The number one food ingredient to get out of your diet is refined white sugar. Refined white sugar makes people fat! Refined white sugar has no nutritional value to the body and when it is not burned, sugar is stored as fat in the body. White sugar has the same effect as heroin on our brain chemistry. We are hard wired to get rewards; our brain registers sugar as an award. The more we have sugar, the more we want it. Our ancestors were driven to eat sugar, as natural sugar was a rare find and provided our early ancestors with important calories. The food industry has turned nature on her back, using refined sugars to satisfy and addict our palate.
Refined sugar is lurking in most processed foods like ketchup, BBQ sauce, baked goods, pop, juices, crackers, and so on. I, myself, struggle with a powerful sugar addiction. The best bet for me is to just abstain from white refined sugar all together; otherwise, I too find myself reaching for sweets around 4 pm.
Insulin resistance and type II diabetes are prevalent illnesses throughout North America. When you eat simple, complex and refined sugars insulin, which is made in your pancreas, has to be produced to lower sugar levels in the blood. The more sugar you eat, the more insulin is made within your body. Both insulin resistance and type II diabetes are linked to an overabundance of refined white sugar in a person’s diet.
Instead of reaching for a candy bar or a store bought muffin, snack on fresh fruits. I like to use bananas, apple sauce, maple syrup or honey in replacement for white sugar. Use artificial sweeteners sparingly, as they are laden with a plethora of chemicals. Treat yourself once in a while and know all of the choices you consciously make to reduce sugar in your diet will benefit your health and well-being.
