Nobody wants to live an unhealthy lifestyle, but many of us fall into unhealthy habits unintentionally. Even if you try your best to eat well, exercise, and care for your body, there is one trap you might still be falling into each day: eating too much added sugar. Put bluntly, added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet. Worse than saturated fat, worse than cholesterol. Sugar devastates your health in more ways than you may realize. By identifying sugar’s harmful impact on your body and using simple strategies to adjust your eating habits, you can embrace 2018 feeling better than ever.
Added Sugar Is Addictive
First and foremost, sugar is its own type of drug. Just like real drugs, sugar causes dopamine to be released in the reward center of the brain. It creates the feelings of satisfaction and joy that make you want to reach for another slice of cake or another scoop of ice cream, but the pleasure that you feel is fleeting; it will simply leave you a few pounds heavier and a few steps closer to heart problems.
Added Sugar Feeds Candida
Candida is a type of yeast found naturally in your digestive tract, but it is only healthy and productive in moderate amounts. Sugar helps yeast grow, so eating too much sugar can cause an overgrowth of candida within your body. Symptoms of excess candida growth include digestive discomfort, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, sugar cravings, vaginal yeast infections, food sensitivities, poor concentration, and more! In short, if your body’s candida is imbalanced, you will suffer far-reaching consequences. Eating added sugar- or becoming addicted to sugar- virtually guarantees candida problems.
Added Sugar Ages Your Body Prematurely
Beyond wreaking havoc on the functions of your body and causing you to forge an addiction, added sugar also ages your body. That’s right, overeating sugar can make your skin look dull and wrinkled. As sugar works its way through your bloodstream, individual sugar molecules attach to proteins an form harmful new molecules that cause damage to the collagen and elastin meant to support your skin. Spring and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, forcing the skin to look and feel the same.
Living a healthier and more rewarding life doesn’t have to be complicated. Regardless of your health or wellness goal for 2018- whether you want to lose weight, reinvigorate your skin, prevent migraines, stop chronic bloating, feel more alert, or anything in between- limiting your added sugar consumption will help you achieve your New Year’s resolution!
For extra help defining a strategic diet and enhancing your lifestyle choices to support your goals, reach out to MindBodySpirit Care in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Shemesh specializes in Integrative and Holistic Medicine in order to provide his patients with customized care. Call (813) 935-2273 now to make your appointment!
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