You may want to stay in the dark about the evils of sugar.
The saying “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” is not true. The reality is that what you don’t know will hurt you.
I’m not going to “sugarcoat” this for you. Sugar is going to rob you and your loved ones of health and wellbeing if you don’t do something about it.
We are living in a period where the current generation of little children growing up now in the United States may not outlive their parents.
Is this acceptable to you? I’m sure you, like me, would say, “heck NO!”
This message was brought to light by Michele Obama but the assertion is based on scholarly research. The problem is due to the Standard American Diet which ultimately boils down to sugar. It is in the fast food, processed foods, beverages of all kinds, and of course a myriad of sweets we are all accustomed to in this country.
We are well aware that sugar increases obesity and tooth decay, but I’d like to point out four other ways sugar is robbing you of your health and wellbeing.
Four overlooked evils of sugar
We need to open our eyes to these four ways sugar is robbing you and your family of health and wellbeing.
1. Gut health is impaired
Sugar promotes the growth of yeast in your gut. Since yeast feeds on sugar this leads to a vicious cycle. The more yeast growth the more we crave sugar and carbohydrates. It’s the yeast talking to you. The problem is that this leads to a yeast overgrowth of Candida which is very difficult to eliminate and leads to a host of health problems. It also prevents the absorption of essential nutrients from healthy food and supplements which further leads to declining health. LINK for more information.
2. Mental health is impaired
Sugar causes you to have spikes in blood sugar and subsequent crashes. The fluctuations in your blood sugar levels can lead to mood swings, depression, anxiety, and brain fog. It can impair your learning abilities, your memory and your ability to cope with stress. LINK for more information.
3. Immune system is impaired
Sugar decreases the ability of the immune system to function for 4-6 hours after consumption. The post titled Sugar and Immune System: A Health Hazard breaks down all the reasons and misconceptions we have. You might be surprised that the typical “go-to” “cure-all” when we are sick, orange juice, actually suppresses our immune system because of its sugar content. As stated in this post, “Basically, sugar is the villain you should avoid like the plague!”
4. Cancer risk increases
The effects of sugar causes our overall health to decline and can increase our risk for cancer. With a depressed immune system, our body has less ability to fight against it. On top of all of that, cancer cells feed on sugar much like yeast does. It’s a one-two punch. LINK for more information.
So how can we combat the evils of sugar?
I realize it can be overwhelming to even think about all of this. Sugar has infiltrated every bit of our life and culture. We are all addicted. It can feel like a problem too big to address. It is tempting just to want to live in the dark… to bury the problem in the sand so to speak. Even if we do want to address it we may think, “My family and kids will never go for giving it up.”
A transformation story
Many years ago, when we were raising our young kids, we were friends with a family that did not eat sugar. We were shocked that this was even possible and asked how they did it. Their story has always stuck with me. Their solution was simple. They set aside Sundays as the only day they would allow themselves and their kids to eat sugar. After everyone felt the effects of sugar on the following Monday, no one wanted to eat sugar after experiencing not feeling well.
A transformation story from our family
I have seen this transformation happen to my youngest daughter. She used to eat horribly. She filled herself up with sugar and carbohydrates and pushed away any healthy meal I prepared. There was no talking to her about this problem. She lived her whole life this way and being the strong-willed person she is, she wouldn’t have anything to do with making healthy changes. She was addicted to sugar.
When I started to pursue alternative, holistic options to help my daughter with her mental health issues, I interviewed many holistic doctors that said they wouldn’t even see her unless she committed to changing her diet. I knew this would never happen.
Fortunately, I found a holistic psychiatrist that would see her. I did fear that this doctor was going to harp on my daughter’s diet and then my daughter wouldn’t agree to a new treatment plan. However, this wise doctor didn’t start with her diet, even though I am sure she cringed at the thought it.
This doctor ordered tests to determine nutritional deficiencies, and she helped my daughter to slowly wean off the psychiatric medications she had been on for years. These medications caused a slew of health consequences and a very low quality of life.
After supplementing her nutritional deficiencies and weaning off these drugs my daughter naturally craved healthy food. It was an amazing transformation to watch. No one made her do it. She did it naturally on her own.
I realize now that health begets health.
Once you feel good and know what its like to feel good, you crave that.
Now my daughter is completely off all prescription medications and eats a well balanced healthy diet. She doesn’t desire all the sugar and carbs that consumed her before. In fact, she gets out of sorts if we have a busy night and we don’t eat a healthy, well-balanced meal with vegetables. I used to joke when she was little that the only vegetable she would eat was ketchup. It was true too.
Now, my daughter’s mental and physical health has never been better. She doesn’t struggle with the debilitating depression and anxiety that plagued her before. She is finally able to live her life to the fullest and do anything she desires.
I hope the “evils of sugar” being exposed and these transformation stories inspire you to take a good look at this problem and that you don’t turn a blind eye to it. I hope you will consider how you can scale back and make positive changes for the sake of yourself and your family’s health and wellbeing.
Wishing you the best of health and JOY in your journey,
P.S.- For additional information and motivation to scale back on sugar, check out this post from Helen Sanders at Health Ambition – https://www.healthambition.com/negative-effects-of-sugar/
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