Sugar is like the devil — tempting me with its yummy sweetness while secretly giving me wrinkles, making me fat and hurting my heart. Yep, that’s right: sugar is bad for your health. And I don’t mean a little bad for your health. I mean, really bad for your health. Now, before you panic and swear off cupcakes forever (not happening), the key with sugar, like everything in life, is balance. According the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults who ate more than 15% of their daily calories in the form of sugar had a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease. So, to avoid a heart attack, they recommend limiting your sugar intake to about 18 teaspoons a day. Of course, most doctors and the World Health Organization put that limit at 6 teaspoons… which is hard.
Part of the problem is that sugar is everywhere — in salad dressings, packaged breads and yogurt. So, what’s a girl to do? Before you get overwhelmed and go back to bed, let’s first break down why sugar is bad for your health, and a couple of simple ways to avoid eating too much of it.
Why is Sugar Bad for Your Health?
The main reason that sugar is bad for your health (and there are many) is that the liver, which processes sugar and converts it into energy, takes any that’s left over and turns it into fat in the form of triglycerides. This then causes your good cholesterol or HDL to drop. It’s a one-two punch that’s like lighting the fuse to the bomb of heart disease. It also makes us fat, increases our risk of type 2 diabetes, and breaks down the collagen in our skin. Collagen is the foundation of our face. When it gets weak, the result is wrinkles and sagging skin. If you don’t believe me, take a picture of your face first thing in the morning after a night of booze and dessert. Then take a photo after a night of delicious veggies, lean protein and lots of water. You’ll be astounded by the difference.
Sugar is Addictive
My brother is a recovering addict and he will be the first one to tell you that sugar is addictive. Turns out, he’s right. Eating sugar releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. This makes us happy. Which makes us want more. However, as the dopamine receptor neurons become overstimulated, the number of receptors that they bind to decreases and BOOM — it suddenly takes way more dopamine to get the same high. So, we eat more and more sugar, but feel less and less satisfied. Which sucks. At the same time, all that sugar spikes the glucose level on our bloodstream giving us a blast of energy. Which can be great for getting stuff done, but then we crash. And feel worse so… you guessed it, we want more sugar. And the cycle continues.
How to Avoid Excess Sugar?
The two easiest ways to avoid excess sugar is to limit your consumption of processed foods and to read food labels. You will be shocked at how many store bought foods contain sugar (and remember that sugar goes by many names like fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, and evaporated cane juice to name just a few). Salad dressing is one of the biggest culprits so think about making your own. If you haven’t already tried the World’s Best Salad Dressing, now’s the time.
Cooking your own food is the simplest way to control your sugar intake, but if that’s not your thing or you get rushed for time, just be smart about where you “grab and go”. Places like Chipolte or Tender Greens, where you can watch them actually make the food, are always going to be better choices than McDonald’s. And don’t get me wrong: I love a Quarter Powder with Cheese. It’s just the exception, not the rule. And if you are a soda lover, try switching out one or two a day for a flavored, unsweetened fizzy water like La Croix.
Bottom line, health is about picking and choosing your battles. If you love cupcakes, have one. Just avoid drinking juice that day. Or think about trying something that uses a lower GI sugar like these Sugar Free Granola Bars. They’re sweetened with coconut nectar which causes less of a crash and burn “spike”, tastes divine and is a much better alternative to artificial sweeteners which, according to the latest research, makes people gain weight. Ugh. If it’s not one thing, it’s another….
