Continuing my Organizing Your Health Series, welcome to my guest blogger today, Michelle D'Ambra! We are starting in the category of nutrition and she's got some great information on the dangers of sugar. Thanks Michelle!
Sugar Consumption in America by Michelle L. D’Ambra
Sugar hinders the body’s immune system and predisposes people to
allergies and infections. The number,
shape and activity of the white cells are adversely affected by excessive sugar
consumption. Some health conditions
associated with over-consumption are: allergies, obesity, eating disorders,
eczema, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, kidney stones and
failures, learning disability, mood disorders, hyperactivity in children, tooth
decay, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, candida, anxiety, type 2 diabetes,
atherosclerosis and many others.
Many people see sugar as just the white substance we are familiar
with, however sugar is hidden in so many things. Most sugars are found in processed foods. You can find it in barley malt, beet sugar,
carob syrup, corn syrup, date sugar, dextran, cane sugar, caramel, dextrose,
diastase, ethyl maltol, fructose, fruit juice and fruit juice concentrate,
glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, molasses,
raw sugar, sorbitol, sucrose, xylitol and many others!!
Beware of “sugar free” or “no sugar added” as this could mean the
products is sweetened with artificial sweeteners and other type of
sweeteners. They could also contain
naturally occurring sugars, such as fructose.
Natural sugars are just as bad, with their empty calories and that
your body responds in the same way, as consuming regular sugar.
Carbonated drinks are the single biggest source of refined sugars
in the American diet. According to
dietary surveys, carbonated beverages provide the average American with seven
teaspoons of sugar per day. Our daily
consumption should not be more than 6 teaspoons per day in total, of all
refined sugar. One teaspoon of
granulated white sugar is equal to about 4.2 grams and about 15 calories. One can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar, so you
are already over, just with one soda.
How many people are drinking more than one can of soda per day? According to the CDD “Sugar drinks have been linked to poor
diet quality, weight gain, obesity, and, in adults, type 2 diabetes”.
Where does one start? First
go through all the obvious sugar consumption and get rid of it. Soda serves no nutritional value and is empty
calories, which are responsible for many health conditions. Once that is under control, then start going
through labels of your foods and looking for the hidden sugars, I mentioned
above. Replace processed foods with
whole natural foods. When grocery
shopping avoid the inner isle’s where processed foods are found. Eat more fruits, but try to limit those to 2
to 3 servings per day. Many people with
sugar addiction will replace it with fruit.
Even though fruit is natural and healthy, it will cause the same type of
body’s response when consumed. Have
fruits during the day not evening. Sugar
is used for energy, therefore consume when you are most active.
For those dependent on sugar, you will go through a “withdrawal”
and may experience headaches, mood swings and low energy. Drink a lot of water and tough through
it. Once you get past all that, you’ll
experience more energy and clearer head.
Michelle L. D’Ambra
Follow on FB: http://facebook.com/michelleshealthzone
Michelle L. D’Ambra is a certified
nutritionist and health coach. Having
gone through her own health issues from poor diet and over-consumption of
sugar, she now helps others learn to eat healthier and be more active.
