4 Reasons to Give Sugar The Boot
by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD
It seems that nowadays everything we consume has added sugar. We don’t realize how addicted to sugar we truly are. It is often the culprit for unwanted pounds, lack of energy (although we associate sugar with high energy/hyperactivity), and stomach issues. If you want to feel better from the inside out, it’s time to cut out that nasty, little sweetener, and retrain our bodies to eat whole, real foods that are naturally sweetened. Here are four reasons to knock sugar out of your diet.
Improved Energy
Sugar blocks your body’s potential for maximal energy storage. Plus the drastic spike and dip in your blood sugar due to sugar causes only temporary energy, with a longer side effect. When you remove sugar form your diet, your natural energy levels will increase, but the body does need time to adjust as it will go through a “withdrawal” stage.
Weight Stabilization
The more sugar you consume, the more of a tolerance you build to its sweetness. Sugar is usually found in higher-fat foods, so we tend to overeat these products, which leads to weight gain. By cutting out sugar, you will stop craving sweet, sugary foods, which in turn will lower your intake of unnecessary fats and refined carbohydrates. Sugar also makes us feel hungry faster due to its effect on the blood sugar (again, sharp spikes and dips which causes fatigue).
Improved Intestinal Health and Motility
Our intestines need fiber to keep waste products moving along for removal. Most foods with high sugar content have low fiber content, which causes you to go to the bathroom less often. Sugar can also provide a constipation-like effect as well. This is not good for GI health as we need regular bowel movements every day in order to rid our body of waste products and bacteria. Once you’ve cut out sugar, you may find that you use the restroom more often, which is great! It may be a little annoying at first, but your gut will thank you for it.
The Cravings Will End
This is very similar to drug use. Once you’ve rid yourself of the addictive substance, you will notice that your body stops craving it. Again, you may go through a withdrawal period, but eventually your body will reset itself. The body is an amazing thing! Fruits naturally have sugar and will taste super sweet again. Your tolerance for the sweetness levels will have gone down, which will then make sweet items feel rewarding again without having to add a bunch of refined sugar or grabbing a sugar-sweetened beverage.
