The Case Against Carbs & Sugar

A few months back I did a blog post on why cutting sugar out of your life as much as possible would greatly improve your health and long term susceptibility to disease. It was called KILLING US SWEETLY. But I think it is time to revisit.One fact people are often confused by is why carbs count as sugar. So here is a mini chemistry lesson.When people eat food containing carbs, the digestive system breaks down the digestible carbs into sugar. The sugar then enters the blood. The sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, and with the help of a hormone called insulin, it travels into the cells of the body where it can be used for energy. So when you see the word SUGAR in includes CARBS. That means things like pizza, pasta, pretzels, bagels, etc.Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. While we all like to indulge once in a while, foods that quickly affect blood sugar contribute to a greater risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Geez! That is a crazy amount of disease we can prevent just by becoming more aware of how much carbs and sugar we are eating.But carbs are contained in LOTS of food. There are carbs in FIERCE foods like broccoli, beans, whole grains. Are these all bad? Well, this is the concept of the KETO diet. Avoid almost all carbs and consume mostly fats. While this may be good for quickly losing weight, it is not sustainable to long term health. So I am in NO WAY suggested anyone cut out broccoli, beans and whole grains. Just be smart about what you are eating and feeding your children.A way to do this is to learn which goods are good and which are bad and how quickly and how high they boost blood sugar. Diabetics know too well, that eating foods which break down into sugar too quickly can literally send them to the hospital with life-threatening consequences. So they MUST keep this level low. But that doesn't mean you can go wild if you don't have diabetes. You don't want to get it, right?! So the key is to change your lifestyle to include MOSTLY food with a low simple carb content. Here is a chart I found on Beyondtype1  website.Here is another more comprehensive list https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foodsCarbs and sugar compromise your immune system. As if being sick wasn’t bad enough, studies have shown that sugar can interfere with the way your body fights disease. Bacteria and yeast feed on sugar, so excess glucose in the body causes these organisms to build up and cause infections.Carbs and sugar speed up aging! While you probably know that sugars can affect your body composition, they can also mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging. After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging.Carbs and sugar stress us out! When we’re under stress, our bodies immediately kick into fight-or-flight mode, releasing large amounts of hormones. Surprisingly, the body has the same chemical response when blood sugar is low. After you eat a sweet snack, stress hormones begin to compensate for the crash by raising your blood sugar. The result? Unexplained anxiousness, irritability, and even shakiness.Carbs and sugar lead to tooth decay and gum disease. As may FIERCE dental hygenist sister, Genene can tell you! With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic cosmetic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, sugar causes decay more efficiently than any other food. It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day to stop sugars from fueling plaque and bacteria. Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, like those that result from dental problems, play a role in the development of heart disease. Most researchers believe that the connection stems from the body's inflammatory response to infection. Luckily, this works both ways. Making healthy food choices will decrease your risk of common illnesses, which reduces the chance that they’ll become a more serious condition later on.Carbs and sugar make it difficult for children to learn! This is a real hot button issue for me. Not only because I have a child. But I think it is so important for children to get the best nutrition they can to learn healthy habits into adulthood. How many of you wish your parents had know more about healthy eating? I consider myself very lucky that my FIERCE dad did have a keen curiosity into healthy food choices and I am eternally grateful. When New York City public schools reduced the amount of sugar in their lunches and breakfasts, their academic ranking increased by 15.7% (previously, the greatest improvement ever seen had been 1.7%). The study also eliminated artificial colors, synthetic flavoring, and two preservatives, showing the importance of natural ingredients for children. This is also why I have a problem with Birthday cupcakes in schools and bake sales.The old adage A Moment on the Lips a Lifetime on the Hips can be updated to A Moment on the Lips a possible lifetime of illness, stress, disease, fatigue, weight gain, tooth loss and aging.Now you are many wondering, "Is she really saying to NEVER eat yummy snacks?!" No way! I am not saying that AT ALL. I love pizza, pasta, popcorn, ice cream and dark chocolate and have them sometimes. I don't have them as main foods. I also understand that there are many reasons that you may be reaching for these foods to self soothe and avoid emotions. You may also be suffering under the addictive properties of carbs and sugar. This is one of the many reasons why I started coaching. I want as many people as possible to learn new habits about eating and find out the triggers to help themselves be healthier, feel better and STAY FIERCE!I recently revamped the LIFE SURVEY to be more simple and easy. This is because I want you to understand where you might need to focus to lead the most FIERCE life you can.