We all know sugar isn’t good for us, especially in excessive amounts. But do you know why avoiding sugar is one of the smartest health decisions you can make? Following are just a few reasons why you might want to leave the candy and cakes at the store and not put them in your shopping cart. Sugar has no nutritional value.You do not need to ingest sugar. Yes, your body runs on glucose, but it can get that from vegetables, fruit, and any other naturally occurring carbohydrate. Your body can also make glucose from protein and fat if necessary. There is no reason to eat sugar other than to satisfy a sweet tooth. Sugar is nothing more than empty calories with no nutritional value whatsoever. And high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is one of the worst things you can eat. The added fructose turns to fat in the liver. Sugar raises your blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels are high, your pancreas pumps out extra insulin to drive the sugar into your cells to be used for energy. However, prolonged high blood sugar levels and prolonged insulin release cause the cells to become resistant to insulin. When the cells become resistant to insulin, the pancreas churns out even more insulin, and the cycle continues. The beta cells in the pancreas become damaged and unable to produce insulin, which leads to type II diabetes. Avoiding sugar stops this cycle.When you eat sugar, you want more, and you’re rarely satisfied.You can become addicted to sugar. Just as with other addictive substances, eating sugar causes a dopamine release in the brain. This pleasurable sensation causes you to seek out more sugar, and similar to other addictions, you must eat more and more to get the same dopamine “high.” When you stop eating sugar, you stop the addiction from developing or getting worse. To stop sugar, first record how much of it you eat in a week. Focus on serving sizes—many of us eat more than one serving of foods at a time. Gradually cut back on sugar, as quitting cold turkey can cause you to feel worse before you feel better. Find natural foods to substitute for the junky sugar stuff.
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