Just For the Health of It

Just for the Health of It

Sugar: Diabetes and Obesity

  • Roughly 350 million Americans have diabetes.
  • Predicted that in the next 25 years, 1 out of 3 Americans will be diagnosed with diabetes.
  • 1 in 3 Medicare dollars are spent on diabetes.
  • 1 in 10 healthcare dollars are spent on diabetes.
  • Diabetes is a disease caused by excess insulin.
  • Insulin takes the glucose and moves it to fat and muscle, which causes hypoglycemia.
  • Your body needs more sugar and you eat again not because you are hungry but because you need more sugar which creates an endless cycle.

Sugar linked to issues in our brains

Sugar affects the brain, the connective tissues and the connectivity within the brain.

Sugar is highly addictive. Sugar affects the pleasure seeking center of the brain.  This is the same part of the brain that addictive drugs affect. 

Sugar is also linked to:

  • Memory problems
  • Brain fog
  • Hyperactivity
  • Attention deficit
  • Schizophrenia
  • Alzheimers

Sugar and the Immune System

  • Current research indicates that most, if not all, diseases are auto immune diseases.
  • An Auto immune disease is one in which our immune system has been compromised. That allows the disease to take hold.
  • Sugar compromises the immune system
    • The immune system is made up of millions of cells
    • White blood cells help to stop infections
    • White blood cells need Vitamin C to fight infection
    • Sugar breaks down into glucose
    • Glucose is similar to Vitamin C
    • White blood cells grab glucose instead of Vitamin C and cannot fight off the infection
  • Sugar is believed to be a food that feeds cancer cells.
  • Diseases caused by too much sugar include:
    • Cancer
    • Autism
    • Parkinsons
    • Asthma
    • Arthritis
    • IBS

Sugar and Our Teeth

  • It’s recommended that we brush our teeth at least twice a day to remove the food that clings to our teeth and causes tooth decay.
  • Our teeth are highly susceptible to sugar
  • Acid-producing bacteria feed on the carbohydrates in our food, from the sugar in candy and soft drinks to the carbohydrates in bread.
  • The acid from the bacteria causes tooth decay.
  • Some foods cling to our teeth providing a long lasting food supply for the bacteria.
  • When we eat or snack on sugary foods or sip sugary drinks for long periods of time, the acid continues to eat away at our tooth enamel.
  • When babies go to bed sipping on milk or juice, the bacteria eats away at their tooth enamel.
  • Drinks that contribute to tooth decay
    • Fruit juices
    • Sports Drinks
    • Colas
    • Alcohol
    • Carbonated Drinks
    • Citrus
  • Foods that contribute to tooth decay
    • Sour Candies
    • Bread
    • Ice
    • Potato Chips
    • Dried Fruit

Sugar and Heart Disease

  • Everything we put in our mouth winds up in our blood vessels.
  • Heart Disease is caused from blood vessel inflammation.
  • When our blood sugar spikes, it causes an inflammatory response that damages the walls of our arteries leading to atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
  • Reduce sugar intake.
    • 4 grams equals 1 teaspoon of sugar
    • The average adult should eat no more than 24 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar per day.
    • Buy products with <5 grams of sugar per serving
    • Products like yogurt can vary from <1 gram of sugar per serving to >24 grams of sugar per serving.
  • Many yogurts, juice drinks, and pre-packaged lunch meals may contain 18 to 42 grams of sugar in a single serving.
  • Chocolate milk served in schools contains 28 grams of sugar.
  • Because of public health warnings, food companies may use obscure names to hide artificial sweeteners in their products.
  • Look for names like: HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup), Aspartame, Equal, ACESULFAME Potassium, ACK, Aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester, NutraSweet, Calcium cyclamate, Hydrogenated High Maltose Content Glucose Syrup, XYLITOL, Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol just to name a few.
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