Many of us crave sweet food as we have conditioned ourselves throughout the day to eat it. We add sugar to our coffee. Of course we need a donut or cookie with our coffee. We also feel the urge for a sweet dessert after a meal. So it is clear that we have become addicted to sugar making it difficult to eat less of it each day. But, doing so can have big benefits to our health. Addiction is merely an ingrained habit and habits can be changed. What we all need to do is eat less sugar.
Let’s explore how eating less sugar helps your body feel and function better. We will also look at ways we can break our hold on sugar by changing our habits.
Maintain a Healthy Weight – Eat Less Sugar
A major benefit of reducing or eliminating sugar from our diet is that it will make it easier to lose weight and keep it off. Sugar has no nutritional value and is packed with calories. Sugary foods and drinks, including fruit juices, contribute to excess weight with unnecessary calories. If you want to lose weight cut down on sugar.
Reduce Your Risk of Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
Most people don’t know what insulin resistance is or its impact on our health. If you eat less sugar you will reduce the impact of insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb glucose into your blood. When you eat or drink too many foods that contain sugar this causes your body to make more insulin. Over time, however, you cells become less responsive to insulin which causes insulin resistance and too much glucose in your blood.
If left unchecked, insulin resistance can lead to a number of health issues, including type 2 diabetes. When your blood sugar levels remain high, this puts stress on your body. By reducing the amount of sugar you consume you can fix the strain on insulin production and help your cells to once again become sensitive to insulin.
Did you know that eating too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance? Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb glucose from your bloodstream. When you consume high amounts of sugar, your body produces more insulin to keep up. Over time, your cells may become less responsive to insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance.
Lower the Chance of Heart Disease
Another risk of eating too much sugar is the impact it has on your heart. High consumption of sugar can lead to higher amounts of triglycerides in your blood. Triglycerides are a type of fat which increase the risk of heart disease [1]. Too much sugar can also increase inflammation and increase blood pressure, which puts further strain on your heart [2]. It’s simple, reduce your sugar consumption to keep your heart healthy and strong.
Enjoy Steadier Energy Levels and Mood
We may have all experienced the impact of sugar on our energy levels or have seen it in our kids after they eat candy. We get an energy spike only to be followed by a crash a bit later. The reason is because sugar causes rapid spikes in glucose in our blood which give us a boost of energy and then a sudden drop. The problem is the drop leaves us drained and cranky. Avoiding sugar will ensure we have steady glucose levels, and consistent energy, throughout the day.
Boost Your Dental Health
Sugar isn’t just bad for your waistline and energy levels – it also does a lot of harm to your teeth. The problem is your mouth is naturally full of bacteria and this bacteria loves sugar, producing acids that break down your tooth enamel. Eventually this can cause cavities and tooth decay. Keep your teeth healthy by consuming less sugar.
Surprising Facts About Sugar and Your Body
Here are some other ways sugar negatively affects you:
- Sugar and Your Brain: Too much sugar can negatively impact cognitive functions like memory and learning. It may also reduce the production of neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that comes from the brain and that supports the growth of new neurons and synapses [3].
- Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): As sugar enters the bloodstream it can attach to proteins and create harmful molecules called AGEs. These molecules can damage the elastin and collagen in your skin, causing premature aging, sagging skin, and wrinkles [4].
- Liver Overload: Too much fructose is metabolized in the liver. As the liver gets overloaded, it can begin changing fructose into fat, which leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [5].
Ways to Eat Less Sugar and Cope
There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of dropping your sugar habit. Try these approaches:.
- Grab a piece of fruit instead
- During holidays or celebrations take a (very) thin slice of cake or pie to join in with the celebration
- Take over the baking in your household and use stevia or monk fruit instead of sugar. Both taste great but have little to none of the negative effects of sugar.
- Try imagining sugar and sugary treats as something disgusting or perhaps covered in something disgusting. Now try telling yourself sugar is disgusting, reminding yourself of the negative impacts (as described in this article) of sugar on your body. Finally, try visualizing and exaggerating the negative impacts, adding dark, disgusting, images to your vision. Repeat this every day and when you find yourself tempted by sugar or sugary foods.
Conclusion: It’s Simple – Eat Less Sugar
It is clear that eating less sugar provides a number of health benefits. In fact there are so many benefits to reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet it is a no brainer. The math is simple, keep falling prey to your unhealthy habits involving sugar while destroying your health or, drop the sugar and start to look and feel better (and even younger) in only a day or so. Writing this article has convinced me. I hope reading it does the same for you. Eat less sugar, and your body will thank you.
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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the support and guidance of your physician when you are unsure about any health issues.