Sugar Part 1
Dr. Andrea discusses how much sugar we really need, the hidden dangers, and the reasons we get hooked on sugar so easily.
Most of us feel like we are pretty healthy. We make sure we eat our vegetables and drink plenty of water. We are conscious of what we are putting into our bodies and we might even try to eat organic and fair trade as much as possible. But we just can’t escape that sneaky mid-afternoon craving for something sweet and delicious or the need for a little bit of chocolate after dinner…
This ladies, is one of the classic signs of sugar addiction!
The discussion on sugar and what it does to our body is a hot topic at the moment; the havoc it wreaks on our blood sugar levels and our hormones and how it is contributing to this global obesity and chronic illness epidemic that we find ourselves in.
So the questions we have found ourselves asking time and again are:
“Is it ok, how much is ok and why are we so damn addicted to it?”
Did you know that the food industry has something they call the ‘bliss point’ in all sweet food? This is a chemical point of sugar concentration that keeps us coming back for more, time and again. And we have all heard that sugar is just as addictive to our brain as cocaine. In fact, studies in rats have shown that sugar and intense sweetness is now more addictive than cocaine and heroin…scary hey?
So lets break it down a little bit…
What happens to our bodies when we eat sugar?
When we eat sugar, our blood sugar levels rise. Our bodies respond to this circulating glucose by releasing insulin from the beta cells in our pancreas. This insulin acts as a key that unlocks the cells and allows glucose to enter and be used for energy.
When we eat too much sugar or processed carbohydrates, our bodies start to become insulin iesistant.
Insulin resistance means that the cells cannot hear the response from the insulin – the key doesn’t work anymore. This means that our pancreas needs to produce more insulin to get the glucose into the cells. As long as the pancreas can produce enough insulin, blood glucose levels stay in the healthy range.
Over time though, our pancreas can no longer keep up with these increased demands and this can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, prediabetes and other health problems like Metabolic Syndrome.
How does this affect our hormones? (sugar is a hormone disruptor)
We all know the Hangry monster don’t we?
When our blood sugar levels drop and the Hangry monster makes an appearance, our body has an inbuilt way to try to bring our blood sugar levels back to normal. It uses cortisol, our stress hormone! However, cortisol uses other essential hormones that our bodies need, so when we need extra cortisol to help with blood sugar levels, it robs our body of the things that make us feel good. One of these hormones is progesterone which is used as a building block to make as much cortisol as our body requires. When our progesterone levels become low from making too much cortisol to keep up with our sugary cravings, the all-important balance between estrogen and progesterone is lost and we develop estrogen excess.
Did you know that women consume 275% more sugar in the week leading up to their period than when they don’t have their period? We are currently in an estrogen excess epidemic!
This may sound like doom and gloom, but please don't fret! In Part 2 we will be taking you through how much sugar is really ok, signs you may be addicted and easy tips and tricks for beating those sugar demons in the real world.
