The average person eats 22 teaspoons of sugar, that’s the equivalent of 130 pounds of sugar a year. Think about it, everything you eat has sugar and the worst part is that if you don’t watch what you eat, sugar can be quite toxic to your body.
What exactly does sugar do to your body?
- Many people suffer from a nonalcoholic fatty liver, which happens when you have a diet high in fructose that lead to fat building up around your liver.
- A diet high in sugar increases your chances for diabetes. Studies show that adding 150 calories from sugar raises the risk for diabetes by 1.1%.
- Diabetes leads to heart disease, which is the number 1 cause of death of people with type 2 diabetes.
- Makes you gain weight because fructose fools your metabolism by turning off your body’s appetite control system.
- Causes metabolic dysfunction, which can lead to belly fat, and throws off your cholesterol levels.
- You become addicted to sugar, because just like recreational drugs, sugar triggers the release of chemicals that set off the brain’s pleasure center, so you eat sugar without even needing it.
- Sugar makes you crash. Yes it makes you feel energized for a couple of minutes, but soon after you will feel the crash and feel tired.
- Excess sugar also creates saggy skin, acne, and wrinkles. It damages your protein fibers in collagen and elastin, which is what helps keep your skin firm and perky.
What Can You Do?
Eating a lot of sugar means changing the patterns that you’re used to, but you can’t get rid of everything that contains sugar cold turkey. It’s impossible. The first thing to do is look inside your fridge and pantry and start reading labels. Eliminate processed foods, since these contain tons of hidden sugars. If you have a taste for something sweet, reach for a piece of fruit, instead of a chocolate bar. Nuts are also a great way to kill your cravings, and these are healthy omega-3s that are good for your heart.
Eliminate sugary drinks, this includes soda, fruit juices, and smoothies. If you’re going to do a smoothie, do one at home by adding your favorite fruits and vegetables in a blender. Drink as much water as possible and if you want something refreshing, then make lemon water or blend your favorite fruit such as watermelon, strawberries or melon and make infused fruit water which is quite delicious. Start slowly and keep a food journal in order to measure your sugar intake. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat just 5 teaspoons of sugar a day if you’re a woman and 9 teaspoons in you’re a man. It will take some work, but you can do it!