Love Affair With The 'S' Word

Have you ever fallen head over heels, crazy, madly in love? You know the kind of love I’m talking about--the one that holds you hostage and refuses to release you from its bondage. We’ve all been there at one time or another. You likely understand--all to well--that love can unmercifully hurt and leave us wounded with fear of trying again. But there we go--at it again--refusing to give up on finding that one great, amazing love affair. It makes our hearts beat faster, our knees weak, our senses heightened. That love affair even connects with "The Pleasure Center" of our brains, causing--if not careful--a desire so powerful it can become uncontrollable--resulting in all sorts of havoc on our mental and physical well-being.

The S word that we adore and can’t quite seem to live without is none other than sugar…plain and simple. It’s true that sugar brings us sweet, luscious pleasure that keeps us wanting more and more. But like many love affairs, there are countless downsides to this guilty pleasure.

Here are a few good reasons to end your love affair once and for all…with the S word:
Obesity - It’s difficult to know when to stop eating sugar. Put simply, excess sugar is converted by the liver into FAT and returned to the bloodstream where it is stored in our bodies on areas like, thighs, stomach, hips, etc. The dreaded cellulite is another downside of sugar.

Premature Aging - Too much sugar causes our body cells to lose elasticity, resulting in premature aging of our skin—most noticeably in the form of wrinkles, which shows up earlier than they might have otherwise...even without overexposure to the sun. This same concept holds true for our internal organs--they too wear out more quickly becoming more susceptible to disease and age related illnesses.

Weakened Immunity - Excess sugar raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, resulting in a weakened immune system. Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are just a few diseases that are indirectly--or some would argue directly--related to the over consumption of the S word.

Sugar addicts often tend to be more susceptible to viruses, headaches and other unbalanced immune responses.

Stress – Sugar in excess causes the glucose levels in our blood to skyrocket--attributing to our bodies trying to compensate by releasing stress hormones called adrenaline. The result is stress, which we all know weakens the immune system.

Refined sugar has--absolutely--no nutritional value and its chemical bonds are broken down due to the amount of processing. Whereas the natural sugar found in fruits still has its bonds intact. When eating a piece of fruit, it releases a less amount of sugar overtime which gives us an energy boost that last for hours. Fruit provides an abundance of nutritional value--which refined sugar cannot lay claim.

The average American eats up to three pounds of refined sugar per week. It’s found in almost all of the processed foods we eat in one form or another. Like with any new love affair, the true self typically isn’t revealed in the beginning. It sometimes hides under various identities. Here are some of the disguises sugar hides behind: 

Brown Sugar, Sugar Honey, Sucrose, Corn Syrup, Molasses, Confectioner’s Sugar, Date Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, Maltodextrin, Molasses Powder, Turbinado, Maple syrup, Glucose, Dextrin, Lactose, Fructose, Caramel, Fruit sugar, Maple Sugar, Dextrose, Chicory syrup.

About three years ago, I ended my love affair with the 'S' word. Yes, it hurt in the beginning and my struggle to end it permanently took more time than I care to remember. But after going back and forth for awhile, I finally had had enough of that love affair. I’ve since moved on to another love, fresh fruit and other natural foods that provide me with a wealth of nutrients and energy.

Are you ready to end your love affair with the S word? If so, I'd like to introduce you to a love that won’t hurt you and will free you from the all the negative effects of your last love. “I’d like you to meet...apple, banana, cherry, grape, mango, orange...”

Gale Compton of Fit Fabulous Forever
Certified Fitness Trainer