The harmful effects of sugar can be devastating.
I know, because at one point I was 100 pounds overweight and heavily addicted to carbs and sugar. My eating habits were horrible, and there was no end in sight. The cravings for sugar were intense, and I could eat an entire bag of cookies without thinking twice. When my health took a turn for the worse, I knew I had to make a change. I had no energy, and taking naps became my life. I knew if I didn’t make a change, I would have a heart attack or stroke.
When the diagnosis of diabetes was given, it was then that I vowed to educate myself on the harmful effects of sugar. Why I was so addicted to sugar? I needed to make changes immediately. After all, if I didn’t stop my journey on this dangerous path, it would have cost my life.
What is Sugar?
Over 5,000 years ago the people of the Polynesian Islands discovered cane sugar. Today, it’s a natural part of our diet that is found in fruits, dairy products, and even vegetables. Your body needs some sugar to function, around 130 grams to be exact. Without glucose, your brain, muscles, and major organs could not function. While some sugars are added to processed foods and some found naturally, the body cannot differentiate the difference, and it processes them both the same.
The Different Varieties
Sugar can be divided into four categories: sucrose, fructose, lactose, and maltose. Sucrose is the white sugar that most households carry for their basic sweetening needs. Fructose comes from honey, fruits, and some vegetables. Lactose is sugar found in milk and some dairy products. Lastly, Maltose is a sugar found in malted beverages like beer.
Granulated sugar is what you use for cooking. You may also use light or dark brown sugar too. Powdered sugar is finer than the granulated varieties, and it’s great for making icing and dusting cakes and pastries. Sugar comes in many different types, but they all have the same impact on the body. You need just enough to function but not too much as it can be dangerous.
What Does Sugar Do to Your Body?
Everybody knows that overeating sugar is bad for you. For me, it was so addictive it was like a drug. My body craved it, and I couldn’t live without it. I was shocked when I found out that the average person eats about 20 teaspoons of sugar each day. Even more appalling was that it doesn’t include the sugars found in other foods like fruits and dairy products. The recommended dose is around six teaspoons for women and nine for men.
Read Your Food Labels
The main sources of sugar in this country come from soda, candy, baked goods, and dairy products. These all have added sugar that we don’t need. Sweets aren’t the only place that you will find extra sweetness as it’s also in most savory foods too. When you’re trying to get healthy, you need to avoid bread, spaghetti sauce, and even those so-called healthy protein bars.
You also need to watch the labels as they can be tricky. A nutrition label doesn’t always come right out and say it has sugar in it. They can use words like sucrose, agave nectar, and corn syrup to add sweetness. No matter how they try to camouflage it, sugar is sugar. It can negatively impact your body and mess with your health.
Sugar is Like A Drug
Studies have found that sugar follows the same pathways in the brain as cocaine. When you eat anything containing this substance, it releases dopamine, which is also known as the feel-good chemical. Have you noticed that you don’t crave grapes or a banana in the afternoon? No, you crave candy and junk food.
Veggies and fruits don’t have enough sugar content to affect your brain’s chemical levels. Once your brain feels the pleasure that sugar can bring, it wants more. Have you ever finished your dinner and felt full, but your body was craving dessert? It’s because your brain has become accustomed to the way sugar makes it feel. It wants that soothing rush, and it’s just one of the harmful effects of sugar.
Unstable Moods from Poor Glucose Control
Have you ever noticed that when you eat junk food, you get a sugar high? It’s because it raises your blood sugar levels too quickly. The high feeling won’t last long, and your body will come off that high into a sugar crash. During this time, it’s normal to feel anxious and jittery. People who are constantly reaching for a candy bar will notice that they need it to keep their mood stable. The highs and lows can have a dramatic effect on the body and your mood.
Why Too Much Sugar is Bad for You?
A little bit of sugar isn’t going to hurt anyone. However, obesity is an epidemic in this country. With obesity comes conditions like hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver, and the list goes on. Too much sugar can cause mood swings, headaches, and fatigue.
People who consume more than the recommended amount of sugar have false hunger and uncontrollable cravings. On the other hand, those who avoid sugars have more energy and are more emotionally balanced. So what are the harmful effects of sugar on the body?
Sweet Treats Cause Tooth Decay
For starters, sugar sits on the teeth and causes plaque and cavities. It’s a sticky, sweet substance that is hard to brush off. People with a sweet tooth tend to be more prone to cavities than those who eat healthily. Another major problem caused by too much sugar is diabetes. Controlling the cravings isn’t nearly as hard as controlling your blood sugar.
When I found out I was a diabetic, my entire world came crashing down. They gave me medication and a machine to monitor my levels. I started watching what foods made my sugars go up, and what I could eat that didn’t affect it. I was shocked to see that things like corn could impact my sugar greatly.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a scary condition because it can cause blindness and wounds don’t heal as quickly as they did before. A small cut can be a big deal to a person with diabetes. Also, in advanced stages it can cause the removal of toes and fingers, even feet as the sugar messes with the circulation and causes gangrene. To keep a person from going septic, it’s essential to remove these necrotic tissues to keep them from spreading to other areas of the body. I was scared and realized that the harmful effects of sugar could mean my life.
Stress and Mood Issues
How many times have you heard someone say they are stressed out? When the body is under distress, it goes into fight-or-flight mode. Large amounts of hormones going through the body can cause anxiety, irritability, and even unsteadiness. I was the poster child for stress, and I had a horrible diet. After every antidepressant medication they gave me failed, the doctor told me to examine what I was eating. It was just another sign that the stuff I was eating was destroying me both mentally and physically. I needed sugar like I needed my next breath.
ADHD
What about the epidemic of ADHD in our country? When I was in school, I never heard of such a thing. However, all three of my children were taking medications for this condition. One doctor told me that I should examine their diets and begin to make some changes. He told me that this condition could be controlled through diet.
I was skeptical at first, but after making some major shifts in our eating habits, I watched my children calm down, and their focus improved. Most additives, like artificial colors, flavors, and other preservatives, are full of sugar. Sugar can alter the neurological aspects of the brain and cause a hyperactivity problem. At this point, I was getting angry that I had allowed the love of this substance to ruin both mine and my children’s lives.
Poor Immune System
Your immune system is also affected by sugar. I was sick all the time. I had been tested for Lupus and all sorts of other auto-immune conditions. However, after each test was negative, I was forced to face the truth; sugar was affecting the way my body could fight. I had one infection after another, and it’s because sugar feeds on bacteria. All the extra glucose in my body was causing me to have all sorts of infections. Once I stopped consuming the sugar, the infections and my overall health improved.
The thing that scared me the most was that new evidence has shown that people who consume high-glycemic diets are at a greater risk for developing cancer. To me, that was too great a risk to continue down this path anymore. The harmful effects of sugar were hitting close to home.
How to Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels?
Faced with my diagnosis, I asked the doctor how I could manage my blood sugar without medication. She told me first and foremost I must cut out most sugars from my diet. Any sugar I received had to come from fruits and vegetables. It also meant I had to cut out the breads, pastas, and rice. A diet that is low in carbohydrates will not only reduce glucose levels, but it will prevent the spikes and crashes that come with consuming this substance. For some people, diet alone is not enough.
Exercise is Essential
Exercise is another way to help increase insulin sensitivity, which means that your cells can use what’s in your bloodstream and needs nothing else. Your muscles use glucose for energy, and it allows them to contract. Try brisk walking, running, swimming, or biking. After each activity, check your sugar levels. For me, it was swimming that had a great impact. It was easy for me to do this exercise and I felt I was bettering my glucose control. The proof was in the declining numbers.
Increase Fiber
We know that fiber is an essential part of the digestion system, but it’s also important for sugar absorption too. When you have adequate amounts of fiber in your body, it helps to absorb some of the sugars, and the blood sugar levels will rise gradually rather than spiking. It’s also important to notate the type of fiber that you eat.
There are insoluble and soluble varieties. Soluble is the one that is specifically known for lowering your sugar levels. Not sure what to eat that is high in fiber? Try a helping of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. A woman needs about 25 grams of fiber each day while a man needs around 38 grams.
Hydrate
Are you drinking enough water? One thing that contributed to my high glucose levels was the overabundance of soda that I drank. Sugary drinks taste wonderful, but they are horrible for your teeth, bladder, kidneys, and glucose levels. Since I barely drank any water, I was surprised that my kidneys were still functioning. Your body is made up of water, so it needs it to thrive. The more you drink, the better you are.
Water flushes toxins from the body by way of the kidneys. Yes, water even flushes excess amounts of sugar from your body too. If your blood sugars are too high, then you need to start drinking water. It’s a great way to flush your system naturally.
Tips for When You Crave Sugar
If you’ve had a sweet tooth for years, it’s not going to go away overnight. One of the harmful effects of sugar is that the cravings come back. Just when you think that you have conquered that craving and won’t have to fight this addiction anymore, it will sneak back up on you. However, you don’t have to give in to your temptation anymore. There are ways you can combat your sweet cravings and keep your glucose levels under control.
For starters, when your body is wanting something sweet, you should reach for fruit rather than a candy bar. The fruit is healthy for you, and many of varieties are low in sugar too. Try strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries as they are lower in sugar. Apples are also a great source of vitamins and nutrients too.
Avoid Artificial Sugars
While it may seem like a good idea to reach for something that is “sugar-free” but sweetened with artificial sweeteners, avoid them at all costs. These artificial sweeteners have been proven to increase sugar cravings and are not good for you. If you must have something sweet, don’t deny yourself. Rather, allow yourself a small portion and don’t overdo it. It’s better to implement portion control rather than to eat half the cake.
Don’t Put Yourself in A Bad situation
Avoiding certain triggers was the biggest helper for me. I knew the candy aisle at my local grocery store was calling my name. Rather than to torment myself by going down there and seeing and smelling all those goodies, I didn’t put myself through the torture. There were restaurants that I avoided because they had my favorite desserts. That seven-layer cake at our local Italian hot spot was a big temptation, so I haven’t eaten there in two years. I knew I couldn’t say no, so I avoided it to keep myself on track. Plus, there is very little on the menu I could eat anyway.
Drink Plenty of Water
If you feel a craving for something sweet, get a big glass of ice water. It sounds crazy, but experts have proven that dehydration can make you crave sweets even more. So hydrating yourself can trick your brain into thinking your full, and it can make sure you are properly hydrated too.
I Choose Life!
The harmful effects of sugar were overwhelming for me to grasp. Once I put down the sweets, I picked up a great exercise routine. To date, I have lost 75 pounds, and I am still going. I am the healthiest I have been since high school. I worked out, eat right, and practice portion control.
I no longer let my sugar addiction manipulate me as I am in the driver’s seat. I took control of my life because I want to be here to see my children graduate, get married, and have families of their own. What are you waiting for? You can shed the weight and get healthy by making a few changes to your life.
