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Sugar: The Dangerous Food Additive That’s in Everything

Taylor Stolt, RDN, LD, CLT, IFNCP • January 17, 2019
Sugar: The Dangerous Food Additive That’s in Everything

Are you excited to start a new year?  Ready to make 2019 the year that you finally get healthier?  Not sure where to start?

There are a lot of pieces of advice I could give you.  But THIS change will make the biggest impact.


Tired of up-and-down energy levels? Struggling to fall asleep? Can’t get rid of stubborn belly fat? Suffering from headaches? Chronic pain? Mood swings? Autoimmune disease?

What is the magic bullet that helps with all of the above? Cutting out sugar.

 

Natural Sugar

When I say sugar, I’m not referring to natural sources of sugar.

Natural sources of sugar include:

  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Plain dairy

I would never encourage a client to completely eliminate fruits or vegetables from their diet. They both contain critical vitamins and minerals you can’t find anywhere else, and their sugar content is not a concern if you consume them in the right way (more on that later).  Dairy is trickier – I address this on a case-by-case basis with my clients so I can’t give a blanket statement on whether or not it needs to be in your diet.

 

Processed Sugar

Now that we know what I’m not talking about, I’ll explain what I AM talking about!

I’m talking about man-made sugar.  Processed sugar.  Refined sugar.

Sugar is not a natural substance.  We invented it.

It’s literally harder to make meth in your bathtub than it is to make sugar… Here’s a look at the lengthy process:

 

How Much Are We Eating?

On average, Americans eat 1.2 pounds of sugar…. EVERY WEEK.

That’s SIXTY POUNDS of sugar every year!

 

Why Are We Eating So Much?

1) Because sugar is cheap

Sugar used to be extremely expensive and only the elite could afford it (Archaeologists look at the teeth of human remains to see if they’re rotted from sugar intake, which tells them the person was wealthy!) That all changed one hundred years ago when we signed a treaty with Hawaii.  The price of sugar went way down and it became more accessible.

2) Because they lied to us.

In the 1960’s the sugar industry paid three Harvard scientists  the equivalent of $50,000 in today’s dollars to  downplay the link between sugar and heart disease.  Instead, they suggested saturated fat was the problem.  By the 90’s the low-fat movement was going strong.  What happens when you take out fat?  You take out flavor.  What did food companies add instead?  Sugar.

3) Because it’s addictive.

Sugar lights up the same areas of the brain that cocaine light up.  Food scientists know this and use it to their advantage.  Your addiction to their product is a good thing, for them.

4) Because it makes us feel good.

When we eat sugar our body releases feel-good hormones, which give us ten seconds of pleasure to distract us from whatever has us down. Yup, that’s why you want a pint of ice cream after a break up or a long day at work.

 

Other research-proven ways you can access those feel-good hormones:

 

 

What Is It Doing to You?

Sure, we all know sugar can make you gain weight and lead to diabetes. But there are alot of other scary side effects of eating too much.

 

Eating processed sugar can cause:

  1. Increased belly fat
  2. Bloating
  3. Migraines/headaches
  4. An energy roller coaster (especially a 3 PM “slump”)
  5. Chronic pain
  6. High cholesterol
  7. Heart disease
  8. Premature aging
  9. Insomnia
  10. Mood swings
  11. Anxiety
  12. Depression
  13. Hormonal imbalance
  14. PCOS
  15. Autoimmune disease

It also:

  1. Feeds cancer cells
  2. Damages your liver , the organ that detoxes your body
  3. Ages your skin faster

 

Convinced You Don’t Eat Alot of Sugar?

Ok so I’ve convinced you that eating too much processed sugar can have some serious side effects.

But maybe you’re thinking to yourself… “Taylor I don’t drink soda and I don’t eat a lot of candy. I doubt I eat a lot of sugar.”


 

Read the shocking truth!

About THE AUTHOR

Taylor Stolt is an award-winning Functional Medicine Dietitian and women’s health expert. She has transformed her own struggles with hormonal imbalances and poor gut health into a beacon of hope for thousands of women. Taylor is the creator of the Restore Program, a step-by-step guide that shows women how to rebalance their hormones naturally. Her mission is to empower women with practical tools and sustainable habits so women can reclaim their health and feel like themselves again.

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