Breaking up with Toxic Sugar
[ LET’S PAUSE HERE TO REMIND YOU WE ARE NOT NUTRITIONISTS, DIETITIANS, OR ANYTHING OF THE LIKE. WE ARE SIMPLY SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE - YOU ARE THE AMBASSADOR OF YOUR HEALTH. THIS IS NOT MEDICAL CARE, MEDICAL ADVICE, OR A SUBSTITUTE FOR EITHER. THIS IS OUR STORY AND OUR EXPERIENCE ONLY. ]
Relax… a little sugar never hurt anyone, right!?
This was my thought - I don’t eat very much sugar unless it comes from fruit, times I eat out, or indulge in “healthier sweet treats”. I figured I was sensitive because I didn’t consume it often. A recent experience lead me to tons of questions and a deep dive face first down a rabbit hole …
Why should we should consider breaking up the sugar? Are there good or bad sugars? How does sugar feel in the body, and what message is your body trying to send? What happens in the body when we ingest sugar? Why is sugar in everything, how can we avoid over consuming sugar? Why is sugar addicting? I have so many more questions. I feel like I’m overloaded with questions and maybe you are too.
The not so sweet truth …
Understanding the truth about how sugar affects the body, how to tune into your body intelligence, and learning to listen to how your body responds to what you consume is the first step towards less sugar. I’m sure we’ve all experienced an overload of information about what sugars are bad and what sugars are good. Some data supports other data and other data is controversial.
I thought I was eating “good” sugar or at the very least, the most healthy option. My husband and I made some chocolate chip cookies that were vegan gluten-free made with oat flour and had really clean ingredients for cookies, although they did have organic coconut sugar. I indulged in a few too many cookies (4). Not long after, I noticed how bad my calves and feet were hurting. I felt sensations of burning, tingly, pulsing, cramping, and swelling. Later my hand felt this way and it triggered a migraine. Being the curious person that I am, I fell down the rabbit hole of sugar.
And there it was right in front of me… the answer to my question. Why did my legs feel and react this way? What was my body trying to tell me?
(keep reading for the answer)
What is SUGAR?
Sugar’s chemical structure contains just two molecules: one molecule of glucose bound to one molecule of fructose.
The BUZZ on fruit and veggie sugar…
The natural sugars that reside in fruits and vegetables are every bit as good for you as clean-lean protein sources and also healthy fats. When you consume fresh fruits and veggies, you are consuming fructose in its natural state of being. Also your body absorbs all the fruits antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. In addition, fruits and vegetables are made up of a high amounts of water that hydrate you from the inside out!
The vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables are sources of phytochemicals (compounds found in plants). These phytochemicals are used in the body as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. The body uses these to protect itself.
Sugar is a vague term so let’s get clear!
Sugar can refer to a variety of things, including:
Cane sugar
Brown rice syrup
Brown sugar
Powdered sugar
Corn syrup
Fruit juice concentrates
High-fructose corn syrup
Molasses
Syrup
Sugar ending in "ose" such as; dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose.
Someone you love
A cute saying
Giving someone a smooch
Why sugar can be addicting: Is it all in your head?
Sugary foods immediately make you feel good. They taste yummy (I’m not going to lie!), and sugar makes you feel less stressed in the moment. This is why we often reach for comfort foods that include loads of sugar!
Why does one taste of a sweet treat leave you craving more?
The cells in the brain need sugar to function. Your noggin craves and needs sugar, because sugar is actually its main fuel… glucose to be precise. It also triggers the dopamine receptors in the brain.
Dopamine is a feel good brain chemical. Eating lots of sugar will continue to feel rewarding due to the release of dopamine. If these levels don’t balance out, which they do when eating healthier foods, then sugar gives you an instant rush and a pretty big crash! Meaning sugar can act like a drug in our systems.
Sugar can also affect your mood due to the way it messes with your hormones. Eating sugary foods can cause sudden spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. These make you feel irritable, anxious, or even depressed.
There is nothing sweet about inflammation!
Consuming sugar causes our bodies to release insulin and stress hormones. Those, in turn, can trigger inflammation, which is one of the most common causes of chronic pain, autoimmune dis-ease, and more. The parts of our bodies where we have the least amount of blood circulation are at greatest risk of inflammation. This is why the joints, back, shins, feet, and hands are common pain points and can be the most dramatically impacted by sugar consumption.
Get this…
Sugar depletes important minerals that are needed for proper muscle contraction and relaxation. A high sugar diet results in the loss of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium in the urine. Sugar guides our bodies to release what serves us and store what does not. These minerals are not only critical to the proper function of every cell and the function of the bodies major organs, but they also play a major role in skeletal muscle health of contraction and function.
This can affect us in all our our activities. An imbalance or deficiency of any of these minerals can lead to excitability of nerve and muscle tissue and result in excessive muscle contractions or cramps. Non-natural sugar also affects the heart, liver, kidneys, oral health, and the digestive tract! (It seems never ending here!) It also affects our mood, hair, skin, nails. Sugar ages you! AND the effects of high blood sugar can lead to nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy!
WHAT I WAS FEELING IN MY BODY WAS NEVER DAMAGE. (Gasp! 🤯)
More ways sugar isn’t being so sweet: (INFLAMMATION)
🍭 Raises blood sugar levels
Glucose is a highly reactive molecule. Sugar enters the bloodstream first and then moves through the body. If sugar isn’t as sweet as we thought it was… do we really want it circulating throughout our bodies, in our blood, organs, and storing as fat to release later in the body? (It’s gonna be a NO for me, thanks!)
🍭 Gut health
Your gut is home to a vast colony of microbes called the gut microbiome. These microbes influence many things in the body and have the ability to cause ripple effects throughout - including your digestion, mood, and immune response. A diet high in sugars feed the bad bacteria and starve the good bacteria in our guts which increase intestinal permeability. This increase in intestinal permeability is also known as leaky gut.
What is leaky gut you ask? It means that too many particles slip through the intestines and into the bloodstream. The shocked and confused immune system sends your bodies defenders to attack these particles in the bloodstream. This creates damage and even more inflammation in other areas of our bodies. So sugar causes inflammation, then triggers more inflammation resulting in a potential source of pain, dis-ease, cancer, aging, fatigue, headache, and more…eek!
🍭 Weight gain and bloating
Excess body fat and swelling has been linked to sugar caused inflammation. Since sugar releases so much insulin, your body becomes insulin resistant. When you consume sugar, your blood sugar and insulin levels rise. Rising insulin in the body shuts down fat burning and ketone production. Sugar gives you a rush and soon after, a crash leading to low energy levels and feelings of depletion - shutting off the switch to feeling good inside and out.
The sweet bottom line:
Refined, added, and processed sugars do NOT contribute to your overall wellness. They actually have the opposite effects of healing. Over and over again down the rabbit hole, research shows the damage that sugar causes in our minds, bodies, and in our overall well-being.
The BUZZ on some sweet treats that don’t sacrifice taste or your body:
-Apples & dates (taste like a Carmel apple)
-Using fruit to sweeten while cooking
-Honey: natures gold with tons of anti-inflammatory benefits
-Maple syrup is high in antioxidants and low in glucose
-Spices such as cinnamon can add flavor and enhance sweetness
Balance…Balance…Balance!
It’s all about balance and learning just a little bit more to help you feel more energized, renewed, with lots of zest for life. If you’re looking for a little more support, reach out! We’d love to chat more about how we can help you on your journey to sustainable wellness.
