It’s no shocker that as a society we are all about instant gratification. Hello, same-day delivery! Unfortunately, health and wellness cannot be won that way (oh, but if it were...!) However, there are a few simple ways to make immensely positive changes to one’s health without selling it all and going to live off the land for the rest of eternity. Notice I said simple, not easy, though. For example, sleep a little more, stress a little less. So yeah, not that easy. But if I had to pick JUST ONE thing we could work on today to vastly improve our health on all levels it would be reduce slash eliminate added sugars. I know we have heard it all before, but maybe a tidy collection of sugar's deadly effects will convince you that greatly reducing your overall intake is at least worth a shot. Just kidding. Sugar isn't deadly. Oh wait..
Added sugar, IMHO, is one of the biggest causes of the world’s poor health epidemic. You name it—diabetes, obesity, food addiction, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), depression...some might even say certain cancers and dementia are also fed by sugar.
We often hear the argument that sugar is ok in moderation and eliminating any “food group” is dangerous. Yes, it is true that avoiding actual macronutrients completely (carbohydrates, proteins or good fats) could be potentially problematic, but sugar is not a food group. Sugar, in some form, is naturally present in many foods. However, by itself, it contains no nutrients, no proteins, no healthy fats, no antioxidants —- NADA. Just a hormonal cascade that metabolically signals your brain to want MORE, MORE, MORE. Ever wonder why you can’t eat just one? Sugar has actually been proven to be as addictive as cocaine. “Dr. David Reuben, author of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Nutrition says, “white refined sugar-is not a food. It is a pure chemical extracted from plant sources, purer in fact than cocaine, which it resembles in many ways. Its true name is sucrose and its chemical formula is C12H22O11. The chemical formula for cocaine is C17H21NO4. For all practical purposes, the difference is that sugar is missing the “N”, or nitrogen atom.”
In order to understand why sugar is such an issue, let’s go over a quick and dirty download on its deleterious effects on our bodies.Before sugar enters the bloodstream from the digestive tract, it is broken down into simple sugars… glucose and fructose. The primary difference between these is how your body metabolizes them. Glucose is found in every living cell on the planet. If we don’t get it from our diet, our bodies produce it. However, fructose is different. Our bodies do not produce it in any significant amount and there is no physiological need for it. This is not a problem if we eat a little bit (such as from fruit) or we just finished an exercise session. In this case, the fructose will be turned into glycogen and stored in the liver until we need it. But if we overdose on fructose, our livers become overloaded and turn the fructose into fat. In today’s world, it’s not that hard to overdo fructose – in fact, it’s pretty easy. White bread, pasta, soda and candy are the obvious ones. But there are also hidden sugar bombs in salad dressings, yogurts, sauces, and smoothies as well. Killers in your kitchen.
Another issue? There are now 61 different terms on nutrition labels that mean sugar. Think anything that ends in -ose. Dextrose, Maltose, sucrose, lactose, galactose. But also corn syrup, barley malt, cane juice, agave, molasses…the list goes on and on and on with ways to trick you into thinking you are eating something healthy. Be label curious!
Here are just a few of the other ways sugar effects our bodies:
1. Sugar stresses the liver.
When we eat fructose, it goes to the liver. If liver glycogen is low, such as after exercise, the fructose will be used to replenish it (1). However, most people aren’t consuming fructose after a long workout and their livers are already full of glycogen (from eating processed foods). When this happens, the liver turns the fructose into fat (1). Some of the fat gets shipped out to the parts of your body you definitely don’t want it hanging out in, but part of it remains in the liver. That fat can build up over time and ultimately lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (2, 3).
2. Sugar causes blood glucose to spike and plummet.
Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. It also leads to insulin resistance, which is a leading driver of many diseases. Insulin is a very important hormone in the body that allows glucose (blood sugar) to enter cells from the bloodstream and tells the cells to start burning glucose instead of fat. Having too much glucose in the blood is highly toxic and one of the reasons for complications of diabetes.
3. Sugar is HIGHLY addictive.
As mentioned above, when you eat refined sugar (hello cake!), it can cause a huge release of dopamine (a brain chemical that helps us feel happiness or pleasure) in the reward center of the brain. So, we want more, more, more! The effects on our brains have actually been compared to cocaine (5). And the “happy feeling” you get from eating refined sugar can override the “I’ve had enough to eat” mechanism from leptin, another digestive hormone.
4. Sugar increases Bad Cholesterol and Triglycerides (4).
The study is entitled Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages incr
eases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans. Riveting. Seriously though, it’s important.
5. Sugar causes tooth decay.
With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, it creates decay more efficiently than any other food substance. For a strong visual reminder, next time the Tooth Fairy visits, try the old tooth-in-a-glass-of-Coke experiment—the results will surely convince you that sugar isn’t good for your pearly whites.
I realize that in our current situation, it can be tough to completely avoid sugar since it is so readily available and hidden in nearly EVERY. SINGLE. THING. Unfortunately, the widespread availability of sugar doesn’t make it any healthier. A few tips to reduce your intake without also reducing your sanity:
The obvious ones – Drinks. Soda, fruit juice, sports and energy drinks. All loaded with sugar. For example, Gatorade contains NINE TEASPOONS of sugar. Enough said. Stick to water or flavored seltzers. And when you cant handle another ounce of water, there are great new options in the form of low sugar electrolyte powders as well - like Nuun. Another, more realistic, option I use with my kids is compromise with 1/2 water and 1/2 fruit juice, because life.
Focus only on whole, REAL foods – I’m talking outskirts of the grocery store only. If not, make sure you look at labels. Canned soups, dressings, sauces and condiments contain more sugar than you might imagine. I have seen Campbell’s soup cans have as much as 4 teaspoons of sugar. For reference 4g of sugar = 1 teaspoon.
Eat full fat foods. Low-fat options of your favorite foods — peanut butter, yogurt, salad dressing — are everywhere. If you've been told that fat is bad, it may feel natural to reach for these alternatives, rather than the full-fat versions, when you're trying to lose weight. However, the unsettling truth is that they usually contain more sugar and sometimes more calories than their full-fat counterparts. A 4-ounce serving of low-fat vanilla yogurt contains 4 teaspoons (16 grams) of sugar. The same amount of full-fat plain yogurt contains just over a teaspoon (5 grams) of naturally occurring milk sugar.
Be careful with so-called healthy foods. You are well aware that cookies and candy are full of sugar. Also, beware of granola bars, protein bars and dried fruit. Some dried fruit contains added sugar and I have seen protein bars with up to 32 grams of sugar!
Watch your breakfast foods. Breakfast cereals are some of the absolute worst in terms if trickery. I have seen some cereals with 50g of sugar. And you would be surprised at which ones. Cracklin' Oat Bran has one of the most nasty sugar habits! Also pancakes, waffles, muffins and jams can be loaded.
Listen to your body – you will be able to tell when something doesn’t make you feel good after eating it. If so, pull it from the rotation. PS – getting enough sleep will also reduce cravings to your body.
Read labels ALWAYS AND FOREVERMORE.
Two last thoughts to address.
What about fruit? I would argue that fruit is different. Naturally contained sugars in fruit and vegetables are balanced out by the fiber, vitamins, enzymes, micronutrients and other properties of the fruit/vegetable which slow sugar digestion and help the body deal with it more easily. Added sugar, on the other hand, provides none of these benefits.
Stevia? Still sugar. Let me put it this way - sugar is sugar is sugar and they all have the same effect on your body. In the sense that stevia doesn't add calories, affect blood sugar or insulin levels, or contribute to dental cavities, I suppose it is a better choice than sugar, but at the end of the day, it is all the same. That said, there are great times for treats. When it is that time, if I were to pick one to use, Stevia would be it. Then coconut sugar, real maple syrup and honey.
And then enjoy every last taste.
xx,
Casey