Is Sugar Really That Bad For You?
Many of the foods you wouldn’t suspect have added sugar. Unfortunately, sugar is bad for your health. Anthropologists hypothesize that it’s instinct to crave foods with a sweet taste, like fruit. The sugar that is natural in fruit and vegetables doesn’t have the same effect as that of added sugar for several reasons. The fiber in the produce slows the absorption and the fiber and water it contains fills you up. That makes it hard to consume as much as you’d have eating a candy bar or adding a teaspoon or two to coffee.
There are several types of added sugar and most are bad for your health.
There are many different types of sugar or sweetener and consuming too much of any of them isn’t good. HFCS — fructose corn syrup—is called a natural sugar by promoters, since it comes from corn syrup and indicates it’s good for you. It’s anything but that and even worse than traditional cane sugar. Consider the amount of sugar in an apple, compared to a cola. An apple, for example, has just 23 grams of sugar, plus a plethora of nutrients. However, cola has 52 grams of sugar and no nutritional benefit. That’s one reason that food with added sugar is bad for you. It adds extra calories without making you feel full or adding any nutritional benefit.
While anthropologists say sugar cravings may be instinctive, neurologists say it’s something different.
When you eat sugar, it triggers the same reactions as opioids, by binding to the receptors. It causes the release of dopamine to make you feel good. Just like opioids, sugar can become addictive for that reason. It makes you feel good. However, sugar also affects your body negatively and causes inflammation. Inflammation can lead to heart disease, accelerate aging and impair your immune system. Too much can also lead to tooth decay, obesity and diabetes.
If you want to lose weight, start by giving up added sugar and sugar substitutes.
You often see people giving up regular cola for the diet version or using artificial sweeteners in their coffee, instead of sugar. While it might seem like a good idea to reduce calories, it’s simply not that healthy for you. Artificial sweeteners come with their own set of risks. Recently studies found that it can actually cause an increase in belly fat and a bigger abdominal diameter. They don’t metabolize like sugar and some affect the liver and the release of leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full.
- A diet high in sugar can raise your blood pressure as much as one high in salt or fat.
- Food with added sugar can cause damage to the stomach lining, while also upsetting your microbiome, the balance of beneficial microbes and ones that damage your body.
- Just like any addictive substance, the more sugar you eat, the more you need. When you give up food with added sugar, you’ll be amazed at how sweet whole foods are.
- A diet high in sugar increases the risk for dementia, insulin resistance and gum disease. It can lead to problems with cognitive functioning in children. It’s linked to acne, depression, gout and kidney disease.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
Everyone pushed themselves during exercise and instinctively knew they’d be extremely sore the next day. Muscle soreness, DOMS—-delayed onset muscle soreness—is the pain and stiffness felt after pushing too hard. It doesn’t happen immediately but takes between 24 and 48 hours to appear. It happens because of inflammation that occurs when muscle tissue breaks down. You need muscle tissue to break down and microtears in the muscles in order for it to repair itself, grow and get stronger, but it can be painful until it does. There are some steps you can take to ease the muscle soreness in the meantime.
We use only natural, scientific methods at UpFit Academy in New York, NY, to help people get fitter, gain muscle mass and shed extra pounds. It starts by making lifestyle changes. Eating healthy, getting adequate sleep and of course, following a program of regular exercise to build lean muscle mass are key to getting fit. We focus on scientifically based, natural techniques to build muscle tissue with personalized programs of exercise and nutrition to boost your progress and help you lose weight, as you build muscle.
Life is hectic in New York, NY, which is why most people try to stay healthy the easiest way, by taking vitamins, rather than making lifestyle changes. It’s easy to understand. They’re promoted on TV, social media and on the radio. The commercials can be pretty convincing, especially if you want a quick fix for your health. However, there are many things people who take them regularly didn’t know that might change their mind or make them change their regimen.
Everyone wants to get fitter, but it’s hard to find the time to do that, so often that goal is left to the sidelines. However, there is a way to fit exercise into your weekly schedule. In fact, there are several techniques you can use that will help improve the potential of making exercise a regular function of your day. The first is simple, schedule it. Find a time of day that you normally don’t have anything scheduled and make that your exercise appointment. Make sure you include time to change clothing and shower if it’s in the middle of the day.
Where’s the first place you look for nutritional info on the foods you consume? It’s on the packaging or label, of course. There are all types of information, which includes the amount of sugar the product contains, the amount carbs, protein or fat and the vitamin and mineral content. There’s also a list of ingredients, so you can see whether the food is Frankenstein food made in a lab or free of additives.
I love the small specialty shops in New York, NY. I find many interesting new trends there. Some of those trends follow the latest science and others don’t. It’s gone mainstream with large salt companies joining in on the potential of the health benefits of sea salt over table salt. Is there a difference between the two and if sea salt is better, which one is the best? They are all sodium chloride, NACL, so what is the primary difference and is it healthier or worth the extra cost?
If you love the smell of garlic coming from the kitchen, either used in an aioli sauce or gracing Italian bread and mixed with butter, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll dodge high blood pressure, but it could be a start. The key is what you eat with the garlic laced food. If you’re topping the meal off with a huge bowl of ice cream or snack on multiple candy bars, don’t expect the benefits to be that great. However, if you eat garlic with salmon, berries, pumpkin seed, beans, broccoli or celery as part of your meal, you’ll boost the blood pressure lowering potential.
People are often less concerned about health issues that they can’t see and that don’t affect their daily life, such as high blood pressure. Even though it’s dangerous, if they look good and feel good, it’s often forgotten. Whether it’s about serious conditions like high blood pressure or looking for foods that are anti-aging, you normally find they’re similar. Many of the foods that are anti-aging are also ones that give you more long-lasting energy, so you feel younger, too.
Planning healthy meals is important. However, most people fail to include snacks. That can leave them starved at their next meal, so they overeat or even worse, grab a quick candy bar from the vending machine at work or some unhealthy snacks at the gas station/convenience store. Not only are healthy snacks lower in calories, they’re higher in nutrition and can keep you feeling full and energized throughout the day.