medicine: The Cost Of Corporate Control And How Doctors And Patients Working Together Can Rebuild A Better System"
Dr. George's tips are:
1. Start exercising
An increase in activity of as little as 20 minutes 3 times a week can make a difference in your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. You don't have to get fancy with a gym membership. Try taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator, or park further from the entrance when you go to the market or mall.
2. Eat Smaller portions
You may not want to give up your junk food or fried food, but try to limit your portions. Instead of buying a six pack of soda, buy a two liter bottle. You can better control the portions along with your intake of calories.
3. Drink more water
The average person should be drinking 1 ounce per kilogram of his/her weight in water per day. (1 lb = 2.2kg). Studies have shown that people eat more when they are dehydrated because the signals in the body can confuse hunger with thirst. If you are hungry, try drinking an 8-12 oz glass of water before you decide to eat that snack.
4. Avoid salt
The average American diet consists too much salt. Salt is found in everything from canned foods to frozen foods. Not only does salt make your body retain water, it also dulls your sense of taste when it comes to sugar. As a challenge, decrease the amount of salt you eat for about 1 week, then drink a non-diet soft drink. Not only will you lose about 3- 5 lbs of water weight, but you will see that the soda is incredibly sweet. In addition, try to use sea salt.
5. Avoid high fructose corn syrup
Studies have shown that most products in this country are made with high fructose corn syrup that is contaminated with mercury (a known neurotoxin). Instead try to choose foods made with cane sugar. When you drink soft drinks that are made with sugar you will be less likely to crave salt and be able to stop with one soda because there is no 'sugar high' that leads to the craving that makes you want to have more.
About Dr. Elaina George
Atlanta, GA Based - Dr Elaina George is a Board Certified Otolaryngologist. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Biology. She received her Masters degree in Medical Microbiology from Long Island University, and received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Dr George completed her residency at Manhattan, Eye Ear & Throat Hospital. She is on the advisory council of Project 21 black leadership network, an initiative of The National Center for Public Policy Research. Dr George hosts her own radio show, "Medicine On Call" and she is also a keynote speaker many organizations. As a solo practitioner in private practice who is also a small business owner, she has a unique perspective on the problems of health care delivery, the true costs of healthcare and viable solutions.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — More than one-third of children in the United States ages 6 to 19 years old are overweight or obese. Over the past 30 years, the number of obese adolescents has more than quadrupled, which also has led to an increase in children diagnosed with diabetes. To combat this trend, Aneesh Tosh, M.D., adolescent medicine physician at University of Missouri Health Care and associate professor of clinical child health at the MU School of Medicine, recommends that sugary drinks be removed from adolescents’ diets.
“The sharp rise in childhood and adolescent obesity is alarming,” Tosh said. “Being overweight is the biggest risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. We want to prevent diabetes in adolescents to avoid the serious medical problems associated with the disease. One very important step to preventing these complications is to stop drinking sugary drinks.”
Through clinical experience and research, Tosh has found that eliminating sugar-sweetened beverages is the most significant lifestyle change that children and adolescents can make to lose weight and improve health. Sugary beverages can add up to 200 empty calories per serving to an adolescent’s diet that provide no nutritional benefits. Sugary beverages include juice, soda, sweet tea, sports drinks, energy drinks and coffee drinks, all of which can be high in calories.
“It is very important that a developing body gets plenty of water and milk,” Tosh said. “We realize those can get boring for some of our patients, so adding zero- or low-calorie flavorings to water is fine every once in a while.”
As adolescents progress toward adulthood, they become increasingly responsible for their own beverage choices. Many of the beverages adolescents have available at school, home and social gatherings contain significant amounts of sugar.
Sports drinks have become the drink of choice for many teenagers because they incorrectly assume the drinks are healthier than soda. Tosh said most children and adolescents, even when involved in athletics, do not actually need the electrolytes in sports drinks, and some of these sports drinks have more calories than regular soda. Energy drinks, which also are rising in popularity, not only contain sugar but also caffeine. Energy drinks can lead to other health problems, such as poor sleep, headaches and heart irregularities.
“It really is about education, because many parents and young patients just don’t realize how many calories there are in sugary drinks,” Tosh said. “My patients who cut sugary beverages are the ones losing weight. Conversely, I’ve found that patients who struggle to switch to water and milk are the ones who have not been successful in losing weight.”
One successful patient is Andrew Roberts. At age 13, Roberts weighed 307 pounds and was in and out of the hospital because of obesity-related health complications.
“It was not uncommon for me to drink 2 liters of soda a day,” said Roberts, who is now a 23-year-old personal trainer. “I lost 115 pounds in about a year and a half by cutting out sugary drinks, junk foods and sweets, and getting exercise.”
Roberts said it was easy to see where excess calories were coming from once Tosh had him keep a food log that included drinks.
“Limiting consumption of sugary drinks to once a week for special events rather than daily is a significant step toward healthy weight loss for many children and teens,” Tosh said. “When children and teens spend time hanging out with their friends — not just when they’re at school — it’s important that sugary drinks aren’t their go-to beverage.”
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About the MU School of Medicine
The MU School of Medicine has improved health, education and research in Missouri and beyond for more than 165 years. MU physicians treat patients from every county in the state, and more Missouri physicians received their medical degrees from MU than from any other university. For more information, visit http://medicine.missouri.edu/.
How To Eat
Everyone is attracted to something different in a partner. On average women want a man that is not too skinny and not too big. We all want someone who is healthy and takes care of their body not just in the gym but at home with food choices. A perfect mate isn’t 100 pounds and definitely isn’t a 300 pound muscular superhero. There is a balance.
Remember to lose or gain weight you must eat more. Most people only eat two to three big meals a day. Male or female youneed to eat more often to be healthy and have the body that you want. However, it is important that you make your food clean and healthy for both healthy weight loss and weight gain.
Follow these ten tips for successful clean eating for your perfect body:
1. Eat five to six small meals a day. If you eat less your body may be a risk for malnutrition, diabetes or it can even cause weight gain in the form of fat storage.
2. Never skip a meal. When you skip a meal your body goes into starvation mode and tends to store fat in unwanted places. If you eat frequently (i.e five to six small meals) your body stays constant and does not go into starvation mode and store fat.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbs every meal. Make sure to include dark green veggies in every meal as well. Remember that variety is the spice of life and having variety at each meal is very important.
4. Avoid sugars and processed foods, refined sugars, and white breads. The best way to do this is try and shop along the outside aisles of a grocery store and avoid the middle (and the candy store). Alcohol is also included in the avoidances. A lot of alcohols are high in sugar and calories especially if you mix them so make sure to always avoid cola’s and juices.
5. Drink plenty of water. On average you should be drinking at least two litres a day or 8 glasses of water. However, if you are active or out in the sun for long periods of time you should be drinking even more.
6. Take a daily vitamin. It helps with nutrient absorption and that will help you digest your clean diet properly.
7. Avoid fried foods and saturated fats. These are high in trans fat and will cause you to gain weight and store fat instead of build lean muscle.
8. Take a daily dose of Omega 3. There are many health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids. They can boost heart health and lower triglycerides. Omega 3’s also help with rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more.
9. Prepare your meals beforehand. Try making your meals on Sunday night for the rest of the week. If you fail to plan you have planned to fail. Make sure that you have lots of tupperware on hand for your meals, label them for the different days and refrigerate them until you need them.
10. When choosing a protein make sure to chose a lean meat such as chicken, turkey, fish or lean ground beef. If there is excess fat on your cut of meat simply cut it off. Avoid seasonings for your meat that contain sodium and cook with olive oil or coconut oil instead of using fattening butter.
These ten tips if followed properly will guarantee success in your search for the perfect diet for the perfect body that women want. However, it will only be successful if you are exercising regularly. So hit that gym, plan your meals and eat a variety of clean planned and prepared meals.
How I fight My Sugar Cravings
Do you have a sweet tooth? Are you constantly sabotaging your fitness goals by giving in to your cravings? I love chocolate and sweets. I use to spend hours in the gym working out only to be craving chocolate or candy after my workouts. I had little or no self control. Everyone can benefit from fighting those sweet cravings with tea instead of a high calorie sweets.
What type of tea can help with sweet cravings?
It is all about personal preference. One day I was out shopping with a friend and we went into a specialty tea store called DAVIDS TEA. This store has every type of tea imaginable. It doesn’t matter if you are craving sweet, bitter, salty they can find the tea for you. They also carry every type of tea roobios, black, green and many more types. You can choose caffeinated or decaffeinated. The options are endless. Even if your neighborhood doesn’t have a Davids Tea you can order online or visit a local tea shop for similar options.
Why is tea good for you?
Scientists have found that the antioxidants in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, reduce waist circumference and lower your BMI. Scientists have also found that drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attacks, lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, help prevent against cardiovascular disease, and help combat certain types of cancer. What is even more important is that tea is hydrating to the body (even caffeinated tea as opposed to coffee).
If you find the tea that you choose is not sweet enough you can add natural sweeteners like stevia, agave or even a bit of honey instead of sugar. My favorite tea is called “red velvet” and it tastes just as delicious as the cake. When I am craving something sweet it hits the spot. I add in some coconut milk and it is almost as good as the real thing.
What a great topic to discuss on Valentines Day. A staple of the day: SUGAR.
Did you know that today’s 12-ounce soda can contain up to ten teaspoons of sugar and that the average American eats 22.7 teaspoons of sugar a day (National Geographic, 2013). The reason the consumption is so high is because sugar is added to processed food to enhance both the flavour and texture. I suggest staying away from processed sugary foods all together, but often times this is hard to do. When you grocery shop the best way to avoid processed foods is to stick to the outside of the store and stay away from the aisles.
According to Phycology Today sugar can be addictive and have severe effects on the brain and body. “Sugar leads to dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens – an area associated with motivation, novelty, and reward. This is the same brain region implicated in response to cocaine and heroin.” How ridiculous is it to think that eating sugar stimulates the same response as an illegal drug does.
Fructose and sugars are also bad for you because they are processed in the liver and turned into fats. These fats can build up and also enter the blood stream. This can cause health risks that include obesity, hypertension and diabetes. According to AMA Wire these are all prevalent problems affecting the greater part of the American population. “Obesity impacts one in three Americans and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” said AMA President .
If you are addicted to sugar there are a lot of affordable alternatives to sugar that are readily available and that I use regularly. These alternatives are available at grocery stores, health food stores, specialty food shops or even some corner stores. These alternatives include; Stevia, Xylitol, Coconut Sugar, Maple Syrup, Natural Honey and Brown Rice Syrup. Some times they can be an adjustment and when used in recipes and drinks you may not even notice the difference.
Do your body a favour and try to cut out as much processed and refined sugars that you can. Start by slowly replacing refined sugars and sweeteners and eventually your sweet tooth won’t even notice the difference.
According to the Huffington Post most of use consume an excess of up to and beyond 500 extra calories of sugar per day. One pound weight gain is equivalent to approximately 3500 calories. This means that the average person is putting themselves at risk to gain a minimum of one extra pound a week.
Here are 10 more reasons to cut back on sugar:
Sugar sweetened beverages are related to obesity
Canadians are drinking roughly twice as many soft drinks now as they did in 1970. Sugary liquids may make us fatter because they don’t curb our appetite for more food.
Sugar enriched beverages are linked to diabetes
Sugar sweetened soft drinks might increase the risk of type 2 diabetes because they’re high in rapidly absorbable carbohydrates. Also, studies have shown that people who eat foods that raise blood sugar levels have a higher risk of diabetes.
Sugar contains empty calories
There’s no question that sugars are a major culprit in obesity, because they’re a source of empty calories that most people don’t need. Sugar has no nutritional benefits whatsoever. Added sugars crowd out healthy foods, or make you fat if eaten in addition to healthy foods.
Sugar-sweetened drinks can raise the risk of heart disease
Excess weight isn not good for the heart. A big belly is one part of the metabolic syndrome, which raises the risk of heart disease (and diabetes). But sugar-sweetened beverages may promote heart disease whether or not they make you gain weight.
Sugar raises triglycerides
When you consume a large dose of glucose, the liver doesn’t pull much of it in if you don’t need the calories. In contrast, fructose ends up in the liver whether you need the calories or not. What does the liver do with all that fructose? It converts some of the fructose into fat, which gets sent into the bloodstream, resulting in higher levels of triglycerides.
Sugar promotes belly fat
According to the Huffington Post A 2010 2010 study in children found "excess fructose intake (but not glucose intake) actually caused visceral fat cells to mature -- setting the stage for a big belly and even bigger future risk for heart disease and diabetes."
Sugar may be linked to cancer production and may effect cancer survival
According to research done by the Huffington Post. A 2013 study found that "sugars in the intestine triggered the formation of a hormone called GIP (it is completely dependant on sugar levels), that in turn, increases insulin released by the pancreas. Researchers found that β-catenin may in fact affect the cells susceptibility to cancer formation. They found an associations between high sugar and starch intake and survival rates in both breast cancer patients and colon patients." This link between sugar and higher cancer risks should make you wan't to cut back if nothing else does.
Leptin is a hormone made by fat cells. It’s supposed to make you stop eating. Over time a high sugar diet blocks the leptin signal in the brain. The result is that you keep eating and no longer know when you are full.
Minimizing added sugars has been known to keep blood pressure down
There’s a possibility that sugar raises blood pressure, but it is not definitive. It is clear that there’s little place for sugar in a diet that’s designed to lower blood pressure.
Most sugary foods are low in nutrients
When you consume high sugar foods from companies such as Coca-cola, Pepsi, Hostess, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme etc you are getting over fed and under nourished. These foods are high in sugars and low in nutrients. Many are also packed with white flour which does not contain much nutritional value.
Alicia Bell, BSc Kin, CPT, NCCP, CF-L1
For more info follow Alicia on twitter or check out her website
Say what?!? Times are changing! Coke has released a healthier version of their soda.
“The new Coca-Cola advert ‘Grandpa’ shows that the lifestyle enjoyed by our grandparents — moving more, eating well, taking it easy — can be beneficial. We’re committed to using our advertising to raise awareness of the importance of energy balance and helping people to make informed choices. We believe it is just one of the ways we can help make more people aware of the need for a balanced diet and active, healthy lifestyle.”
The new Coke Life is said to have 100 calories per 20 ounces, versus the 250 for regular Coke. The green-labeled coke is sweetened with a combination of sugar and the natural sweetener stevia.
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Everyone is attracted to something different in a partner. On average women want a man that is not too skinny and not too big. We all want someone who is healthy and takes care of their body not just in the gym but at home with food choices. A perfect mate isn’t 100 pounds and definitely isn’t a 300 pound muscular superhero. There is a balance.
