Tag Archives: sugar

Questions & Answers

The Downsides To Sugar Consumption

Sugar used to be a very, very expensive commodity. Hundreds of years ago, buying sugar was like buying gold dust.

Things changed over time, with a particularly big shake-up occurring in the late 1950s. Around that time, the ability to manufacture corn-syrup and extract fructose and glucose from sugar developed.

Many researchers also point out the obesity crisis is literally in line with the production of high-fructose corn syrup.In the United States, obesity is out of control. 70% of the population now are overweight or obese.

Cargill is the biggest manufacturer of high-fructose corn syrup. This type of sugar is added to a vast range of foods, from cereal to soda, and from protein bars to salad dressings.

50 to 70% of all foods now available in supermarkets contain high fructose corn syrup. When fructose goes to the liver, it is split up, and one component contributes to triglyceride production. As a result, the risk of stroke and cardiovascular problems can go up.

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Multiple studies show that soft drinks made with high-fructose corn syrup are linked to obesity. One meta-analysis I read concluded that there’s overwhelming proof that people who drink one to two soda drinks per day will pile on the weight over time. High-fructose corn syrup also increases the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and goodness knows what else.

If you get used to having sugar in your diet at a young age, it gets harder and harder to break the habit. Of course, it’s crucial to differentiate between industrial sugar like corny syrup and the natural sugar found in fruit. Sometimes people get so sugar phobic that it can trigger an eating disorder, as they avoid anything with even a naturally occurring sugar content.

Remember, there is a big difference between high-fructose corn syrup and something growing on a tree that happens to contain fructose.

Big companies will continue to push profit over health and encourage the intake of lots of sugar. Keep your eye on your health and eat accordingly. I genuinely believe that high-fructose corn syrup will one day be seen as unfit for human consumption.

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Questions & Answers

Managing Cravings While On A Diet

How can you reduce cravings while you’re on a diet?

There are a number of ways to keep your diet on track.

1. Work out a plan beforehand: Make sure you know where you’re headed and what you want to achieve on a diet? Is it a lifelong commitment or a temporary change in habits? I think it’s a great idea to make a commitment to healthy food and activity with a goal six to twelve months in the future.

2. Clean up your pantry: Get rid of the food in your house that’s a temptation. That means junk food, crappy food, and the food that you can’t stop eating no matter how full you are.

3. Make a list of the healthy, tasty foods you’re going to eat on your diet: You need to go shopping and stock your kitchen with food that will help achieve your health goals. If you do have a snack attack, you want to be able to grab a piece of fruit or a small serving of nuts rather than a sleeve of cookies. One of my favorite healthy snacks is a small package of seaweed. Seaweed is a great way to get valuable minerals into your diet.

4. Make sure you eat enough protein: Eating protein is a key factor in reducing cravings. You need to eat protein with most meals. You could opt for chicken, fish, legumes, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and seeds, to name just a few options.

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5. Chose satisfying snacks: A common snack for me it will be an avocado because I’ve got two avocado trees. One good size avocado can allay hunger for a few hours.

6. Eat at regular times: Skipping or irregular meals can contribute to getting overly hungry and trigger cravings. If you want to reduce cravings, I think eating a breakfast that includes protein makes good sense.

7. Drink several glasses of water between meals: Drinking water in combination with a high fiber diet will leave you feeling full for extended periods. A couple of small pieces of cooked sweet potato and a glass of water will leave you feeling as if you’ve had a two-pound steak. You won’t be hungry for a long time.

8. Catch the cravings early: When you start thinking about the pantry or refrigerator, chose a different activity. It could be a walk with the dog or a stroll on your own. If you distract yourself from a craving, often it goes away within five or ten minutes.

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Questions & Answers

The Impact Of Sugar On The Gut

Can too much sugar affect your gut?

Absolutely. Too much sugar can wreck your gut.

Sugar, as you probably have realized by now, is highly addictive. When you start hitting seven teaspoons or more a day, the addiction becomes very strong.

I know some people are so addicted to sugar that it’s almost impossible for them to come off it. Sugar has demonstrated addictive qualities like narcotics. That’s how strong it is for some people.

But, I can assure you once you get through the cravings stage, you won’t want to add any more to your diet. As you focus on eating fruit rather than sweets, you’ll be even less inclined to eat a high-sugar diet.

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Sugar can damage your gut in many ways. When your intake is seven teaspoons or more of sugar, the body has difficulty processing it properly. As a result, a significant amount of sugar passes into the colon, where it can cause intense fermentation followed by gas and bloating.

Sugar that hasn’t been digested properly will also prevent good bacteria from sticking to the colon wall. As a result, there is a reduction in the levels of beneficial bifidobacteria.

Lower bifidobacteria accounts are associated with fatigue, which can trigger a desire for sugar, and the cycle continues.

If that’s the cycle you’re in, I recommend intervening to prevent health problems over the long term. Sometimes replacing white sugar with a little bit of honey is a relatively easy first step.

Refined sugar is not good for your gut. It’ll cause a mess that’s not worth it in the long run.

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