Hooked on Sugar: How Sugar Ruins Your Health and Chances of Losing Weight

Sugar is a quick and cheap energy source, and it is surprising how much of it many people are eating. According to WebMD, Americans average 270 calories of sugar each day, which is 17 tsp. a day and that exceeds the recommended limits of 12 tsp. a day and 200 calories. Excess sugar affects many bodily functions leading to obesity and many preventable diseases, so it is no joke that sugar ruins your health.

A diet high in sugar can affect several aspects of overall health, including joint pain, cavities on teeth, fatty liver, an overworked pancreas, an increase in the risk of kidney disease, heart disease, and problems with sexual health.  

Many start learning to reduce sugar in their diet by cutting out sugary drinks and sweet foods. When working with a certified nutritionist on a weight loss program, participants learn much more about sugars and how many foods they are present. Some foods that are surprisingly high in sugar include low-fat yogurt, barbecue sauce, ketchup, fruit juice, and spaghetti sauce. So even though the meal might be sound healthy with chicken and vegetables, adding barbecue sauce makes your meal high in sugar.  

Participants in the Smaller U Weightloss Program understand that measurable weight loss comes from following individual plans significantly limiting or eliminating sugars. Many products are nutritious and do not include sugar. Note that many of the low-fat products are high in sugars and those are products to avoid.  

At Smaller U Weightloss, we work with our members who lose weight on customized nutrition plans, getting people off of sugars, while losing weight and keeping it off.  

The History of Adding Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup to Foods  

Sugar was originally extracted from the sugarcane plant in India and Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. Early sugarcane harvesting and production was difficult, and sugar was not available as a food additive until technology paved the way. In addition to sugar, the food industry was able to develop new types of sweeteners. Here in the United States and Japan, high-fructose corn syrup was developed to replace sugar in many processed foods and soft drinks.  

High fructose corn syrup in recent years has been an accepted cause of all kinds of health problems affecting metabolism, insulin regulation, hypertension, and obesity. Many people are surprised to learn how much sugar and high fructose corn syrup is included in things they used to eat before learning healthier diets based on more fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, and healthy fats.  

Documentary: The Truth About Sugar Addiction

Effects Sugar on Your Brain and Your Mood

Sugary foods and beverages are addicting because sugar causes a release of dopamine in the brain, causing us to feel good. The problem is that to get that feel-good feeling again, the brain needs more sugar feel good. And like anything we are used to consuming, we develop cravings for sugars. That is why people who are used to eating ice cream or a sugary dessert after dinner find themselves craving that sugar, and they notice when they do not have it. Similarly, if ice cream is something one does not frequently buy but then brings some home, it is tempting to go for seconds. Likewise, with fast food, people joke about it being addicting, and the truth is the sugar is what is more likely to make you want to go get fast food again, the next day.  

The sugar high from quick energy sources like sugar is caused by a spike in blood sugar levels and people feel that rush of sugar energy that feels good. On the other hand, a quick increase in blood sugar levels has the opposite results when there is a sugar crash. Eating lunch with sugars might make someone feel great when getting back to work but then a couple of hours later the sugar crash sets in.  

Fruits and Vegetables Do Not Cause Sugar Highs and Crashes  

Refined sugars in processed foods and sugary vegetables are different from the sugars in fruits and vegetables, that do not spike blood sugar levels with dopamine releases. Rather, fruits and vegetables provide energy on a more sustained level and one that helps the body better regulate its energy through proper metabolism. There are good sugars that are natural parts of healthy foods such as fruit. And even though there are good sugars, the amounts should still be properly regulated for long-lasting weight loss. At Smaller U Weightloss, your personalized weight loss program, the proper amounts of healthy sugars are included in your meal plan to reduce worry about sugar overconsumption.  

Sugar Affects Your Pancreas, Kidneys, and Heart

A diet high in sugar puts internal organs at risk, namely the pancreas, kidneys, and heart. Many of the problems excess sugar causes on internal organs can contribute to weight gain, obesity, and diseases including diabetes.  

Too much sugar causes problems with the pancreas when it is overworked and cannot break down sugar into insulin properly, potentially leading to diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes can lead to kidney damage and when they are unable to properly filter excess blood sugars, the excess may be released through urine and lead to kidney failure. The heart is at risk of extra sugar and insulin thickening in the walls of arteries leading to heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease generally.  

Sugar affects your liver, skin, joints, teeth, and even sexual health in men. Too much sugar can cause problems with so many systems that it is no wonder people call it the silent killer. The damage extra sugar causes do not immediately hurt us so it is easy to allow the damage to add up over time. When people on the Smaller U Weightloss programs remove the excess sugars from their diets, they notice feeling better and having more balanced energy and performance throughout the day.  

Alcohol is Full of Sugar and Affects Weight Loss

As we wrote about in our article, Alcohol, and Weight: Why Drinking Slows Weight Loss, we explained how beer and wine can kick us out of fat-burning mode for up to four days. The alcohol stops fat burning because, in part, certain alcoholic beverages like and wine are full of sugars and carbs. A 5-ounce glass of wine has about 1.2 grams of sugar. While different wines have varying sugar contents, anyone trying to lose weight likely hears that wine is not your friend. While you can have wine on your Smaller U Weightloss program, it is important to stay within the bounds of the individualized plan so that you keep your body in fat-burning and collapsing mode to get the best results from your hard work.  

Pull the Cork: Which Wine Has the Lowest Sugar Content

Get Off Sugar and Get Skinny Today with Smaller U Weightloss.

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