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Health and Sugar – The Sweet Truth
To stay in good health, our bodies are designed to run on complex and simple carbohydrates. This is the easiest fuel for the body to turn into energy.
What are these? Foods like whole grains, vegetables, beans or lentils and simple carbohydrates like fruit. When we eat these types of food, our bodies work as they're supposed to by gradually turning these foods into energy.
All the nutrients that the body needs to keep the digestive system ticking over nicely is contained in these whole foods as they also contain natural fibre. We have, however learned how to extract sweetness out of whole foods and leave the rest – which is bad news for our nutrition and health.
Most concentrated forms of sugar are empty of nutrition, but high in calories - unlike the natural sources of sugar contained in fruit. White sugar has 90 percent of its vitamins and minerals removed, and without these our metabolism becomes sluggish and our energy levels slump.
All forms of concentrated sugar are bad news for our health – white sugar, brown sugar, malt, glucose, honey and syrup, are fast releasing, causing rapid rises in blood sugar levels. If this sugar is not needed by the body it is put into storage, eventually emerging as fat.
We now eat a lot of refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, cakes, biscuits, and chocolate. When we eat these foods, our blood sugar level rises and we experience a surge of energy. This surge does not last long and it soon drops down again as the body releases insulin to re-balance blood sugar levels
Keeping your blood sugar balanced for health is probably the most important factor in maintaining even energy levels and weight. The level of glucose in your blood mostly determines your appetite. When the level drops you feel hungry.
The glucose in your bloodstream is available to your cells to make energy. When the levels are too HIGH the body converts the excess to glycogen (a short term fuel store mainly in the liver and muscle cells) or fat, our long-term energy reserve.
When the levels are too LOW we experience symptoms such as fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, nervousness, depression, sweating, headaches, and digestive problems.
An estimated 3 out of 10 people have lost the ability to keep their blood sugar even. It may go too high, then drop too low. The result over the years is that they become increasingly unhealthy, overweight and lethargic. But if you can control your blood sugar levels the result is even weight and constant energy.
Type 2 diabetes is an illness that is afflicting more people in the affluent western world and becoming an epidemic, affecting 1 person in every 4. This is caused as a direct result of the body being unable to control blood sugar.
How does Diabetes come about?Diabetes is an extreme form of blood sugar imbalance. The condition comes about when the body can no longer produce enough insulin, a hormone that helps to carry glucose out of the blood and into cells.
The result is too much sugar in the blood and not enough for the cells. This is very bad for our long term health. One of the tell tale signs is a continuous raging thirst as the body tries to dilute the excess blood sugar by stimulating the urge to drink.
What makes this happen? The obvious answer is eating too much sugar and sweet food. The worse culprit is glucose, which is the simplest form of sugar. Fructose, the sugar in fruit, has little effect on blood sugar.
The best foods of all are pulses - peas, beans and lentils. None of these have substantial effects on blood sugar. Porridge oats are healthier and better than most processed breakfast cereals. However, vegetables, when highly processed, can have a considerable effect on blood sugar. Instant mash for example, has the same effect as a Mars bar.
Alcohol also upsets blood sugar levels. So do stimulants such as tea and coffee, cola and other soft drinks and cigarettes. These stimulate the release of adrenalin and other hormones preparing the body for action by releasing sugar stores and raising blood sugar levels to give our brains and muscles a boost of energy.
Stress also causes blood sugar to rise. The body then has to cope with the excess of blood sugar by releasing yet more hormones to take the glucose out of circulation.
The combination therefore of too much sugar, stimulants and prolonged stress taxes the body and results in an inability to control blood sugar levels which, if severe, can develop into diabetes and ultimately obesity.
Controlling blood sugar highs and lowsThe only way out of this vicious circle is to reduce or avoid ALL forms of concentrated sweetness, restrict cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine and start eating foods that help to keep your blood sugar level even.
You can tell if your blood sugar is not being kept even. Look at the questions below and count up those you answer “yes” to. If you answer yes 4 or more times, there is a strong possibility that your body is having difficulty keeping your blood sugar even.
Are you rarely wide awake within twenty minutes of getting up? Do you need a cup of tea or coffee, a cigarette or something sweet to get you going in the morning? Do you often feel drowsy or sleepy during the day, or after meals? Do you fall asleep in the early evening or need naps during the day? Do you avoid exercise because you don’t have the energy? Do you get dizzy or irritable if you go six hours without food? Is your energy level now less than it used to be? Do you get night sweats or frequent headaches?
Being overweight as well as the danger of developing diabetes, is often linked with being unable to keep blood sugar even. It is a vicious circle of cravings for sweet foods followed by a rush of energy, followed by a slump, and then more cravings. The solution for controlling diabetes is the same for losing weight. Once you get sweet cravings under control, the weight will also start to come off. This can only be good news for your health
The Permanent way to control sugar cravings and lose weightThe taste for sweet things is often picked up in childhood. Especially so if sweet things are offered as a reward or to cheer someone up – they then become emotional comforters, especially at times of stress.
Remember we are designed to eat health food that you can pick off a tree or grow in the ground. Next time you are shopping take a good look at the average supermarket trolley - ever seen that stuff grow on trees?
5 healthy steps to reduce sugar cravings
Dilute fruit juice and get used to eating fruit instead of having a dessert. Sweeten wholefood breakfast cereals like muesli with fruit and have a piece of fruit instead of sweet snacks. If you reduce sugar gradually you will get used to the taste.
Eat whole foods - whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables - and avoid refined white and overcooked foods.
Eat 5 servings a day of dark green leafy and root vegetables such as watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, green beans or peppers, either raw or lightly cooked.
Eat 3 or more servings of fresh fruit such as apples, pears, plums, bananas, berries, melon or citrus fruits.
Eat 4 or more servings a day of whole grains such as rice, millet, rye, oats, whole wheat, and corn, quinoa as a cereal, breads, pasta or pulses. Avoid any form of sugar, added sugar and white or refined foods. Eat dried fruits infrequently in small quantities, preferably soaked.
However these are general guidelines only and an individual diet plan is what you should aim for.
Sugar AlternativesAlternatives like honey or maple syrup are only marginally better as they contain more minerals than white sugar. To get the health benefits of honey, though, it is best bought untreated rather than the clear commercially produced kind as it is heat treated to make it more liquid. The heat then turns the honey into a fast releasing sugar more like glucose.
Artificial sweeteners are not so great either. Some have been shown to have harmful effects on health in large quantities. One of the best sugar alternatives is Xylitol, a vegetable sugar. It tastes much the same as ordinary sugar, but it does not raise blood sugar by very much – about half that of fruit sugar (fructose).
A health report including a diet plan is recommended for anyone who would like to improve their health Find out how, here.
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If you want to know more about How To Beat Diabetes Naturally, you can start from here.
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