Will Sugar and Refined Carbs Shorten Your Life?

For many people, the answer is yes! We have such a proliferation of sugary foods, refined-carbs and sweet beverages that sugar consumption has skyrocketed! The annual US average is around 150 pounds (that’s pounds) per year. That’s the weight of an entire person each year!

Our bodies are not designed to handle that much sugar, because many of us are less active. According to the American Heart Association and Dr. Oz, Americans consume more than 20 teaspoons of sugar daily, triple the maximum recommended intake! And that consumption has a terrible affect on health, weight and energy levels.

Some Basics for Sugar and Carbs

Regular table sugar is sucrose. Also common is high-fructose corn syrup (a processed blend of sucrose and fructose). These are concentrated forms of sweeteners in processed foods. They metabolize quickly and cause blood sugar to spike.

Fruits have fructose (fruit sugar), but whole fruits contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. They are considered complex carbs. They are slower to digest and don’t tend to spike blood sugar. Compared to refined carbs and sugary drinks, whole fruits are healthier.

Some veggies are starchy, like corn and peas, but they are still complex carbs. Like whole fruits, they contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fresh or frozen, veggies digest more slowly than processed carbs and don’t spike blood sugar. So colorful veggies are also healthy!

Milk and dairy have lactose (another type of sugar), but again, with the proteins and fats in milk and dairy, the lactose is less likely to cause a spike in blood sugar and is digested more slowly.

The problem foods are refined and white carbs and snacks, such as cookies, snack crackers, potato/corn chips, sodas, sugary drinks, etc., and white carbs (white potatoes, white rice, breads, biscuits and soft pasta). These refined-carb/white foods are high-glycemic foods. They tend to spike blood sugar. The are nutritionally unbalanced.

Fast Ups and Downs

Imagine you are feeling stressed or your energy is low, and you have corn or potato chips and soda. Those foods have little nutrition (they lack vitamins, minerals, or significant fiber) so they digest quickly, starting in the mouth, where chewing and saliva begin the break down of carbs into simple sugars. The process finishes in the stomach and small intestine where those sugars are broken down with enzymes and converted to glucose, the form the body uses.

High-glycemic foods move quickly into the bloodstream, causing the blood sugar to spike. That triggers insulin to be released, which brings the glucose level down. The glucose gets stored in the liver and muscles with the extra going to fat cells. Unless you are active enough to use the glucose daily, you will have a surplus, adding more fat.

After the initial lift of energy from your snack, your energy drops again and you look for another lift. This cycle goes on daily for many people, and it’s a downward spiral.

Even if you don’t eat lots of sugary foods and snacks, sugar is common in processed foods, from ketchup and barbeque sauce to salad dressing and “low fat” foods. Reading labels is the only way to know! Refined carbs and simple sugars also use up vitamins and minerals during digestion, causing additional nutrient deficits and metabolic stress.

Declining Health, More Disease, and Early Death

The daily spikes and drops from refined carbs and sugars stress the pancreas, liver, and other organs. Organ function is compromised, which increases metabolic stress. You gain weight and increase systemic inflammation because fat cells, especially those in the abdomen, are metabolically active. They grow and release inflammatory chemicals and waste products! You also get more wrinkles and develop additional health and organ problems, a downward spiral whose origin is eating of too many processed, man-made carbs pretending to be food!

Over time, more serious problems often arise, including, high triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, liver problems, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depressed immune function, cancer and chronic inflammation. This is not normal aging! The end result is a shortened life span: early death from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or other disease.

The Solution

Switch to more healthy, whole foods and non-carb snacks. They will provide more sustained energy throughout the day and minimize the spikes and drops of blood sugar you’re having now. You need less of the quality foods and snacks because you get more nutrition and sustained energy, costing you less money! You’ll feel more vital and youthful! Look for healthy foods on sale (nuts, whole fruits, lean proteins, veggies, etc.) and stock up. Even basic frozen veggies are okay.

Make small adjustments in what you eat now, and your body will reward you forever!

Some helpful links:
http://pilates.about.com/od/foodandweightloss/a/Good-Carbs-Bad-Carbs.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070313150435.htm

http://quickstartyourhealth.wordpress.com

© 2011 by S. Carney/Quick Start Your Health