The dangers of refined sugar and its effects on fitness

The dangers of refined sugar and its effects on fitness

Sugar: is it food or poison?

Refined sugar is ubiquitous in our culture. Just visit a supermarket and you'll be convinced that the most common ingredient in our foods today is refined sugar. Without the obvious sources like candy and soda (which typically take up 2-3 islands), sugar is hidden in almost all processed foods in the form of evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, and molasses. But how unhealthy is sugar? Is it just its high calorie content that causes obesity and all the diseases associated with it? Or is sugar far more harmful than the calories it adds?

As a personal trainer, I often advise my clients to avoid refined sugar. Many who are active still believe that as long as they are active, sugar has no impact on their health. According to my research, this is a false statement. In fact, refined sugar can seriously hinder your fitness efforts.

First of all, sugar is not real food! Refined sugar is stripped of all its nutritional values. As a result, refined sugar cannot be used effectively by the body, and if not used for immediate energy, it will be stored in the liver. The liver's capacity for sugar is limited. Daily intake of refined sugar can cause the liver to release sugar back into the bloodstream in the form of fatty acids. This often leads to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to obesity and eventually other problems such as heart disease.

Refined sugar contains no vitamins or minerals. However, the real dangers of refined sugar are its metabolites; Purvic acid and abnormal five atom sugar. According to Dr. William Coda Martin A poison is any substance that can cause disease. Based on this general definition, refined sugar can easily be classified as a poison. These metabolites are toxic to the body, mainly because they disrupt the breathing of cells. If the cells don't get their oxygen, they eventually die. The death of these cells can take a long time. Therefore, daily intake of sugar can lead to degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis and many more.

Effects of sugar on health and fitness. Sugar has been linked to poor health and obesity for several decades. The following list explains how sugar can impact your health and hinder your fitness goals.

o Refined sugar releases the vitamins and minerals stored in your body. The depletion of these nutrients hinders the tissue rebuilding process and therefore impairs the response to exercise.

o Refined sugar increases acidity in the body. To neutralize this acidic condition, the body pulls calcium from bones and teeth, making them weaker and more susceptible to degeneration.

o Excess sugar is stored in the liver. When liver capacity is reached, excess sugar is released into the bloodstream in the form of fatty acids. Sugar is then stored as fat in vital organs (potentially causing them to malfunction) and is least metabolically active (i.e. in the abdomen).

o Refined sugar enters the lymphatic system (disease fighting system). This leads to increased production of white blood cells and therefore tissue reconstruction slows down. The response to strengthening training decreases because the body cannot rebuild itself as effectively.

o Since sugar affects the lymphatic system, the immune system is less resilient. One is therefore more susceptible to attacks on the body (i.e. cold).

It's clear that sugar is more harmful to your health than the mere calories it can add to your diet. Be careful when choosing foods with refined sugar and try replacing them with natural sweets such as fruit, maple syrup, stevia or raw unfiltered honey.

Stop Sugar Crash and regain your energy

What happens, what energy fluctuates throughout the day? Does refined sugar have anything to do with it?

There is a good chance that those who consume refined sugar often experience a sugar crash. Americans consume approximately 175 pounds of refined sugar per year. Sugar is ubiquitous in our diet for two reasons. It's cheap to produce. Almost all highly processed foods in supermarkets contain corn syrup or other sugar. Corn grows easily in the Midwest and is relatively cheap to harvest. Second, processed sugar products like protein bars are easy to store and replace REAL meals for many people.

After all, many people consume sugar because it gives them a short burst of energy. Sugar is not digested in the stomach, but rather enters the lower intestine and from there quickly enters the bloodstream. This leads to brisk insulin secretion, as a result of which the sugar is absorbed more quickly by the tissues. That's why we feel awake after consuming sugar. Eventually, however, blood sugar levels drop and most people feel tired, irritable and lethargic.

The body learns quickly. The more sugar we consume, the more we crave it. Metabolism becomes dependent on refined sugar, so most of us feel the need to consume it. To avoid sugar crashes, most consume sugar throughout the day to maintain focus and energy to get through the day.

Below are some tips to avoid a sugar crash:

o Eat a balanced, sugar-free breakfast (i.e. eggs, bacon, and oatmeal)

o Limit sweets to 2 times a week

o Stay away from white flour for lunch and eat lots of vegetables

o Eat 4-5 metabolically balanced meals (protein, fat, carbohydrates) daily.

o Only eat sweets after a large, balanced meal (with lots of protein)

o Eat lots of complex carbohydrates (vegetables and whole grains) throughout the day.

o Don't eat sugar before bed

Inspired by Ezine and Ralph Klisiewicz