Sugar is Addictive and Your Wellness Foe

Nov 07,2018

The holiday season is almost here, and with it comes festivals, feasting and celebrations! If you desire wellness, this season is potentially the most damaging to your health because of the foods loaded with sugars and refined carbs that promote high glucose levels. Sugar can be extremely detrimental to your health. When blood sugar levels are consistently elevated, it can contribute to many diseases and is even linked to some forms of cancer.

As the Greek physician, Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Not all foods available today make good medicine. It’s important to learn what foods promote wellness and which promote disease. Foods that contribute to high blood sugar are not medicine for your health. They are toxic and damaging foods that promote illness and rob you of your health.

Chronically elevated blood sugar can contribute to cardiovascular disease, liver disease, metabolic diseases such as type 1 and 2 diabetes and a host of other unwanted health conditions. When blood sugar remains elevated, it can inflame the body and contribute to factors of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t mean to be rude or crude, but when will we wake up to the issues causing the startling increase in diabetes and Alzheimer’s, which is now called type 3 diabetes?  At the end of my mother’s life, I saw her in miserable conditions because she never realized the damaging effects of sugar and how it related to brain health.

Is it not time for us to begin to focus on what is contributing to our escalated lifestyle-related diseases and the pain and sorrow they bring with them? These diseases are [TVBLOGCOPY]robbers of quality of life[/TVBLOGCOPY][MWSBLOGCOPY]robbers of quality of life[/MWSBLOGCOPY]! Lifestyle-related diseases include obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and leaky gut just to name a few. Modifiable lifestyle diseases are mostly caused by lifestyle, notably refined foods, lack of movement and elevated cortisol, a stress hormone.

The typical treatment approach of “a pill for every ill” in managing diseases with drugs that have long-lasting side effects is not the only approach, is not always necessary and can even be dangerous in many cases. However, if this is the only way some people can or will address the problem of disease, then it is better than nothing. But within each of us is the power to be informed and make choices to promote greater wellness and live with a higher quality of life and well-being.

I am joined by many other leading health experts in declaring that sugar is the enemy of wellness. Sugar is addictive and can be disastrous for your health. But don’t just take my word for it; research the effects of sugar on health for yourself. Simply search WebMD for what the health risks of elevated blood sugar are.

Tips for a Healthy Holiday

The best advice I can give as we move into the holiday season is to focus on the foods you eat between the parties. I’m not asking that you become a party crasher but be intentional about your wellness while avoiding the addictive power of sugar. You can make a choice to eat a few party treats that might not be so good for you, by making up the difference in proactively concentrating on healthy eating between the festivities. In other words, don’t use the holiday season as an excuse for bad habits. The choices you make in the next 60 days could develop into your new habits!

Your body is mostly made up of protein, so include it in your diet. If you eat animal protein, reach for organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised meats if possible. Also eat wild-caught seafood as much as possible. Salmon and cod are easy to find, they don’t have the toxic effects of farm-raised fish, and they are delicious! If vegetarian, focus on plant-based foods with high protein content not soft high carbohydrate foods. Also, fill up on fresh foods that are fiber-rich and loaded with antioxidants. Spinach and broccoli are just a few examples. Foods high in fiber will also help lower and stabilize your blood sugar. Don’t forget to include healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, and coconut oil as well as sour foods like lemon and sauerkraut.

I’ve only listed a few examples of nutritious foods here, but the intention is to hopefully inspire you to reduce the sugars and refined carbs in your diet and replace them with health-supporting foods that are thy medicine.

Also, support your body with supplements that target the health benefits you desire. Your body is amazingly designed with systems and organs that simply need the right balance of nutrients and nurturing to optimize their life-giving purpose. One last thing to remember as we go into this busy and sometimes crazy season, food is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug in North America. And exercise is the most potent yet underutilized anti-depressant. Hippocrates also said walking is man’s best medicine.

At TriVita, one of our [TVBLOGCOPY]Essentials for Health and Wellness[/TVBLOGCOPY][MWSBLOGCOPY]Essentials for Health and Wellness[/MWSBLOGCOPY] is to enjoy physical activity. Harvard Medical just released information that consistent movement throughout the day might be the most important thing you can do for your health. So, if you are a couch potato, now you know the single most important change you can make to promote better health and longevity. Say yes to steps and no to sugars!

I encourage you to now listen to your inner voice about what you truly desire. Is it to live with greater wellness?

May this holiday season be filled with festivities and joy to be shared with family and friends! And remember, between the celebrations, live each day intentionally to promote wellness. There is no need to fall off the wagon for weeks when you can live with intention while still enjoying this wonderful time of year.

This article is intended for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.