We’ve all had those moments when we eye a sweet dessert, thinking that it can’t hurt to treat ourselves to something extra. Afterwards though, we may end up feeling achy, tired, and drowsy, worrying that we might be coming down with a cold. Beyond immediate gratification, the positive health effects of sugar are few and far between. Ultimately, sugar is an immune suppressor, increasing your risk of disease.
As little as 3.5 ounces of sugar can suppress your immune system up to 50 percent. Since most sugars are completely void of nutrients, it actually requires nutrients in order to metabolize. This means that sugar depletes your body of both minerals and vitamins. Through this, sugar impairs your white blood cells, making it harder for your body to fight off disease causing bacteria.
Cutting sugar from your diet protects your white blood cells and gives you a stronger immune system, which will reduce your risk of disease. With the fear of diseases like the Coronavirus spreading rapidly, it’s important that we do everything we can to stay as healthy as possible. Currently the fatality rate of the Coronavirus is 2%, 20 times higher than the flu, which is .01% and causes the death of 56,000 every year. In 1918, the flu had a fatality rate of 2% and caused the death of approximately 30 million people. A disease as dangerous as that calls for us to make our health a top priority in order to protect ourselves.
We need to be aware of the cycle sugar puts our body in so we can stay health conscious and motivated. The cycle is simple: when you eat sugar, insulin is released in order to reduce your level of blood sugar, which can cause your blood sugar to fluctuate too low. This causes your brain to think you need more sugar, making you crave it and eat more. If we’re not aware of this cycle, it becomes unrelenting, causing us to become sick, while also gaining weight.
In order to prevent this cycle and reprogram your body to no longer crave sugar, you need to go completely without sugar for 30 days. While this may be difficult, it’s well worth the effort. Once your body breaks the need for sugar, eating healthy and “clean” will become effortless. Without sugar, your body’s cells will come healthier, while naturally producing more good cholesterol (HDL) and less bad cholesterol (LDL).
Cutting sugar from your diet completely is nearly impossible, since all carbohydrates are essentially sugar, you can avoid added sugars. Here’s a list of added sugars to be weary of while checking ingredients:
- Agave
- Artificial sugars
- Aspartame (Nutrasweet or Equal)
- Brown sugar
- Corn syrup
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Maltodextrin
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Raw sugar
- Rice syrup
- Sucralose (Splenda)
- Sugar cane
- White sugar
While avoiding sugar isn’t easy, it’s essential to boosting your immune system and a healthier life. Your health and wellness is worth far more than that dessert!
