5 Reasons to Avoid Sugar

If you are like most people, you grew up eating lots of candy, ice cream and other sugary treats. As a child, I loved the taste of sugar so much that I even tried it on spinach once! To this day, I love sweets, especially pumpkin bread and key lime pie. Hey, I’m not the stereotypical, health fanatic “trainer” you might assume me to be! I come from a southern background and I love rich, hearty foods. I’m human like the rest of you.

I digress.

Apparently, I am not alone when it comes to having the proverbial “sweet tooth.” The average person eats over 100 pounds of sugar each year. But you know what? Too much of the stuff can wreak havoc in your body.

The following is my list of 5 reasons to avoid sugar. You will notice that I have not included some of the more obvious reasons, such as sugar’s effect on your teeth, or the correlation between sugar consumption and diabetes. Hit me back (email me) if you’d like more info on sugar and diabetes.

First, sugar fuels cancer cells. Although it is still unclear whether sugar causes healthy cells to become cancerous, research has shown that once a cell becomes cancerous, it feeds on sugar. Insulin levels soar when high amounts of sugar are ingested and according to Dr. Christine Horner, author of Waking the Warrior Goddess, high insulin levels are one of the biggest risk factors and promoters of cancer. Insulin attaches to breast cells thus increasing cell division. And get this, women with high insulin levels have a 283 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Second, sugar lowers your resistance. I’ve found this to be true on many occasions when I was trying to fight a cold or illness. Without fail, my body would always succumb to illness if I consumed too much sugar. Dr. Ann Loiuse Gittleman, author of Get The Sugar Out, classifies sugar as an immunosuppressant in that it has the following effects: It reduces the germ-killing ability of white blood cells for several hours after ingestion; it reduces the effectiveness of antibodies; it interferes with the transport of vitamin C; it causes mineral imbalances; and it neutralizes essential fatty acids, thus making cells more susceptible to invaders.

Third, consuming excessive amounts of sugar makes you look older. YES! This is my attempt to appeal to your sense of vanity. When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to protein and forms harmful molecules called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES). AGES damage the collagen and elastin in your skin causing it to lose its elasticity and become dull in appearance. According to Dr. Fredric Brandt, a New-York based dermatologist, these effects begin to take place in the mid thirties and accelerate rapidly thereafter. And if that weren’t enough, AGES proteins have a harmful effect on your body’s natural antioxidants which protect your cells from damage.

Fourth, excessive amounts of sugar will make you fat. When you eat large quantities of sugar, your blood sugar rises significantly. Foods such as cakes, cookies, pastas and breads, especially breads made with white flour, will have this effect on your blood sugar. This explains the quick burst of energy you feel immediately after food(s) with a high sugar content. Large amounts of sugar in your bloodstream can be harmful so your body releases insulin to control the surge. This explains the subsequent drop in energy you feel not too long after eating those sugary foods. Insulin cleans up the extra sugar by causing your body to store it as fat if you do not burn it as fuel. So, keep it moving!

Fifth, your body gets sugar from the fruits, vegetables and grains you eat so you should limit your intake of sweets as they constitute empty calories. Now, if you’re thinking that artificial sweeteners are the answer, think again because they’re not as sweet as you think.So, chew (pun intended) on this for a while and be sure to come back to find out what my take is on artificial sweeteners. In the meantime, go do something physical and Flaunt It!