How do you know if you’re eating too much sugar? Well, you might have increased hunger, weight gain, cravings for sweets, high blood pressure, irritability, and/or fatigue.
Remember sugars are absorbed into your bloodstream quickly. This causes spikes in your insulin levels. This process causes problems like diabetes, pain and inflammation, and your artery walls grow too thick which equals heart damage over time.
Sugar is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and it can cause or worsen depression. You probably know it also affects your cholesterol, as well – increasing it. Not to mention it’s bad for general appetite control.
Every heard of brain fog? Over eating sugar can impair brain function. Trouble concentrating and even anxiety can rear their ugly heads, too. Any type of sugar (honey, processed carbs, etc.) should comprise less than ten percent of your daily calories (see dietary guidelines for 2015-2020).
So, you have decided to cut out sugars. Beware of sugar detox. You my get headaches, be irritable, have cravings for all kinds of foods, and become bloated. It’s not fun but it is is worth getting off the sugar carousel. It can take up to three days or more for sugar detox. However, you will find increased energy afterward. You won’t crave sweets like you did before. Be sure to look at every food and beverage you consume. Sugars lurk.
Can you really reduce pain and inflammation by stopping the overdose of sugars? Yes! My legs and back feel great now that I stopped consuming so many sweets.
Are you wondering if you can still enjoy fruit? That was my first question. I don’t drink fruit juices but I do eat whole fruits. The extra fiber and decreased sugar amount are better for me. I still am benefiting from the vitamins and minerals of fruit this way. I just use fruits in moderation since there is still fructose present. A sugar isn’t a sugar, though. A donut is not equal to an apple.
Stay healthy, folks!