We all know that consuming too much sugar is terrible for your body. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 10 grams (about two teaspoons) of sugar daily; yet Americans eat about 17 teaspoons of the stuff, every, single, day.
Why do we continue to compromise our long-term health and happiness for constant hits of short-term sweetness? To answer this question, we need to first understand what sugar does to our bodies, and the inherent difficulties in avoiding it.
To be clear, the sugar we are talking about here is mainly table sugar, or sucrose (made up of one glucose molecule, and one fructose molecule), as well as other refined and manufactured sugars (like high fructose corn syrup) and highly-processed carbs (that are quickly converted to sugars). Natural sugars found in whole foods are not a problem; but these other things — they are killing us. Here’s how:
What sugar does to your body
After you consume sugar, the sucrose gets divided into glucose and fructose. Glucose serves as fuel for all our cells, so it is promptly absorbed into the bloodstream. We can only use so much, and the pancreas needs to release insulin to facilitate its conversion into energy.
Fructose is basically poison. When consumed in its natural form, it comes packaged with both soluble and insoluble fibers, which create a protective shield in our gut to allow it to pass through safely. Free fructose, on the other hand, needs to be gathered up by the liver, where some is converted into glucose, excess is converted into fat, and uric acid is generated as a byproduct.
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High levels of uric acid can cause gout, heart disease, kidney disease, kidney stones, and Type 2 Diabetes.
Because fructose does not trigger the satiety hormone (leptin), it is easy to eat too much. Overconsumption can lead to leptin resistance, chronically disrupting your ability to manage hunger and weight gain. On top of that, fructose is about 50 percent sweeter than glucose; it triggers the release of “feel-good hormones” like dopamine, and has an addictive quality.
Now, back to glucose. The more glucose we have in our blood, the more insulin the pancreas needs to create. Elevated blood-sugar levels tax the pancreas and eventually lead to insulin resistance — where your cells no longer respond properly to insulin.
Insulin resistance is recognized by the CDC as a major component of metabolic syndrome, which is linked with a variety of serious health concerns:
Cancer
Large-scale studies suggest that elevated insulin levels may be conducive to cancer growth, and increase the risk of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
Cardiovascular disease
With insulin resistance, blood vessels lose their ability to dilate, raising the blood pressure. The kidneys have a reduced ability to absorb sodium, leading to hypertension. The glucose that can’t be used is stored as fat, promoting higher levels of triglycerides, while lowering HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Chronic Inflammation
Insulin also affects the immune system. Persistently high levels can increase susceptibility to viral infections like colds and flu, and cause low-grade inflammation — felt as muscle and joint pain, autoimmune flare-ups, and fatigue.
Diabetes
When the over-taxed pancreas can’t keep up with producing the insulin necessary to deal with excess glucose, blood glucose levels rise. This can be felt in fatigue after meals, increased hunger between meals, weight gain around the waist, and dark patches on the skin — all early warning signs of prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.
Fatty liver disease
When the body stops responding properly to insulin, the liver takes up the excess glucose and stores it as fat, leading to inflammation and fibrosis. A condition that affects approximately one in four adults worldwide, fatty liver is a common and early consequence of insulin resistance that can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
High insulin levels stimulate the over-production of androgen, which can result in acne, excessive hair growth, irregular menstruation, infertility, and weight gain.
Are you consuming too much sugar?
Hopefully you haven’t gotten to the stage of disease, but how do you otherwise know whether you’re eating too much sugar? The short answer is “probably,” but any of these symptoms can be cause for concern:
- Brain Fog: Your concentration is not what it used to be, or drops during the day.
- Cravings: You have cravings for sweets and high-carb snacks.
- Hypoglycemic: You feel lightheaded or dizzy between meals or when a meal is skipped.
- Lethargy: You have a general lack of energy or a sense of fatigue.
- Poor immunity: You catch cold easily or get sick often.
- Problem skin: You have dry skin, oily skin, acne, dandruff, eczema, rosacea, wrinkles, or rashes.
- Reliance: You depend on caffeine or sugar to keep you going.
- Unstable energy: You experience energy crashes, or feel especially tired or energized after meals.
- Unstable mood: You suffer from anxiety, depression or other mood disorders.
It’s not your fault
Before you start beating yourself up over getting into this situation, take heart — it is not entirely your fault. The food industry knows that sugar is addictive, and it is a cheap way to make their products more palatable. So sugar makes its way into almost every processed food out there (bread, salad dressing, frozen dinners, canned vegetables, you name it).
A little here and a little there quickly adds up without our even touching something sweet. By the time breakfast is over, you might have already exceeded the recommended limit.
As we become more aware of sugar’s devastating effects on our health, it is simply repackaged behind more obscure labels. Honestly, who would even guess that honibake, isomaltulose and mizu-ame are just other names for sugar?
So what can be done?
Many health professionals advocate for government regulation of sugar. In fact, Ireland imposed a tax on soft drinks in 2018, which resulted in a marked decline in the consumption of sugary drinks. But for now, most of us are left to our own devices.
Increased awareness is the first step, so congratulations on reading this article! Fortunately, most sugar-related conditions can be reversed with diet; and reminders like this — about you’re doing to your body — can help motivate you to avoid sugar as much as possible.
That’s not to say it will be easy; but you can do it, and it’s worth it. As with many things, the hardest part is the beginning, but the rewards come quickly and will give you incentive to continue, so let’s get started:
Plan your strategy
You can go cold turkey or take a more gradual approach, but your aim is to eliminate as much sugar from your diet as quickly as possible. High on the list are the obviously-sweet soda, juice, candy, baked goods and sweeteners. Then you’ll want to tackle the hidden sugars in processed foods and beverages.
Cutting out natural sugars like fruits and sweet root vegetables is not recommended for the long term, but it can be helpful in the beginning to speed up the process.
Be a discerning shopper
Get familiar with all the sneaky ways sugar is tucked into your tucker. Aim for simple, wholesome, fresh foods as much as possible, and completely avoid ultra-processed foods, like baking mixes, commercial bread, fast food, potato chips, and store-bought cookies.
Prepare
Unless you have incredible self-discipline, don’t rely on willpower! Remove all temptation from your home, and minimize social gatherings for the first two weeks so you don’t get derailed. Keep healthy snacks on hand (nuts, olives, unsweetened yogurt) at home, at work, and in your car for emergencies.
Establish eating guidelines
- Stick with regular mealtimes as much as possible.
- Consume proteins, fats and fiber first to limit your carbs.
- Eat slowly, and pause before taking seconds, so fullness can be communicated to your brain.
- Practice a five minute delay when you experience cravings (see below).
Beware of emotional hunger
When we are feeling anxious, bored, stressed, sad, or even happy, we often reach for a treat. Learn to recognize your emotional eating habits, and set a delay rule. Invest five minutes in finding another way to satisfy your needs.
Meditation, stretching, singing, or outdoor activities are great alternative ways to pamper yourself, but even a simple change of scenery is often enough to cancel the craving.
Be good to yourself
Giving up sugar is an exercise in self-care — don’t turn it into a punishment. Make sure you are getting good nutrition, rest, and hydration throughout the process. The symptoms of sugar withdrawal might make you want to quit, so solicit some support from your friends and family.
You may mess up, don’t give up! Forgive yourself and try again.
Rejoice in results
After perhaps a week of unpleasant symptoms (headaches, irritability, fatigue, distraction), you will start to see some remarkable results.
In the second week, you should experience a more stable energy level and improved sleep. The third week promises improved mental clarity and reduced cravings. In the fourth week you should notice a wide range of symptoms clearing, and a general sense of well-being.
By the end of one month, your taste buds will have recalibrated so that the natural sweetness in whole foods is very satisfying, and added sweeteners will no longer appeal to you. With your cravings conquered, you can take control of your health moving forward.
