For more years than I care to remember, that dang sweet tooth had a TIGHT hold on me. And the kicker… I had NO idea how to get rid of it.
No matter how hard I tried to quit eating sugary foods, I continually failed. I tried different diets thinking that the healthier I ate, the less I would want sugar. This was true to a certain extent, but I didn’t know how to eat strategically to calm the cravings.
And so, after a few days or so, the cravings would hit me, and I would go nuts again, binging and eating my way through a TON of sugar and feeling like CRAP. I got to the point of feeling like I could hear the ice cream, cake or candy calling out to me and it was soooooo difficult to ignore! I am SO glad I’m not there anymore. No one should have to live through that insanity!
The AHA (American Heart Association) suggests that most American women get no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars, which is about six teaspoons of sugar. Men should get no more than 150 calories per day of added sugar or about nine teaspoons.
I wanted to share with you some of the side-effects or symptoms of taking in too much sugar and how they can affect your health:
- Fatigue. You are completely tired throughout the day. Typically, you might feel an initial sugar high right after eating sugar, so, with that rise in your blood sugar, you will experience a crash. Or, you may feel okay throughout most of the day until you eat a meal and then you experience heavy fatigue about a half hour after you finish eating.
- Cravings are through THE ROOF! The more sugar you eat, the more your brain wants the sweet stuff. That’s right, your brain. Research shows sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine. It is like a drug. Your body craves it. When you eliminate sugar from your diet, most people will experience detox symptoms. It’s a vicious cycle. I call it insanity!
- Brain Fog. Brain fog is also known as brain fatigue can appear as confusion, trouble concentrating, irritability, low energy, low motivation, forgetfulness. How many times have you started to go somewhere and couldn’t remember where you were going or what you were doing? That happened to me more times than I care to admit.
- Weight Gain. Excess sugar can equal excess calories. Plain and simple. The initial weight gain from simply eating too many calories from sugar is being compounded by the disruption to your normal insulin response. Insulin resistance means our bodies cannot process the hormone insulin and therefore can’t use the glucose (sugar) for energy in the cells. This then causes a build-up of glucose in the blood which is stored in newly created fat cells.
- Moodiness. Does it always seem like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Irritability and moodiness are common with too much sugar intake. This is our blood sugar crashing and causing those mood swings.
Do any of these symptoms sound oh too familiar? I encourage you to be mindful if you are experiencing any of these and how often. STILL NOT SURE? Feel free to contact me so we can talk through these issues.
To your health,
Patti
