Ahhhh…cookies….ice cream….cakes…scones…just some of the many “treats” we give ourselves permission to eat. “I deserve this, I’ve been working hard”….”It’s a special day”…”Oh a little bit won’t hurt anything”; these internal thoughts fill our minds like the jelly filling of a doughnut.
What’s happening is the sugar is triggering production of our brain’s opioids – a key to the addiction process. The brain is getting addicted to its own opioids as it would morphine or heroin. Drugs have a bigger effect, but it is essentially the same process.
In addition to throwing off the body’s homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. Here’s a list of my top 10 reasons to stay clear of processed sugar from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.
1. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder, and stomach.
2. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defense against infectious disease.
3. Sugar causes autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis.
4. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.
5. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
6. Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.
7. Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.
8. Sugar can cause depression.
9. Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
10. Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.
There are well over 66 more important reasons to be disciplined of your sugar intake. Start today by reducing the amount in your daily diet. No more than 5% of your daily calories is the recommendation for sugar intake from the World Health Organization.
Source: Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. Author of the book “Lick the Sugar Habit”
Cheers,
Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
“Get Fit with Witt”
Individuals / Groups / Corporate
310.562.5629 Cell / 818.760.3891 Main
www.getfitwithWitt.com
https://twitter.com/GetfitwithWitt
* New exercise & diet books “Tight, Tone, and Trim” and “Cut, Cool, and Confident“
* Peru Adventure Trip with Machu Picchu Hike April 16-24, 2015