It's not that I eat a lot of sugar. But...I do love my chocolate! So, why was it important to give up sugar for 21 days?
The average person in America consumes about 2-3 POUNDS of sugar in a week. Crazy, right?? Well, among other things, it's found in high fructose corn syrup, which is an ingredient in a lot of processed snacks, cereals, microwaved meals, and almost every other processed food!
According to healingdaily.com:
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.This alone should cause us to take stock of our diet and find where we can cut out sugar. But, there are even more health concerns associated with consuming refined sugar:
- Insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes
- Reduction of good cholesterol and increase of bad cholesterol
- Depression, hypertension, and migraines
- Hypoglycemia, kidney damage, acidic stomach
- Speeding up the aging process
Pretty dismal picture, right?
It's not like we should never have sugar again, but we need to consume it in a much more moderate way. I've been enjoying natural sugars, like fruits and agave syrup, and they satisfy just as much as chocolate...though I'll still eat some now and then!
Thanks to healingdaily.com and wikipedia.com for the info!
QUESTION FOR YOU: What tasty treat do you sometimes substitute for sugary items?
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