Are you eating a diet high in sugar?
If so, it’s worth considering the many health costs. As you enjoy that sugary snack, remember that those empty calories could be expanding your waistline and contributing to fatty liver disease. Today, sugar is almost everywhere – in your peanut butter, your bread, and much more. To make matters worse, high fructose corn syrup has replaced pure sugar in many products, causing even more health issues. Could eliminating sugar from your life entirely be the solution to your health problems? It just might be.
Why You Should ‘Detox’ Your Life from Sugar
Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet could profoundly improve your lifestyle. Not only could this boost your energy levels, but it may also support healthier aging. Here are just a few reasons to consider removing sugar from your life.
Sugar Causes Obesity
Considering the high consumption of sugary beverages among Americans, it’s no wonder recent reports suggest sugar plays a role in the obesity epidemic. The Obesity Society estimates that Americans get around six to seven percent of their calories from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). These drinks are packed with empty calories, and cutting them out of your diet can only lead to positive changes.
Sugar Causes Cardiovascular Disease
The concern isn’t only about weight gain; sugar may also increase your risk of heart disease. Recent studies have linked sugar consumption to changes in blood pressure and lipid levels in the body. This new evidence further supports the notion that there isn’t a “safe sugar habit.”
Sugar is as Addictive as a Drug
New research suggests that sugar could be as addictive as a drug. Sugar addiction might hark back to a time when food was scarce, and people ate as much as they could to survive. During those times, our brains might have adapted to binge on carbohydrates, primarily from fruits and grains, to store energy for tough times. Nowadays, the challenge isn’t finding food; it’s mindlessly consuming too much sugar.
Sugar Affects Memory
Sugar-sweetened beverages might be doing more harm than just affecting our physical health – they may also harm our memories. Recent findings suggest that excessive consumption of SSBs can impair the brain’s ability to function properly and remember important information. That’s yet another reason to cut sugar from your diet!
One Final Thought
While sugar can be detrimental to our health, sugar substitutes aren’t much better. The brain perceives artificial sweeteners as extremely sweet, which can still lead to overeating, just as with regular sugar. This situation brings us back to square one. With the increasing sugar crisis, some experts have even suggested that sugary foods should come with warning labels.
