78 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

SUGAR, Friend or Foe? by Nadine, N.D., C.N.S.

Greetings to all on this glorious November day.  As we enter into the ‘holiday’ season, multiple opportunities present themselves to do something different.  Many times, we as humans, tend to fall into old patterns and behaviors, especially when it comes to the consumption of sugar and sugar products.  It is my experience that the topic of sugar becomes the pink elephant.  No one seems to want to talk about it because that would mean not feeding a potential addiction.  If you have been following any of the articles I have written, you know that it just is not my style to run away from a topic.  You can choose not read this one, that is within your right.  However, I challenge you TO read this information.  Read it with an OPEN MIND.  Read with an OPEN HEART.  Be prepared to have some of your beliefs around sugar squashed.  And maybe, just maybe you will strive for a holiday season or a life filled with health and vitality!

The easiest statement I can make is this:  SUGAR KILLS!  Period!  It kills your immune system, preventing the body from healing.  It kills your energy levels.  It kills a positive attitude.  It destroys the balance within the body’s hormonal system.  In the last article, we talked about hormones being the the chemical communicators between all cells.  And the fact that All hormones depend on each other to do their job.  When the system (body) gets short circuited with sugar, all hell breaks loose internally.  The body simply shuts down. The communication pathways are closed.  One 8 oz glass of soda can shut the immune system down for eight hours.  Here is an eye opening mini-list of common breakfast or snack items with their sugar per serving listing:

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As a cancer survivor, I can tell you that sugar feeds cancer cells!  It completely wipes out your immune system, weakening your defense line against bacterial infection, illness or disease.  Sugar also promotes depression, fatigue, anger and lack of interest.  Not to mention the cravings for more sugar.  OMG!!!  Talk about blowing the door open to binge eating!!!!  Yep, look behind the door of a binge and you will see sugar lurking everywhere.  Girls and ladies who suffer from painful menstrual cycles, take a peek at your sugar intake.  Ladies who are suffering from PMS, menopause, endometriosis etc… take a peek at your sugar intake.  Boys, Girls, Men and Women who can not stay focused, who have ADD or ADHD, etc, look a the sugar intake.  Trust me, the list goes on and on and on.

Below I have pasted in an article that lists 78 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health.  These have been extracted from a variety of medical journals and scientific publications.  Due to space in this ezine, I did not include the pages of references.  If you would like them, click here.  This link will take you to the inform yourself section of my coachnadine website.  At that point, click on the link to sugar’s metabolic consequences.

Read your labels.  Some foods will be listed as sugar free, yet contain many of the other forms of sugar.  While sugar substitutes do not contain calories, they still spike the sugar insulin and make you crave more sweetened foods.  Here are some forms of sugar and sugar substitutes: brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice sweetener, confectioner’s sugar, corn sweeteners, corn syrup solids, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose, galactose, glucose, granulated sugar, honey, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, sucrose, maple sugar, molasses, raw sugar, turbinado, white sugar, sorbitol, isomalt, mannitol, xylitol, aspartame, saccharine, sucralose etc.

I recommend the herb stevia to my clients.  In my world, stevia is known as the number one herb to balance the pancreas.  Stevia will not spike your insulin levels.  Stevia is available in powder and a variety of liquid flavors.  Some folks have also had great success with Agave.

As you read product labels, check out the carb to sugar ratio.  If an item has 38 carbs and 33 of them are sugars, you might want to make a different choice.  A better choice would be a serving that has 39 g carbs with 8 sugars. A good rule of thumb is to have less than 20% of your overall carb intake from sugars.  If you want to drop body fat… this number should be considerably lower.  In all the years I have been working on my own food issues, or working with a client, it comes down to this:  if you eat foods that are sweetened… you will crave sweetened food.

I am about finding ways to Heal, Nurture and Uplift the body.  If you find you have a desire for something sweet, a nice next step might be to enjoy a fig or date,  steamed/raw beets or a lovely baked yam.   My heart is with you as you read over the enclosed list.  May you be empowered to make choices and changes that lift you UP, fill you will Energy, and increase your Vitality.

Much love goes out to you.

~ Dr Nadine

78 WAYS SUGAR CAN RUIN YOUR HEALTH

In addition to throwing off the body’s homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. The following is a listing of some of sugar’s metabolic consequences from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.

2. Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance.

3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children (and adults).

4. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children/adults.

5. Sugar can adversely affect children’s school grades.

6. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.

7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.

8. Sugar can cause kidney damage.

9. Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).

10.  Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).

11.  Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.

12.  Sugar can cause copper deficiency.

13.  Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.

14.  Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and rectum.

15.  Sugar can cause colon cancer, with an increased risk in women.

16.  Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.

17.  Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.

18.  Sugar can weaken eyesight.

19.  Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.

20.  Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.

21.  Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.

22.  Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.

23.  Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

24.  Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.

25.  Sugar can lead to alcoholism.

26.  Sugar can promote tooth decay.

27.  Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.

28.  High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

29.  Sugar can cause a raw, inflamed intestinal tract in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.

30.  Sugar can cause arthritis.

31.  Sugar can cause asthma.

32.  Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection/overgrowth).

33.  Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.

34.  Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

35.  Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.

36.  Sugar can cause appendicitis.

37.  Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

38.  Sugar can indirectly cause hemorrhoids.

39.  Sugar can cause varicose veins.

40.  Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraception users.

41.  Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.

42.  Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.

43.  Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.

44.  Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

45.  Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.

46.  Sugar can decrease growth hormone.

47.  Sugar can increase total cholesterol.

48.  Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.

49.  Sugar can change the structure of protein causing interference with protein absorption.

50.  Sugar causes food allergies.

51.  Sugar can contribute to diabetes.

52.  Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

53.  Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

54.  Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.

55.  Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.

56.  Sugar can cause cataracts.

57.  Sugar can cause emphysema.

58.  Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.

59.  Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.

60.  Sugar lowers the enzymes’ ability to function.

61.  Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function.

62.  Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.

63.  Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.

64.  Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.

65.  Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.

66.  Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.

67.  Sugar can cause constipation.

68.  Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).

69.  Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.

70.  Sugar can cause hypertension.

71.  Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.

72.  Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind’s ability to think clearly.

73.  Sugar can cause depression.

74.  Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.

75.  Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

76.  Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.

77.  Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots.

78. Sugar can increase the risk of Alzheimer Disease.

If you would like the list of references for this information, please send me an email or follow the directions above for the link to this information on my coachnadine website.  This information was edited from Dr. Nancy Appleton’s book “Lick the Sugar Habit”.

JOY, Empowerment and Inspiration await you within the SOUL Food deck one by NADINE, N.D., C.N.S. The app is a beautiful deck of 66 cards providing Soulful Nourishment for the Body, Mind, Emotions and Spirit. Available NOW for your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. If the link does not work for you enter SOUL FOOD + NADINE in the search window within iTunes.

NADINE is a Naturopath and Holistic Nutrition Specialist with over 30 years experience in the Health and Fitness Industry and teaches her clients the Art of building and maintaining lean muscle tissue as they drop body fat in a unique program designed for them. Nadine has coached all levels and genre of people and has taught a variety of programs including but not limited to Personal and Sports Nutrition, Sports Psychology, and Weight Lifting/Bodybuilding. Nadine is available for seminars and workshops based on availability. For more information contact Dr NADINE at 970-443-2541, email: [email protected] or visit www.coachnadine.com

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