Did you know that around 20 percent of American citizens consume more than 700 calories of sugar on a daily basis? However, this has a major negative impact on one’s overall health and well-being and increases the risk of weight gain.
If you do not have an idea how caloric sugar is, consider the fact that in order to consume 700 calories, you just need several soft drinks and one cake slice. Though high in calories, sugar is absent of nutrients which are pivotal for our overall health.
Nutrients satisfy our appetite and supply our bodies with the needed energy. Nowadays, refined sugar is all over us, from pasta sauces and granola bars to soda drinks, cakes, and candies. This being said, it is pivotal to reduce its intake and focus more on natural sugar.
Refined vs. Natural Sugar
Unlike refined sugar which goes through numerous processes until the white small grains are achieved, natural sugar is naturally found in fruits, whole grains, and veggies. This sugar, unlike refined one, cannot pose a threat to the health of our body and mind.
What’s more, it is not addictive as it is the case with refined sugar. Often times, people who are trying to give it up face strong withdrawal symptoms like irritability, mood swings, depression, and anxiety. This is because sugar changes the brain chemistry and easily makes us addictive to it.
4 Things that Happen to Your Body when You Ditch Refined Sugar
- Healthier heart
When you stop eating white sugar, your risk of heart illnesses will lower by three times. This is because added sugar increases the insulin levels that activate the sympathetic nervous system and consequently, elevates the blood pressure and heart rate.
Reducing the intake of refined sugar will also lower the LD cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as the blood pressure. When these levels are balanced, the heart will work much better. It will no longer need to work harder than usually to process all that added sugar.
- Clearer skin
Often times, acne could be a consequence of excessive sugar in the diet. What’s more, consuming soda drinks has been linked with higher inflammation in a study.
Further on, this inflammation can cause skin issues due to the body considering added sugar to be a toxin. When the liver cannot process it properly or you have not sweated it out, acne and other blemishes may appear.
- Lower risk of diabetes
Too much added sugar can lead to the buildup of fatty deposits around the liver and lead to insulin resistance and an overworked pancreas. Though the pancreas in normal conditions slows down the insulin production, if you constantly eat added sugar, it will not be able to keep up the work.
According to Dr. Robert Lustig from the University of California in San Francisco, 150 calories of added sugar increases one’s risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 times in comparison to eating the same amount of calories from protein or fat.
- Weight loss
As you may already know, cakes, cookies, and similar products filled with added sugar are really caloric, yet low in nutrients. This is why you get hungry fast after a sugary treat.
Hence, when you decrease the intake of white bread and soda drinks, you can lower a significant amount of calories and thus, have higher chance of weight loss.
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