It's about 9:00 pm as I write this blog, and I'm dreaming about the french vanilla ice creme in my freezer waiting to be topped with the smooth deliciousness of hot fudge...
I'm on day 5 of no #sugar, and needless to say, I'm having major sugar cravings!
Nightly desserts and I have to break up.
I won't tell you, I'll never eat another dessert--I know me to well-- I am telling you my awareness of how much sugar I eat, and my desire to drastically cut back on it, is real.
Since I was a child, sugar has been my achilles heel. I remember bicycling to the local Speedy Mart, with 25 cents in my pocket; with the sole purpose of buying 3 different candy treats. Yes, I could purchase 2 candy bars and a smaller package of candy for 25 cents!! More than that, I loved soda, oh, did I love soda--my favorites were Squirt, Orange Crush, A & W Root Beer, and Coca Cola.
I gave up the soda and junky candy in my 20's but my sweet tooth remained. Up until a few years ago, I thought smugly to myself, since I'm only a few pounds over my ideal weight, what's the big deal if I eat dessert most every night? I'm learning more, and more, it is a big deal, a very big deal.
I've read 80 percent of our food choices contain sugar! I'm not talking about desserts either, it's the hidden sugar.
How about you? Have you ever stopped to think about how much sugar YOU consume? Everything I read tells me sugar is causing much of our inflammation; cancer feeds on it, and it's terrible for your skin! Another way sugar affects us is:
Brain Fog!
Blanking out in the middle of a meeting or sentence? Research out of UCLA suggests that sugar forms free radicals in the brain's membrane and compromises nerve cells' ability to communicate. This could have repercussions in how well we remember instructions, process ideas, and handle our moods, says Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, Ph.D., author of the UCLA study.
If you want to watch a very interesting video on how Sugar affects the brain, watch this video. It's Surprising!
When you ingest sugar or high-glycemic foods that rapidly convert to sugar --your body breaks down these carbohydrates into glucose, which raises your insulin levels. Simple carbohydrates, like refined sugar, white bread and soda, cause your insulin levels to spike, which leads to a burst of inflammation throughout the body.
Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles.
Digested sugar permanently attaches to the collagen in your skin through a process known as glycation. Aside from increasing the effects of aging, glycation can also exacerbate skin conditions like acne and rosacea.
The good news about sugar-damaged skin--It's never too late to turn back the clock. One way to undo the damage is to look for products with ingredients that support the collagen layer of your skin. Treatments that contain Vitamin C and Retinols are best. Retinols have 25 years of scientific evidence to prove they work.
Topical nutrients such as blueberries, pomegranate, vitamin C, tea blends, and hyalauronic acid can help protect against the damaging effects of glycation and oxidative stress on the skin.
Our Parisian's Pure Indulgence, 70% Organic Bleuet Oxygen Face Polish is infused with glycation fighting Blueberries, Pomegranate and Cranberries, along with hibiscus to cleanse pores deeply.
In my next blog I'll share tricks to counteract the damage to our skin from sugar.
In the meantime, I'll go have another plum!
Awesome information! I know I eat too much sugar. But fruits are included in that too. My Dr told me to eat more protein, like peanut butter, instead of a lot of fruit (I'm hypoglycemic) because fruit has high sugar content and the body doesn't know the difference (in sugars) between an orange and a donut. So I told her I'd have the donut! Now if there was only a way to get all those vitamins and other good stuff onto that donut ;)
Posted by: Tammy | July 28, 2015 at 06:40 AM
I struggle with a sugar addiction as well. I'd have to agree though, fruit sugar is just as damaging and we should eat only whole fruit and in very limited amounts, but at least there are other nutrients in fruits as opposed to donuts. :)
Posted by: Maggie Hanus, Soap Bartender | July 28, 2015 at 07:08 AM
So all I have to say is put the sugar ON your body not IN your body!!!
Posted by: Renan | July 28, 2015 at 03:31 PM
Thanks for the great information. I struggle with sugar everyday and it is hard. Good luck with your sugar hiatus.
Posted by: Marilyn Schendel | July 28, 2015 at 06:02 PM
Great info. I love that all the bad news ends on the positive!
Posted by: Patricia Robbins | July 28, 2015 at 08:22 PM
I actually wrote about this too. Such an important topic. I have given up so much of sugar already, but have to give up simple carbs again, too. Great inspiration.
Posted by: Roberta Perry | July 29, 2015 at 07:47 AM
I know I need to quit sugar also. I find if I eat 5-6 small meals a day I don't crave sugar as much. Then life gets in the way and I cave. It's a constant battle.
Posted by: Angela | July 29, 2015 at 08:08 AM
Oh the dreaded sweet tooth, this must of been written to remind me to leave the chocolate malts alone!
Posted by: Shonda Warren | July 29, 2015 at 01:56 PM
I am really struggling with this sugar thing! 8 days was as long as I made it. Went on a 5 day trip and ate desserts 4 of the 5 days!
Came home and have made a agreement with myself to limit desserts to 2 days a week. I can live with this.
Perhaps one day I'll make it 1 day a week, then never. For now, 2 days works.
Kelli
Posted by: Kelli Parisian | August 01, 2015 at 09:04 AM