Our final food that we will look at that is consistently abused is sugar. Sweetness and saltiness are both flavors that it is human nature to crave. Yet, both of these should be consumed in moderation, if not your goal of wellness will be extremely difficult to reach.

SUGAR

Sugar is addictive! Our bodies need sugar to supply energy. Most of us experience an over abundance of sugar from processed foods. Whole foods like fruit and vegetables contain a complex sugar (fructose) but the sugar is balanced with other minerals. This is not the case with highly processed foods.
We warned you sugar could be addictive.

Refined sugar causes most of the problem with sugar overload. The human body’s natural state of being is interrupted because so many of the foods we eat are made with refined sugar instead of natural sugar. Refined sugars move rapidly in the bloodstream and often cause shock to the pancreas. When this happens, calcium is lost and the result is internal pain and bone problems. If that wasn’t enough your body’s blood sugar level is in a state of imbalance causing you to crave even more sugar.

The 3 pm crash is NOT normal! Maybe it was that morning donut or the bowl of sugar-filled cereal.

Refined sugar may give you a burst of energy, but over consumption of refined sugar over time causes disease to develop. Sugar is a huge contributor to overweight, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and tooth decay. There are a number of sugar substitutes on the market. Some even taste like sugar. Be careful which you choose. One that you want to avoid is High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS). If you have a “Sweet Tooth” and want to satisfy your craving try the following suggestions because some of the sugar substitutes actually feed your craving instead of stemming it:

• Curb your sugar craving by eating perfectly balanced whole fruits. Look for fruits that are in season. Seasonal fruits are usually sweeter and want require that you add any sugar for enjoyment.
• Some people use brown sugar in place of refined white sugar. Don’t make this mistake! The impact of eating brown sugar is similar to that of refined white sugar.
• Honey is a natural sweetener, but it’s refined by bees. Honey actually has more calories than white sugar. Honey has about 60 calories per tablespoon!
  

After these last few blog postings I hope we have made it easier for you to avoid abusing these food products. Remember when in doubt read the ingredients first then the food label! Also, if your great-great grandmother would not recognize the product or ingredients then it may be better to move along to an alternative. Tell us how your wellness journey is going, we would love to know!