Nov 09, 2021
Are you focusing on your health? Are you thinking about making changes? Are you overwhelmed by the number of things you could change? A quick Google search will show you diets, sleep suggestions, exercise routines, and more.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the options, here’s a tip: there are no shortcuts to good health, but there is one first step that will make changes in your body right away.
That’s it. Just reduce the amount of sugar you eat every day. The American Heart Association recommends that you keep added sugars to 25 grams per day for women, and 36 grams per day for men. Added sugars are sugars that are added to foods in the form of sugar, honey, and syrups like corn syrup, maple syrup, or high fructose corn syrup, as well as any other manufactured forms of sugar added to foods in a factory. The sugar that exists naturally in some foods, such as fructose in fruit, does not count toward that number because that sugar is consumed with the fiber and nutrients that help your body metabolize it.
The average American consumes between 68 and 88 grams of added sugar every day. That's over 1/3 cup of sugar, every day.
Sugar, like alcohol, is pure calories with zero nutrition. Your body can burn it for energy, and that’s it. If you’re not burning it for energy, it is converted into fat, most likely belly fat. Every time you eat sugar your body releases insulin in order to deal with the sugar: to break it down for your cells to use or to convert it to fat for storage. If you consume a lot of sugar, your insulin receptors can get worn out, leading to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance will mean you have large amounts of sugar circulating in your bloodstream. In addition to that, sugar causes your dopamine receptors to fire, which means it gives you a very quick, feel-good response that causes you to want to repeat the experience. This explains why sugar is so addictive.
Although sugar is ubiquitous and pops up in strange places (who would have thought to check their spaghetti sauce for added sugar?) the good news is that when you remove or reduce the amount of sugar you are eating, your body begins to heal itself. The hormone receptors that are especially sensitive to a high-sugar diet, such as insulin receptors and dopamine receptors, can heal when they are not being bombarded with sugar. It takes about two weeks to re-train your palate, but it can be done, and you will be amazed by how overly sweet things taste once you’ve done that. It can be helpful to choose less sweet fruits, such as granny smith apples and berries over very sweet fruits like bananas and mangos during your two-week palate retrain. Afterwards, a banana becomes the perfect dessert!
Reducing your sugar intake will have an impact on your mood and mental health, can reduce inflammation and joint pain, improve your glucose tolerance (your body’s ability to deal with sugar and maintain healthy blood sugar levels), and help maintain healthy blood pressure, sleep patterns, and energy levels. A sweet tooth CAN be re-trained and you’ll reap the benefits in your whole body.
For more support and great recipes with no added sugar, including recipes for dips, dressings, and sauces, along with healthy breakfast options, check out Dr. Kiernan’s e-cookbook, Eating on Purpose. Join a community with a TRIBE membership to share more tips, recipes, and encouragement. Cutting sugar is a great first step towards better health every day!