SUGAR....oh lets count the way!

So you have heard it said...sugar is bad for you!! While I totally agree and have seen some of the damage it can cause in my own health...let's examine some ways it can ruin your health! 

#1 -  Sugar can contribute to depression!  WOW you say..."REALLY"  I thought sugar made you feel good!  Get hyper and get excited and have that sugar buzz? We all know you don't give a child too much sugar...right?

I found something about that.... “Food for the Brain” that offers this explanation..simple right?

Eating lots of sugar is going to give you sudden peaks and troughs in the amount of glucose in your blood; symptoms of this going on include fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, excessive sweating (especially at night), poor concentration and forgetfulness, excessive thirst, depression and crying spells, digestive disturbances and blurred vision.

Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue.

Lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods,) is also linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing B vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into energy needs B vitamins. In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.

Sugar also diverts the supply of another nutrient involved in mood – chromium. 
This mineral is vital for keeping your blood sugar level stable because insulin, which clears glucose from the blood, can’t work properly without it.

SO NOW WHAT?  Can we break this sugar addiction in our lives, in our families lives?  What are some steps you can take to get this monkey off your back?

Here's one step...READ LABELS!  Look at the many forms of sugar in the processed foods you buy. Did you know that the average person consumes about 1/4 lb of "ADDED" sugar daily? BUT, but I don't drink soda, I don't eat candy..I am not doing that!  Really....look at the labels on may of the foods you buy in a box...is the ratio of CARBOHYDRATES to SUGAR more than 20%...where is the "sugar"  - the label doesn't say sugar!  

So does it say Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Fructose, barley malt, sucrose, molasses????? and oh my - what about the ever present High Fructose Corn Syrup!  Just add the sugars up!

OK so all I had was a Protein Bar...here's one of my favorites...NOT!  Check out the sugar...and once you adjust the total carbs by subtracting the fiber...it becomes 19 Total Carbs, 14 of them from sugars...

TUNE in for more SUGAR BUSTER FACTS later!  And if you have any questions or would like to bust that habit...call me or shoot me a message.