We love sweet foods because it is hard wired in our DNA in order to survive as humans.We are meant to drink our mothers' milk, which is extremely sweet. Now that we live in the modern times, how much sweet is too sweet? How much sugary foods tips over the health scale to unhealthy? The American Dietary Guidelines suggest no more than 6 teaspoons of refined sugar a day, total, in drinks, processed foods, and in desserts. Most of us have way more than that without thinking about it.
Sugar addiction is stronger than cocaine addiction. With the onset of using high fructose corn syrup in processed foods during the 1950s and beyond, we have been constantly bombarded with refined sugar and sugary syrups in every kind of restaurant, grocery, media advertising.
Too much refined sugar consumption quickly raises the blood sugar levels during digestion and absorption of the sweet foods. Usually there is a period of high energy and then the blood sugar levels dive down, causing us to want more and more of the sweet and refined foods. It is a vicious cycle.
The hormone insulin can’t keep up with the high sugar consumption and the excess sugar then tends to put fat on the body. If this continues for a long time, say six months or more, eventually one becomes insulin resistant. That means the insulin cannot do its job well. The whole hormone system can get out of whack and not support our health.
If an athlete needs a sugary food before an event, I suggest a banana or some carb and protein bars with natural sugars like in figs, dates, and honey. One can enhance their sport performance with coffee and cream adding a little sugar as well. The caffeine and polyphenols in high quality coffee will help the focus and energy in endurance sports.
I hope this helps you, dear readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self Series
-CPT, CFI, Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator
www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
-superiorself on Instagram, Twitter
-KJ Landis on LinkedIn
-Superior Self with KJ Landis on Facebook
Books available wherever books are sold.
Sugar addiction is stronger than cocaine addiction. With the onset of using high fructose corn syrup in processed foods during the 1950s and beyond, we have been constantly bombarded with refined sugar and sugary syrups in every kind of restaurant, grocery, media advertising.
Too much refined sugar consumption quickly raises the blood sugar levels during digestion and absorption of the sweet foods. Usually there is a period of high energy and then the blood sugar levels dive down, causing us to want more and more of the sweet and refined foods. It is a vicious cycle.
The hormone insulin can’t keep up with the high sugar consumption and the excess sugar then tends to put fat on the body. If this continues for a long time, say six months or more, eventually one becomes insulin resistant. That means the insulin cannot do its job well. The whole hormone system can get out of whack and not support our health.
If an athlete needs a sugary food before an event, I suggest a banana or some carb and protein bars with natural sugars like in figs, dates, and honey. One can enhance their sport performance with coffee and cream adding a little sugar as well. The caffeine and polyphenols in high quality coffee will help the focus and energy in endurance sports.
I hope this helps you, dear readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self Series
-CPT, CFI, Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator
www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
-superiorself on Instagram, Twitter
-KJ Landis on LinkedIn
-Superior Self with KJ Landis on Facebook
Books available wherever books are sold.