Sugar...is it the devil??
We have all heard that sugar is bad for us. Our doctors are telling us to cut out sugar. Our parents have rationed our sugar in take since we were toddlers.
But...
How does sugar affect our bodies and health? Is it really that bad for us?
Hang tight and stick with me here...we are gonna talk science for a bit! Sugar is what is known as a simple carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are one of the 3 main macronutients aside from protein and fat that our bodies need to function. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple (such as sugar, white rice, fruit juice) and complex (quinoa, sweet potatoes). Our bodies absorb simple carbohydrates very quickly which raises our blood sugar levels. Complex carbohydrates contain fiber and starch which slows down the absorption and does not raise our blood sugar as quickly. When we eat carbohydrates our bodies secrete a hormone called insulin (until recently I had no clue insulin was a hormone..kinda cool right?). Insulin's job is take the sugar (or glucose) out of our blood and push it into our cells to be used as energy, thus lowering your blood sugar back to normal. Our bodies don't want all that glucose just hanging out in our blood! The more sugar we eat, the more insulin our bodies make to clean out the glucose from our blood. So if we are constantly eating sugar all day, every day insulin has to find places to put all that excess glucose and begins to store it as fat in our cells (no thank you!). AND if we continue to eat excess amounts eat sugar every day, all day, month after month, year after year we wear our bodies down trying to clean that glucose out of our blood stream. That's when we can get insulin resistance and some serious health issues. Our bodies just get worn out and keep going! Think of it like this, if you were sitting in a parked and continued to slam on the gas petal as hard as you could, over time that car would finally just break down!
Another thing about sugar is that it is stimulates dopamine, the feel good hormone, in our brains! Dopamine releases feelings of love, pleasure and euphoria. You have heard of the sugar high right? And we have heard people say they are addicted to sugar. Well, it's kinda true!
In a study conducted in 2007 by the University of Bordeaux France found "Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals". In this study the scientists took rats with no previous experience with sugar or sugar alternatives and gave them the choice between 2 levers 8 times per day. One lever would give them a dose of cocaine and one lever would give them a dose of sugar water (saccharin). 94% percent of the rats chose the sugar water over the cocaine!! Even when the amount of cocaine was increased! The scientists even took this experiment to the next level. They took rats that were already addicted to cocaine and gave them the choice of cocaine or sugar water and the cocaine addicted rats chose the sweetened water over the cocaine. I don't know about you but when I read this I was literally SHOCKED! I hate to be such a downer but I think it's important to know how this sweet little ingredient (pun indeed intended) affects us and why it has such a hold us on! Because when we know better we DO better! It's time to start breaking up with sugar! It was fun while it lasted but it's time for us to move on!
I want to share some strategies you can implement to help you should you decide to cut out sugar. These tips will help you curb your sugar cravings and deal with any sugar withdrawal symptoms you may feel! First things first you will want to get the sugar out of the house! Throw out or donate all of those cookies, cakes, snacks and sweetened beverages. You know what tempts you most... so get rid of it. If it's not in the house you can't eat it when that craving strikes! Eat balanced meals. Try to eat really healthy balanced meals that include extra lean protein and fiber and lots of colorful veggies. Yes you can even try eating more than 1 veggie at every meal! That extra protein and fiber will help regulate your blood sugar, keep you feeling full longer and reduce the number of cravings. Stay hydrated. Our brains are kinda funny sometimes and mix up signals. One of the more common mix-ups is feeling hunger when we are really thirsty! When you start craving that cookie drink a glass of water and see if that doesn't take care it. Get enough sleep. Sleep and hunger actually go hand-in-hand. If we don't get enough of sleep our body releases a hormone (ghrelin..that pesky little hunger gremlin) that makes us crave sugar and other simple carbs because it is looking for energy! Get more sleep=fewer cravings. Stock easy to grab healthy alternatives to snack on it when a craving hits. Plan to have some easy to grab alternatives for when a craving hits. Carrot sticks, slices of cheese, macadamia nuts or almonds, bell peppers and even strawberries are all great, easy snacks to have on hand. When you have a plan you it will be easier to stay on track!
And to help you out I have put together a few easy recipes you can use while you detox that sugar out of your system!
Some people can cut sugar out 100% cold turkey and others do a bit of weaning by swapping white sugar with honey first. But any change will do you so much good!!