For many of us Sugar is an indulgence and a treat, but in actual fact, and according to researchers, sugar is more like a drug than anything else, and the very inconvenient truth is that it may be much worse for us than we think.
Researchers recently reported that sugar stimulates a reaction in the brain similar to that of morphine and other drugs. This means that, it is highly addictive and unlike most drugs sugar is readily available to anyone and everyone, and is even seen as a present or a reward for many of us. Now if your anything like me and you’ve polished off a large serving off chocolate in front of a dvd this may not come as a huge surprise to you, but wait there’s more!
Even worse than that it is not only present in obvious things like chocolate and fizzy drinks, but have a look at the label of nearly every can or tin and it will be there, not to mention that it is present in large quantities in lots of other savory foods, particularly takeaways and things like pizza or Chinese.
So what is it really and why is it so bad for us? Sugar is essentially a carbohydrate, or part of one. All carbohydrates eventually break down into glucose, but there are two distinct types of carbs, with different properties and features Complex carbs come from natural fruit and vegetable sources, as well as whole grains and legumes, take more effort to digest, and release their sugar load more slowly, whereas simple carbs (including foods containing refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup) break down quickly, with immediate absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. The problem with this is that an influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body’s blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood sugar at a constant and safe level.
When blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, the pancreas is stimulated to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. A sudden influx of insulin places extra stress on the body, increases fat storage, and inhibits fat breakdown to be used as energy. Furthermore raised insulin levels also inhibit the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system.
Scared yet? Now you know how bad for you it is, I bet your what you can do to cut down the amount of sugar in your diet. Unfortunately in a modern lifestyle it is nearly impossible to completely cut sugar out of your diet but there are some great ways to decrease the amount that you have, and thus to decrease the effects it has on you. Here are some of the simplest ways to get sweet without the sugar:
Fruity Sweetness: Although fruits do contain glucose it is in a much healthier form and is an excellent replacement for artificially sweetened foods. Fruit should be the sweetest thing that you ingest and although you may crave chocolates for a short time, in the long term, fruit will fulfill your need for sweets.
The Don’t Buy It Diet: the best way to get sugar out of your life is to get it out of your house. Remove the temptation from in front of yourself and replace it with healthier substitutes; buy some almonds are cashews and snack on them when you feel like sugar.
Fresh is Best: The golden rule is that the fresher the food you buy and eat the less (artificial) sugar it will have. Stick to lean proteins and fresh produce and you will be feeling better in no time.