Its nutrition 101 but even in the 'health food world' sugar makes its way everywhere. Its true that higher quality sweeteners have less of a detrimental impact on the body, but at the end of the day too much sugar in any form can wreck havoc from the inside out.
Two extremely interesting facts that most people ignore or are not aware of is that sugar is responsible for increased fat storage in the body and this addictive substance generates mood swings and emotional highs and lows that will make even your best friends want to run away.
Most people think of fat as eating fatty foods but its actually sugar that is the largest problem because it throws off the bodies natural ability to regulate insulin. More sugar in the blood equals more insulin which equals more fat storage.
On the mood front when we consume sugars we experience an elevated mood caused by Serotonin a neurotransmitter found in the gut. Since this lift is artificial once it fades away the body literally feels de-pressed and begins to crave more sugar to return mood back to a higher state.
note that in this chart carbohydrate refers to simple sugars like processed white flour products, processed white sugar, artificial sweeteners, any other low quality food that spikes blood sugar.
If you are on the blood sugar roller coaster its time to slow it down and transition yourself off the ride. How?
1. Add new foods in vs. harsh restrictions that set a negative tone.
2. Switch to high quality sweeteners like maple syrup, raw sugar, or stevia leaf drops.
3. If you are eating a sugary dessert eat it after your lunch meal when your digestion is at its best and the sugar can have more time to be processed by the body before bedtime.
4. Combine even high quality sugars with fattier foods which will slow down the digestion process. For example Raw Honey can have a fast impact on blood sugar, but if you consume it with a piece of toast with almond butter, everything will slow. Even better add cinnamon to your toast and anything else as it is one of the best stabilizers out there.
5. Increase your consumption of legumes which are some of the best complex carbohydrate foods that provide a slow release of energy into the system.
6. Follow the 90/10 rule where 90% of the time you consume high quality sweets and 10% of the time you give yourself permission to do what you need to do based on the situation at hand.
7. Use the GI index to understand what foods spike blood sugar but also keep in mind that GI only accounts for 2 hours after intake. Some sugars can spike 3 hours or more after consumption.
Exit this way.....>>>>>>>>>>>
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