It has been only a matter of decades since humans were able to eat sugar in such copious amounts. Sugar and fruit were once something that only the wealthy could afford, farmers could grow, and foragers could find. Now, sugar is in everything and anything from a bottle of ketchup to a cup of yogurt.
Below are some statistics to give you an idea of just how much more sugar the average person is eating these days. Yikes!
- 1700's - 4 pounds of sugar per year.
- 1800's - 18 pounds of sugar per year.
- 1900's - 90 pounds of sugar per year.
- 2009- More than 50 percent of all Americans consume 180 pounds of sugar a year. Translating to half a pound of sugar per day.
To the left and below are pictures taken from a man named Weston A. Price. He was a dentist who did research in the 1930's with aboriginal groups and dental health. He came to find that the groups who had been exposed to processed sugar and foods (western diet) had exponentially worse dental health than those who ate a traditional diet. As you can probably already tell, the top photos are from the groups who ate a modernized diet. Quite a difference!If you are interested in knowing more of this study, here is a link. Weston A. Price
Sugar Basics
Generally speaking, most of us are aware to some degree that sugar is detrimental towards our health - beyond what naturally occurs in fruits and vegetables. So why is sugar so damaging? What happens on the internal level when we consume sugar?
The research has shown that the best foods for supporting your health are those that keep your blood sugar levels slow and steady. Balanced blood sugar is extremely important in maintaining all levels of health ranging from mental health, immunity, and longevity of life.
So how does blood sugar work?
- When you consume food, the body breaks down starches and sugars into glucose (what your cells use for energy).
- After the conversion has been completed, glucose enters the bloodstream.
- Once the glucose has entered the bloodstream, insulin, an important hormone produced in the pancreas, moves glucose out of the blood into body cells, where it can then be used for energy.
- Blood sugar levels rise and fall based around your body's needs: down when you need to eat, up after you eat.
- After you eat, your blood sugar level will rise, and your body will release insulin to transport the glucose.
- The increase in insulin sends a message to your brain that you have enough energy to keep your cells energized.
- You are full and satiated.
Once again, insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas in response to an increase in blood sugar, it transports glucose into the cells of your body and also signals to the liver to convert glucose into glycogen (a form of stored energy) for later usage. Whenever the areas of storage for glycogen are too full, increased insulin levels lead to the conversion of glucose into triglycerides (fat) for long-term storage in fat cells. Basically, if you eat large amounts of sugar regularly and your body is not using the glucose stored up for energy, your body will end up storing the sugar as fat.
What Causes Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is caused by the consumption of too many refined, sugary carbohydrates and beverages. Over time, if you regularly eat sugary refined, carbohydrates, your cells will slowly become numb —or resistant—to the effects of insulin and continually need more of it to keep your blood sugar at normal levels. To put it simply, your cells need higher and higher doses of sugar to stay stimulated.
When the pancreas is not making enough insulin, this is where we see Type I diabetes (typically developed in childhood). When the body is unable to use the insulin that is present, the cells cannot use glucose, and they begin to starve. This is type II diabetes. A continual store of excess glucose in the bloodstream sets the stage for diabetes to form.
To detect diabetes, a high insulin level is the first sign. Unfortunately, most doctors never know to have this tested. Instead, they regularly test blood sugar levels. Symptoms of insulin resistance may result in weight gain around the belly, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, or even heart palpitations and panic attacks.
Carbohydrates
Throughout the years there has been a great deal of hype around carbohydrates, particularly low-carb diets. While there is some truth to the importance of keeping carbohydrates at lower levels, in my opinion, the type of carbohydrates a person is consuming makes a world of difference. For example, white flour and white sugar, are refined carbohydrates commonly found in desserts, pasta, and white bread. There are many reasons as to why refined carbohydrates have developed a negative reputation:
- Refined carbohydrates are viewed to be addictive due to a measurable spike in the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for appetite, mood, and digestion.
- They are quickly metabolized and create insulin spikes in the body (sugar high). Perpetually high spikes in insulin and blood sugar may damage metabolism, create weight gain, and set you on a fast track to developing insulin resistance (pre-diabetes).
- After being processed, carbohydrates are stripped down so that they no longer posses many important nutrients. Aside from what they are missing, desserts, breads, baked goods, candy, and soda and are all made with refined carbohydrates and often contain harmful additives like high-fructose corn syrup and trans fats.
You need energy.
You eat sugar.
You have a sugar high.
You drop and crash.
You need sugar.
And more sugar...
And more sugar...
And crash.
Up and down and up and down. If a person has this vicious sugar cycle, it typically has a huge affect on their ability to be emotionally stable. When a sugar addict does not get adequate amounts of sugar, extreme shifts in mood are common. In more serious forms of sugar addiction, these mood shifts can result in abusive or violent behavior, particularly more in adolescents.
Imbalanced Blood Sugar Symptoms
There are a wide variety of symptoms that may occur from blood sugar imbalance.
- Increased appetite
- Food cravings (particularly sugar and refined carbohydrates)
- Fatigue
- Brain fog, inability to concentrate
- Depression
- Pessimistic thoughts
- Irritability
- Obsessive thought patterns
- Feeling jittery, hyper, or nervous
Complex Carbohydrates
On the other side of carbohydrates, we have complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates come in the form of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. They have gained a positive reputation for the following reasons:
- They contain large amounts of nutrients and fiber that are essential for optimal health.
- The slowed down absorption rates of sugar provides a steadier supply of energy. This prevents less sugar from being converted into storage forms as fat, or in the liver.
- The slow nature of complex carbohydrates allow you to feel satiated for longer periods of time, supporting weight loss and better food choices. In addition, they also decrease the dramatic peaks and lows in energy and uncontrollable sugar cravings.
- Eat protein with breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast is the best way of keeping your blood sugar balanced. Many of us start the day with a bowl of cereal, juice, a banana, yogurt, or just a cup of coffee and sugar! Next time you eat breakfast, take a close look at how much sugar you are consuming. Breakfast foods are often not much better (or worse) than dessert. In particular, fruit juices, cereals, and yogurt are all places you will find sugar in abundance. By eating protein first thing in the morning you are allowing your blood sugar to be stable from the start. If you start out with your blood sugar at stable levels at the beginning, your energy will be much more stable throughout the rest of the day.
- 1-2 egg omelette with vegetables, organic cheese, and an apple.
- Scramble made with sweet potatoes, sausage or bacon, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and kale.
- Smoothie made with half an avocado, flaxseeds, half a banana or apple, non-sweetened coconut milk, and protein powder (look for powders with no added sugar and made from whole foods).
- When you eat a carbohydrate, always pair it with a fat, fiber, or protein. This means that if you eat an apple, have a handful of nuts or a couple cubes of cheese with it. Even though an apple is healthy, it still contains sugar and will give you a more stable form of energy with protein, fiber, or fat to slow down its release into your bloodstream.
- If you often become "hangry" (feeling angry due to hunger), make sure to have snacks on hand. This anger or irritability often means that your blood sugar is low and you need energy. This is where most people run for a sugary treat. Having a healthy snack with you at all times will help bring you to a stable level where you will be able to resist those fries and milkshake cravings with greater ease. I often keep a small bag of almonds for emergency hangry situations to hold me over until I am able to eat a full meal.
- Stay hydrated. Many people mistake dehydration as hunger and sugar cravings. If you start craving sugar or refined carbohydrates, drink water first.
In an attempt to reduce sugar consumption, many people have switched to "diet" or sugar free items. While these sweeteners are nice in theory, they are also extremely detrimental and should be avoided. I will not go into artificial sweeteners too deep right now (there's a lot to cover), but basically, the sweet taste of artificial sweeteners still creates a release of insulin into the bloodstream contributing to insulin resistance, along with a whole myriad of other potential health problems. If you are going to use any type of sweetener, I recommend raw honey, raw sugar, black strap molasses, or stevia. While each of these is still sugar (aside from stevia) and should still be consumed in moderation, these sweeteners still contain important nutrients.
Preventing Insulin Resistance
To truly prevent insulin resistance, eating a whole foods based, well-balanced diet is the most effective route to take. Below is another chart from Natural Grocers on how to structure a meal to prevent/combat insulin resistance and support overall health. Here is a link to this chart if you would like to print one off for yourself or anyone else.
Healthy Meal Wheel
If you would like an explanation sheet to go along with this chart, go here. Meal Chart Guide
Recovering from Sugar Addiction
Particularly with sugar addiction, sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils. To ween yourself off of sugar, taking it slow and steady is a good route. Like I said, if you are addicted to sugar and suddenly stop, it can create extreme mood changes. If you are someone that needs a more gradual plan to cutting out sugar, below is a list of tips to help you reduce sugar consumption:
- If you are not ready to give up soda, mix carbonated water with organic juice (no added sugar). It still contains a decent amount of sugar, but at least it will contain some nutrients. If you are into being crafty, make your own creative syrups to mix with carbonated water. I would also recommend kombucha as a soda substitute. It is carbonated, a little sweet, and contains some good probiotics.
- Keep a bar of organic dark chocolate on hand (at least 70% cocoa). If you do get a sugar craving that you feel you cannot resist, dark chocolate is the way to go. It is low in sugar and also contains some good antioxidants!
- As I said before, be prepared with healthy snacks at all times! Avoiding moments of desperation is key in being able to resist those sugar cravings.
Sources
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx
http://bloodsugarbasics.com/about-blood-sugar
http://www.womentowomen.com/insulinresistance/carbohydratefoods.aspx
http://www.naturalgrocers.com/nutrition/learn-build-healthy-and-delicious-diet-using-our-simple-meal-wheel
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