It's Halloween weekend, and we all know what that means....THE CANDY TAX! Sure, trick or treating is for kids, but then there's the sorting...and the 30% "tax" the kids pay to parents in sweets. Am I right?
Maybe you've already transitioned to giving out non-edibles or something healthy and guiding your kids not to eat candy. If you have, this is excellent! It builds healthy habits early in life and helps avoid sugar addiction and chronic health problems down the road. Kudos to you, Mom and Dad!
But I'm talking about YOUR HEALTH today and suggesting this:
If you only take one piece of advice from me, please BREAK UP WITH SUGAR!
I know it can be difficulty initially...you might have even cringed at the thought of breaking up with your favorite pick-me-up...but it CAN be done and is absolutely worth the effort.
While thinking about this today, I was inspired to write this quick blog post about a few of the effects sugar has on your body. But first, please allow me to explain my point of reference.
Confessions of a Reformed Sugar Addict
It started in childhood. Sugary things were treats for good behavior. They stayed mostly hidden, but that was no match for my sugar cravings. I ALWAYS found the stash! [I feel quite proud of my sleuthing skills, if I'm honest.]
Then entering adult life, I could buy and eat whatever I wanted. In medical school, I lived on orange slice candy and diet Mountain Dew while studying [which was essentially every day]. In residency, there were enormous sugar stashes to get us through the long days and nights on call.
I baked sweets. I made candy.
It's amazing I wasn't obese with all of this, but I did end up sick and likely insulin resistant, although no one ever tested this.
I tell you my story hoping you will know I'm teaching, not preaching, from a place of experience. I tend to learn things the hard way with my health, and I hope you can avoid these pitfalls in your life.
Sugar stimulates your brain similarly to recreational drugs
Did you know rodent studies show sugar is seven times more addictive than cocaine?!! There are also studies showing the addictive nature of sugar in humans.
Sugar activates the same areas of the brain stimulated by recreational drugs, namely the ones involving dopamine, our "feel good hormone."
Sugar causes cellular damage
Sugar damages our cells. I won't go into science-y details here, but most people realize this is true. Whether it's high levels of refined carbs, high fructose corn syrup, or "healthy sugars" like coconut sugar, monk fruit, honey, maple syrup...it's ALL SUGAR. This is why we have an epidemic of metabolic and inflammatory diseases!
Have you thought about how that is predisposing American's to viral and other illnesses?
The inflammation caused by high sugar can affect your heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, eyes, skin, intestines, brain, bones, and teeth. Ultimately, metabolic disturbances can also affect your sex hormones and sexual function and feed the cancerous cells that develop here and there in all of our bodies.
Did you know that? Studies show we all have aberrant cells pop up during our lives, but a healthy immune system can hunt them down and kill them. You certainly don't want to FEED them!
The "Candy Tax" on your health
The point I'm leading up to, and the thought that lead me to write this, is that the "candy tax" is actually levied against your precious health.
Do you see that?
My days of sugar addiction absolutely led to the chronic illnesses I had to battle my way out of. Again, I tend to learn things the hard way. Maybe you do too, but it's my hope that you can learn from my mistakes instead of your own.
Moving forward
Does this resonate with you? Drop me a line HERE.
If you need help getting your health back under your control, please reach out. You need the right type of examination, the right labs, and the right plan to get you well.
I hope you fully enjoy the Halloween weekend with your family in health and prosperity!
PMID: 20495452
PMID: 21603099
PMID: 23719144
Comments