Giving up sugar - how to do it and why it is worth it?
We all know that sugar is not healthy, however, most of us have a rather vague idea on this subject: we know that it causes caries and fatigue and worsens the condition of the skin - and that's usually all. We do not see anything wrong with its consumption - just with moderation. In fact, it is absolutely unnecessary for us, and giving up sugar can bring many benefits.
I do not know if you know, but sweet snacks are my weakness. I love chocolate, chocolate bars and cakes. Candies and jelly beans may not exist for me, but everything with chocolate ... Mmm ...And even though I do not eat sweets (or do it sporadically), sometimes a day comes that I can not (and sometimes I do not even want to!) stop myself and eat them ... a lot.
The sugar is bad. It harms our health. It evokes remorse. It's addictive. We do not need it at all.
That's why today, I will tell you why it's worth to throw away sugar from your life and how to do it. Of course, using the word "sugar" in my article, I always mean industrial, artificially made white sugar (but also brown, reed, e.t.c,. the kind of "better" variety). I'm not talking about natural sugars, for example in fruits.
Everything is in your head
Patterns and eating habits of most of us have been shaped in childhood and early youth. If you have not eaten sweets at home and have not sipped sweetened drinks, you probably do not eat sweetness. However, if you associate your childhood with sweet desserts, a candy reward and a bag full of sweets for your birthday, it is quite possible that a day without something sweet does not exist for you.
We have a little strange culture - on the occasion of birthdays we wish each other to be healthy, at the same time giving the close person a box of chocolates. Will it actually make us healthier?
It has already been accepted that life without chocolate is sad, and a box of ice cream and biscuits are the best way to overcome the blues. However, does our life have to be so much dependent on food? Do our good day depends of a chocolate bar? Happy life? Carefree childhood? Don't you think that identifying sweets with joy, happiness and a moment of pleasure is a slight exaggeration?
This is just an image of the sweetness that marketers and sellers stuck at us. And they seem to be a perfect add to an afternoon coffee, meetings with friends, parties or birthdays.
Meanwhile, if you look at sweets objectively and see what they really are, will you continue to treat them as a necessary element of a happy life? I doubt it.
What really sugar and sweets are
White sugar is substance obtained and isolated industrially from sugar beet or sugar cane. It is devoid of all nutrients found in these plants, so it has no value for our body. In addition, it is purified and chemically bleached , and anti-caking agents are added to it . The only advantage is the sweet taste that we love.
When it comes to sweets that many of us associate with something positive, with reward and celebration, it is nothing more than a conglomeration of sugar (or, even worse, glucose-fructose syrup), trans fats , or processed hardened fats, usually the worst quality palm oil , artificial colors, preservatives, salt, white flour and other man-made substances that have absolutely nothing to do with nature. The case looks the same in the case of sweet drinks, baked goods and similar delicacies.
And that's how we should look at all kinds of sweets, seeing what they really are, not how they were perceived.
Giving up sugar - why is it worth it?
There is a lot of research on the harmfulness of sugar. This knowledge is widely known and no-one is already preaching slogans saying that "sugar reassures!" Most people know that sugar is not good, but they still eat it and give it to their children.
Why is it worth giving up sugar at all?
Sugar causes obesity
It's obvious and overweight is nothing good, everyone knows it. In addition, even slim people may have a problem with dropping the "love handle" on the stomach if they consume sugar. A beautiful and flat tummy and sweets are almost impossible.
Sugar is addictive
There is a lot of research on the impact of sugar on our brains. First, sugar activates the reward center in the brain , deceiving him that the sugar is good and we will feel good after it. We get used to regular sweets, because without it, we feel sluggish.
Sugar has a negative effect on our brain
In addition to being addictive, it increases the risk of depression, sleep disorders, and stress. Sugar also interferes with our concentration and our ability to remember. Sugar disturbs the secretion of the hormone responsible for the feeling of satiety - leptin . The result is that we eat even more when we are not hungry.
Sugar contributes to the formation and development of cancer
The relationship between sugar and cancer is due to three factors: hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia and chronic inflammation , which is the result of two previous processes.
Hyperglycaemia, it is an increased level of glucose in blood above the values
assumed to be normal. It occurs in people with diabetes, people with insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. It can also be a consequence of consuming products with a high glycemic index, in other words , products rich in sugar. When there is an excessive amount of glucose in the body, it connects with proteins and fats that build our bodies and DNA - it is called glycation process. This leads to their damage, prevents them from functioning properly and increases oxidative stress in the body, and these processes in turn promote the formation of cancer.
Sugar increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
Sugar raises blood pressure, which is particularly dangerous for people suffering from hypertension . It also affects the risk of cardiovascular problems. Sugar significantly increases the amount of unhealthy fats in the blood, including triglycerides and cholesterol . The amount of sugar consumed also increases the genetic effects of obesity, which increases the risk of heart disease.
Sugar disturbs the hormonal balance of the body
This is directly related to diabetes and the production of insulin. As a result of its actions, the level of sugar in the body drops quickly, and the adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol. Sugar disturbs the work of hormone-secreting glands, which can lead to dysregulation, diabetes, fertility problems and menstruation.
And moreover:
- It causes tooth decay and weakens bones
- It can promote hyperactivity in children
- It can cause headaches, fatigue, weakness
- It weakens the body's immune system
Sugar is unnecessary to us!
Absolutely! A quick injection of energy can be provided by the fruit. Sugar is an artificial, purified, unnecessary and harmful product. And every nutritionist will agree with this.
Giving up sugar - how to do it?
Considering that all kinds of sweets and colorful drinks are positively associated and addictive by us, resigning from sugar is not easy at all.
- The basis here is a change of thinking - read again what is sugar and sweets and remember when you feel like something sweet. Ask yourself a question - is it really worth it ? Is this what I want to give my body? What will it give me that I will eat this cake? What will be the benefits?
- Make a deal with yourself that you will not eat sweets and drink sugary drinks, that you will try to reduce sugar as much as possible. Because the sugar is not only in sweets, but also in bread, ketchup, ready-made dishes, cold meats, powdered sauces, mayonnaise and other products - you have to be vigilant and carefully read the composition.
- It is also good to tell your relatives about your decision , so that they support you and do not give you sweets.
- I encourage you to get rid of all sweets, drinks and white sugar. Also, decide that you will not buy sweets in the store - it will be much easier for you to stop the fancy for sweets.
- Prepare your own homemade sweets - on the internet you will find a lot of recipes for cakes, pralines, puddings, muffins and desserts without sugar. They are equally delicious, sweet and healthy - I'm serious, try it!
- However, sometimes give yourself a dispensation - on an exceptional occasion, for example at birthdays or weddings, nothing will happen if you eat a piece of cake. For example, during the summer, I do not refuse natural ice-cream that are in my area - they are really delicious, and the ice cream season is short, so I will allow it once or twice a week.
- Always have alternatives on hand to help you in times of crisis:
It's unbeliable how an industry was able to make a whole culture addicted to sugar. Sometimes I feel, they don't even want people to know, because that's what would decrease their profit.
(I believe) in the 60ties there was a new trend that "fat" was bad. So all the companies took out the fat of their products... Soon they realised that, if you take fat out of the food, it starts to taste bad... so what did they do: they put sugar in it... and realised that the more they put in, the more people would buy... You can literally see, how the amount of sugar in our products increased over the decades... A good solution for the industry. Because sugar is freakin' cheap :))
all sugary stuff is cheap. And people hate to spend money on food... They rather go for cheap...yet, isn't it incredible how many people have diabetes? how much money that alone costs? it's a calculation most people don't make... and they have to pay for it later...
wow, long rant :))) sorry
thank you for sharing the post!
Thank you for this comment! You're absolutely right about what you wrote - people eat sugar, get sick because of that and don't see a connection between that. It's important to aware people in such things :)