SUGAR- IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

 

 



Ok so yesterday was NOT a good eating day for me!  It started out as every day did with my Shakeology breakfast shake.  I had a peach vanilla shake, it was yummy!  1 scoop of vanilla Shakeology, 1/2 frozen banana, 10 oz water and a cup of frozen peaches (no sugar added).  I drank it on the way to school like I do every morning and I was ready to start my day.

 

Well, we were having an Open House for my department at school, which meant lots of foods.  In one room we had punch, cheese and crackers, cookies, danishes & grapes.  In MY room we had lunch foods- chicken salad, pimento cheese salad, croissants, lemon bars, chips/dip, fruit tray and CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES!!! 

 

The chocolate oatmeal cookies were screaming at me from across my room!!!  They teased me all morning and then they won.  I convinced myself that if I just ate one I would be fine.  I would get my little taste of sugar and be done.  WELLLLLLL that's not exactly how it worked!!!  I had one, then two, then three and then THANK HEAVENS people started coming in my room so I couldn't eat anymore!!!  It was like I couldn't get enough.  Once I had that taste I was like an addict of some sort.    I ate everything that I knew I shouldn't!!!  The croissant with fat laden chicken salad, the chips with dip (which I don't even like), the punch (talk about sugar overload) and of course I had to have a lemon bar and another chocolate oatmeal cookie  ( I at least did eat a few  pieces of honeydew melon to make me feel better).

 

Well it honestly wasn't 30 minutes later and IT hit me!  I felt absolutely horrible!!  My head was hurting (and it still is today), my stomach was literally growling and rumbling at me and I just wanted to curl up and sleep (not an option with 20 students in my room).  I felt bad the rest of the afternoon and by the time I got home around 7:30pm I was ready to go to bed. 

 

  I have been working very hard the last 19 months to change my lifestyle by eating healthier and working out at least 5 times a week.  By changing my eating habits I have tried to cut out as much sugar, fat and salt as possible.  I have tried to cut back on processed foods and eat everything in it's natural form.  I have cut out fried foods and fast foods and I have completely cut out all soft drinks, diet or regular.   I guess I sent my body into what they call sugar shock yesterday.

 

This got me to wondering just what exactly sugar does to the body.  So I started researching this morning..................  WOW here are a few things that I found out (my information comes from Prevention Magazine and Women's Health Magazine, two that I feel are very reliable sources)

 

1) The American Heart Association recommends no more than 5 teaspoons for women, 9 teaspoons for men and 3 teaspoons for children.  Americans, on average consume 22 teaspoons a day (130 lbs of sugar a year!!!)

Just to help you understand where your sugar is coming from :  1 slice of  whole wheat bread contains 2 tsps. of sugar, a can of soda contains up to 12 grams

 

 

 

 

2) Sugar comes in many forms and names.  Check labels; ingredients that end in –ose are sugar, and so is anything with sugar or syrup after the name.  CHECK YOUR LABELS

3)Sugar is a main cause of: diabetes, heart disease, strokes, obesity, high blood pressure and cancer thrives off of sugar

4) **** THIS IS WHAT I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY- sugar makes you feel famished.  It tricks your body into making it feel hungry when it's not (that's why I kept wanting more and more food!).  Eating a high-fructose diet means your body feels hungry, even when you are overeating!

 

5) ***** Much like street drugs, sugar triggers the release of chemicals that set off the brain's pleasure center, in this case opioids and dopamine. And as they do with street drugs, people develop a tolerance for sugar, meaning they need more sugar for a feel-good "fix." In rat studies looking at sugar addiction, when animals binge on the sweet stuff, they experience chattering teeth, tremors, shakes, and anxiety when it's taken away.

6) Sugar attacks the proteins in  your body that help to make collagen.  Thus sugar intake reduces the amount of collagen your body makes, thus causing your skin to get wrinkles and sag!!!

 

SOOOO what does all this mean?  Well for me it means I am going back to eating as healthy as I can, I am going to read my food labels more carefully and I am going to try to take care of my body and my family the best I can.  Does it mean I won't eat sugar, NO, but it does mean that it is going to be carefully limited.  If I want a cookie or a sweet I will do my best to go for fruit (with all natural sugar) or my Shakeology which only contains stevia and all natural fructose.  After feeling horrible for 24 hours I know that what I ate yesterday was NOT GOOD FOR ME IN ANY WAY and I have better options to choose!