4 Reasons To Quit Sugar That Don’t Just Include An Expanding Waistline

While the sugar debate is still well and truly alive, it is becoming increasingly hard to ignore the evidence tilting towards a need to quit refined sugar. Here are 4 reasons that may convince you to ditch the white stuff once and for all. 

Bloating: Ever wondered why you feel bloated after eating that small piece of cake? It could fit into your palm after all!

While not the sole cause of bloating, sugar is known to throw off the balance of good bacteria in our stomach.  While our gut contains both good and bad bacteria, sugar is known to feed the bad bacteria creating the perfect breeding ground for pathogens and even fungus!

Over time this promotes bloating, digestive problems and an increase in the likelihood of yeast infections.  

Hormones: Studies have found that sugar not only converts to fat all but immediately in our bodies but it also messes with our hormones.

Fructose is found to have a negative effect on our hunger hormones, promoting the feeling of emptiness even when we are full.

While healthy fats and proteins send signals to our brains that we are full, sugar has the opposite effect, which may explain why we are unable to stop at just two squares of chocolate (guilty).  

Aging: If you have been investing in expensive creams and miracle potions, the road to endless youth may be a lot cheaper and closer to home. The answer may be ridding your pantry of refined sugar for good.

According to research, sugar not only leads to an increased risk of disease, it also ages the skin at an accelerated rate.

The study conducted by the university of Montreal found that a decrease of sugar allowed cells to live longer and renew faster thus promoting as opposed to hampering the fountain of youth.   

Energy: While many of us are likely to reach for a biscuit when we are feeling flat to perk ourselves up, sugar actually has the opposite effect. It causes our blood sugar levels to rise dramatically.

To counter this, our pancreas is forced to increase the release of insulin to bring our sugar levels back to normal. This is the point in which we experience a huge crash and go back to feeling flat and tired. 

Moreover, this is when we begin to crave more carbohydrates and sugar and the cycle of binging on empty calories continues.

Photo courtesy of ffmag.com