Sooo….you may have seen “That Sugar Movie”….or not, but we all know sugar is not good for our health in general. All prepackaged foods full of hidden sugars….& play havoc to our bodies.
Not only does sugar add centimetres to our waistlines….but if our gut health is poor then we’re potentially feeding the ‘bad’ bacteria sugar leading to gut problems – & they proliferate causing more health problems. Sugars can ‘stick’ to collagen, damaging it causing inflammation & producing free radicals. Lacklustre skin & wrinkles develop, due to the collagen being affected. And yes, a sweet tooth affects acne too.
Fructose (which is found in corn syrup….which sweetens lots of processed products) is the hardest form of sugar to be metabolised by the liver. Sucrose or table sugar (which is 50% fructose & 50% glucose) is better than corn syrup…but still problematic to the body. Glucose is the best form of sugar as only 20% needs to broken down by the liver….the rest is used directly by the brain & body for energy.
Nature provides the best balance of nutrients which buffers the negativity of the sugar included. Even though fruit contains fructose….the fibre content & skin loving nutrients within aid the metabolism of the sugar – enjoy in moderation. Since dried fruit is naturally higher in fructose, always eat with nuts to bring back the balance & avoid the ‘blood-sugar spike’ from occurring.
I believe the best way to look at sugar is to go with low human intervention options….choose whole fruits, unrefined carbohydrates & wholegrains. Choose unrefined sugars such as stevia, & raw honey (in moderation).
Tips to balance Blood Sugar levels:
- eat small regular meals which include protein
- try sour foods to curb sweet cravings
- eat mineral dense foods, include Himalayan salt in diet
- try adding a bit of cinnamon to your cuppa or baking
- eat more raw foods…the less we need to chew foods, the quicker glucose is released into the blood system
- eat low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates such as wholegrains, legumes etc
- avoid simple sugars
- avoid artificial sweeteners as they are neurotoxic & encourage the brain to crave more sugar
