I went to a mini seminar last week about sugar and wanted to briefly share some of the info with you.  It’s no secret that sugar should be consumed minimally.  Unfortunately sugar is in just about everything we eat including the obvious things like desserts and candy, making our consumption more than minimal.  Unless you are able to make everything from scratch, sugar is probably on the ingredient list.

At the seminar we were given a list with 124 negative affects sugar has on our bodies!!!  Slightly overwhelming 😉  I won’t list all 124, but here are 10 examples from the list:
1. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating and crankiness in children
2. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides
3. Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate and rectum
4. Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine
5. Sugar can cause premature aging
6. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines
7. Sugar slows food’s travel time through the gastrointestinal tract
8. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men
9. The body changes sugar into 2-5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch
10. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake (even if your body isn’t hungry, the sugar will cause you to crave more food…yikes!!!)

It’s nearly impossible to cut sugar out of your diet completely and I’m not suggesting you should.  I am suggesting you really pay attention to the sugar content in the food you are eating and try to stay under 6g of sugar per serving.  You want to avoid any refined sugars and any artificial sweeteners.  Stevia is a great substitute!  I realize if you are a person who LOVES sugar and has no intention of cutting back then you probably won’t.  PLEASE just be aware of the ways sugar can harm you.

Here’s an example of one benefit that can come from cutting back on sugar (aside from losing weight).  A friend of mine was having a horrible time sleeping.  She would wake up 4-6x every night.  She went to go see Dr. Amanda Childress, the woman who gave the seminar on sugar, and decided to take her advice and cut back her sugar drastically.  She had immediate results!  After one day of getting rid of the refined sugar she was able to sleep the WHOLE night through!  For her, cutting out the sugar comes down to a simple question she asks herself “do I want to sleep tonight, or do I want to enjoy this piece of cake for 5min?”

Cutting back on the the refined sugar in your diet will be challenging, HOWEVER, the benefits you will experience will be worth it!  Let me know if you have any questions 🙂