Limiting your sugar intake has a variety of benefits
How can something so sweet be so bad for you?
Sugar is everywhere in today's foods. Take a look at any processed food and most will have some form of added sugar - be it actual granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, or rice syrup to name a few.
No matter the form, this sweet substance can wreak havoc on the body when too much is consumed on a regular basis.
So why limit sugar?
Sugar is a form of empty calories or false nourishment. It's a simple form of energy, but its caloric value carries very little nutritional sustenance.
Processed sugar is stripped of minerals, and when consumed, it can actually leech minerals from the body.
Sugar also disrupts further mineral absorption by impacting the relationship minerals share with one another. Each mineral needs other minerals present in order to function and be fully utilized. Without proper mineral absorption, metabolic efficiency and optimal health are compromised.
Consumption of sugar or related sweeteners will disrupt natural blood sugar levels. Just how much varies from person to person depending on their insulin sensitivity, but the resulting damage remains the same.
Constant variations in blood sugar can cause added stress to the pancreas by forcing high insulin output which could eventually lead to diabetes.
This up-and-down cycle can disrupt enzyme production and lead to the inability of the body to fully break down food nutrients, leading to more malnourishment.
Sugar causes inflammation - the underlying cause to many diseases such as cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
Sugar has a way of upsetting body chemistry enough to cause disruptions in everyday maintenance and repair.
If your body is having a hard time properly detoxifying from pollutants in your food and environment, how can it efficiently fight off disease and illness? Most inflammation can be controlled or avoided by limiting your sugar intake.
The scariest reason to avoid sugar is that it's addictive.
Consumption of sugary food stimulates the central nervous system to release the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. This surge makes you feel good and therefore conditions you to eat more of these damaging foods. It becomes a vicious cycle of eating more sugar to satisfy the addiction over and over again.
Limit the damaging effect of sugar by avoiding or limiting the following food-like substances:
• Processed foods
• Granulated sugar
• Canned fruit
• Powdered drink mixes
• Soft drinks and bottled juices
• Candy
• Cookies, cakes, brownies, pies
• Most cereals and cereal bars
• Sauces, jellies, and condiments
• Flavored coffee and sweet teas
So give your body a chance to perform and feel its best by limiting your sugar intake. For more exercise and nutrition tips, visit PushFitnessTraining.com for links to our blog and social media resources.
• Joshua Steckler is the owner of Push Fitness, a personal training studio located in Schaumburg specializing in weight loss, muscle toning, and nutrition. Contact him at PushFitnessTraining.com.