Why Sugar is Bad For You

We all know sugar is bad for us right? I mean, I'm not telling you something that's going to be this big surprise. You're not going to see this article and be like, "Wow, sugar is bad for me? no way?" We all know this, the idea of sugar being a problem has been around for a long time and this information has been circulating for years. So why haven't most people started to take the initiative to lower their sugar intake? The answer is "Sugar Addiction". It's a very real thing. Sugar is a very addictive substance, and companies like to add it in to just about everything we consume from condiments to "healthy" cereals, to sports drinks. When I was younger and more ignorant, I thought Gatorade on a hot day was good for me. I didn't even fathom the idea that maybe it was full of a crap ton of sugars and that my body did not need. 

Once we get started down the "Sugar Addiction" road, it's hard to stop. Some people can even pinpoint when they get this way, and go back and forth throughout their lives. They know they are addicted, and they do a cleanse or a detox and their sugar cravings go away, but than one day, they are out with friends, and everyone is enjoying dessert, so they decide to indulge and just that one treat sends them down a spiral of craving sugary treats again and having trouble stopping themselves from eating sugary treats. They may notice the addiction happening, and do another detox to get back off of it or maybe they will just try to stop cold turkey, but it's not easy. 

Now when I talk about sugar, I'm referring to refined or processed sugars. These sugars are found in most processed products. The first step in staying away from refined sugars, is to start looking at labels. What is listed as ingredients in your favorite products, how much sugar is added? 

"The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men. The AHA limits for children vary depending on their age and caloric needs, but range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 - 25 grams) per day."

The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar per day. This is far too much, and most people don't even know how much sugar they are consuming because it is hidden in so many products. Did you know that there is sugar in bread? Most bread that is consumed in the US has added sugars. Even bread that is supposedly good for us, like whole wheat breads have sugars added. There are only a few brands of bread you can buy that don't have added sugars. 

There are so many products out there that are advertised as being "healthy" but are loaded with extra sugars that our bodies not only do not need, but that can cause serious health problems down the road. For example, Raisin bran has 18 grams of sugar per 1 cup serving. This is a cereal that I previously thought to be healthy. So, why is it important to start at least decreasing the amount of sugars you and your family consume?

1. Sugar damages your immune system. This happens because every time you consume sugar, it lowers the ability of your white blood cells to do their jobs and fight off disease and infection. 

2. Sugar hinders your body's natural ability to absorb vitamins and minerals which can cause issues with hydration, and down the road can cause osteoporosis and other disease.

3. Excess sugar intake has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers. That in itself is a reason to stop consumption of it or decrease it exponentially. 

4. Did you know that all disease starts in the liver? So what happens to the liver when you consume sugar? The liver is the only organ that can process fructose, so if you over do it on the sugar, this can turn into fat in the liver and cause fatty liver disease. 

5. Over indulgence of sugar can cause insulin resistance and can lead to diabetes. It can also cause weight gain and obesity in adults and children. 

6. Sugar can cause pre-mature aging in adults. 

7. Sugar can effect your good cholesterol levels, hindering your body's ability to remove bad cholesterol from your artery walls leading to heart disease. 

If these aren't enough reasons for you to start making a change, than I don't know what is. What can you do to start decreasing your sugar intake? 

First of all, the safest sugars you can consume are those found in nature. Sugars that come from fruits and vegetables come with natural fiber that make it easier for your body to digest and process and also don't cause your body to have a spike in glucose levels. I love using dates as sweeteners for baked goods. I also have used unsweetened apple sauce and mashed bananas as sweeteners and it's worked out great! 

The best way to avoid processed sugars is to focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans and stay away from processed foods. Making your own foods from scratch at home will also help in decreasing the amount of sugars you and your family intake. You can control the amount of sugar you add to things, and it will likely be far less than the amount of sugar found in the products at your grocery story. However, this can be a huge undertaking. So how can we make it easier? 

If you feel the need to purchase processed foods, just for the ease of having them around when you aren't up for making things from scratch, just start looking at labels. See how much sugar is in each serving and compare that to how much sugar the average adult or child should consume in a day. If 1 serving is more than the daily "allowance". You should probably not buy that product. There are certain brands that are safer than others. I love the Ezekial brand for breads and cereals because it's all organic and there are no added sweeteners or sugars. Do some research, find some brands that work for you and your family without overdosing them with excess sugar. 

Take care of yourself and your kids by at least decreasing the amount of refined sugars you intake. Soda and sugary drinks, including fruit juices are not good for you in any way. There is little to no nutrition in these things, and the sugar intake is through the roof. Get yourself and your kids addicted to fruit instead of doughnuts, and veggies instead of cookies. 

If you already know of products you buy that have a lot of added sugars, start to think of an unsweetened alternative you could buy and sweeten it at home with fruit or stevia, or whatever you want, I guarantee it will be less sugar than would otherwise be added by a food company. 

Are your kids already addicted to sugar? What do they eat every day? Do you know how much sugar is in what they eat? The average Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread has about 35 grams of sugar. Lets do the math together. As mentioned above, children should have less than 25 grams a day. So that means that 1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich is already over the recommended dose of sugar for a kid in a day. Can you believe that? How crazy! I never even knew that. It just goes to show that most of us just don't really know how much sugar we are eating every day. 

If you want to read more about sugar, sugar addiction, ways to avoid sugar, etc. I've included links below. 

https://www.parents.com/recipes/nutrition/kids/sugar-shock/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319991.php#health-benefits

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar

https://moffitt.org/take-charge/take-charge-story-archive/there-s-no-sugar-coating-it-sugary-soft-drinks-linked-to-cancer/?gclid=CjwKCAiAhJTyBRAvEiwAln2qBz16i4AuwQzQvW3Ge8m8QX9Whn3gXhw_Vld28bEsNjy9Y6iXgrfekxoCuisQAvD_BwE

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sugar-how-bad-are-sweets-for-your-kids/

https://time.com/5640428/sugar-kids-vs-adults/

https://www.verywellfamily.com/is-too-much-sugar-harmful-to-kids-22337

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-breakfast-cereals-healthy

https://www.parents.com/kids/nutrition/healthy-eating/how-to-tame-your-kids-sweet-tooth-in-30-days/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-break-the-sugar-habit-and-help-your-health-in-the-process