We all want to make decisions that help put the wellness odds in our favor. To do that, however, we need to address the damaging role sugar is playing in our diet and how it undermines our wellness goals.
Sneaky sugar is being added to food and drink; and is showing up in everything from chicken stock to wine. Added sugar currently lurks in 74% of all packaged foods and has dozens of aliases. Sugar is so detrimental to our health; the new FDA dietary food label requires listing added sugar for all processed foods. Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on the planet; it lights up the pleasure center in our brains, feeds the harmful bacteria in our gut, and creates dangerous inflammation in our bodies.
Real, processed, and fake sugars are all detrimental to our health. Eat sweet, crave sweets. The only sugar we should be eating is the natural sugar found in whole fruits and vegetables. Naturally occurring sugar in plants comes attached with fiber, slowing the sugar released into our bloodstream, thus tempering the insulin response.
I created a mini sugar detox as a starting point for a healthier relationship with sugar. Anyone can do it; it’s not expensive, and it helps recalibrate the ability to taste the natural sweetness on our food. Start today!