Sugar has a bad reputation; we know it’s bad for us and we should give it up, these 14 reasons to quit sugar will put you on the right path.
The types of sugar we commonly consume are natural sugar in fruit and veg – which has many health benefits like fibre and vitamins. Essential if we want to be healthy.
Then there’s the stuff we love, found in processed food. It’s these refined sugars that are best avoided or severely limited. This is the type of sugar focused on here, without good reason we would struggle to quit sugar now or in the future.
Basically, any processed food or beverage that we consume will be full of sugar.
Sugar is in everything: sweets, cakes, fizzy drinks, chocolate, pasta sources, ketchup, canned fruit, yoghurt. It’s shocking how sugar can be sneaked into most processed food items.
To provide a balanced argument I’ve listed the benefits of refined sugar:
Sports Performance – sugar is a carbohydrate; it’s broken down quickly to provide the body with energy. Useful for athletes, it keeps them going through strenuous workouts or competitions.
They overcome the negative impact of sugar because they’re fit and healthy, have a balanced, nutritional diet and will burn off any additional calories.
The majority of us aren’t athletes. We need to be more careful of we eat and drink. This is an opportunity to remind ourselves why we need to reduce or cut out the – white stuff.
What are the reasons to quit sugar?
These are the 14 reasons to quit sugar now:
#1. It’s addictive
A common phrase we hear is: ‘I have a real sweet tooth’, sugar is addictive. It’s addictive for some more than others. Some people prefer savoury foods, however items like crackers, crisps and flavoured nuts can be full of the stuff.
It brightens our day, we crave it, look forward to it, we have a bit but instantly want more. Sugar binges are common, chocolate, sweets, biscuits.
Could you imagine having a fruit binge. No, because it doesn’t provide the same hit, sugar targets the brains reward system, it releases dopamine: a feel good chemical.
The majority of us will benefit from moderation or completely cutting it out of our diet. But if you’re especially addicted, moderation probably won’t work, only abstinence.
Remember: anything processed can contain sugar so avoid the processed and eat the natural.
#2. Diabetes link
It’s believed that sugar is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes. It doesn’t cause it directly, but it increases your risk of developing it.
Studies show a link between sugar and insulin resistance. This link becomes stronger the more you consume. As insulin resistance worsens, blood sugar skyrockets. This is when a diagnosis is made.
Age, ethnicity and family history can contribute to you having an increased risk factor. Although we have no control over these factors, we can choose to control our sugar intake.
#3. Mental health impact
Consuming sugar causes high blood sugar, which leads to a crash. This can exasperate current mental health disorders. It makes the symptoms worse. If you were feeling low and you consumed a large amount of sugar you would feel worse after the crash.
Other impacts on mental health related to sugar consumption include:
- Sleep disruption – sleep is important for our mental health, the better rested we are the better we feel.
- Cravings and addiction – these make eating healthy difficult, if we submit to them we lose confidence in ourselves and feel bad.
- Illness – this has a huge impact on us, cancer and diabetes have links to sugar consumption. Having an illness is life changing and impacts us in many ways.
- Weight gain – feelings of disappointment in ourselves and a negative body image.
- Comfort eating – often something we do when we’re feeling low, it exasperates the issue and we feel worse afterwards.
#4. Increased cancer risk
Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the world. Scientists are making links between sugar and cancer.
Studies have shown that people who eat a lot of sugar have a higher risk of getting cancer. But this is likely a complex issue and is related to a person’s lifestyle choice.
A high intake of sugar leads to obesity, which raises your risk of cancer.
#5. Bad for your skin
It’s inevitable that we’ll all get wrinkles. But sugar can worsen them and speed up skin aging.
Sugar may break down collagen and elastin, these keep your skin firm and elastic. So, as we age this makes us appear prematurely older.
It has also been linked to acne, or at least making it worse from its inflammation causing properties.
#6. Disrupts sleep
Consuming sugar before bed will keep you awake. It’s doubtful that anyone would consume a large amount of sugar and instantly fall into a restful sleep.
Sugar provides you with a quick burst of energy, a quick burst of energy is not an ideal recipe for sleep.
Sugar uses up magnesium, which is required as part of a wider biological process to help you fall to sleep and have a restful night.
#7. Nutrient deficiency
Sugar has zero nutritional value, which is why it’s described as having empty calories. It doesn’t contribute anything additional to the functioning of your body.
When sugar is a substantial part of your diet, that part of your diet is essentially just energy, with no goodness at all. Meaning that whatever you consume in sugar you’re losing in important nutrients, minerals and fibre.
#8. Heart disease
Sugar seems to be replacing saturated fat as leading cause of heart disease. Which goes against everything we’ve been exposed to in the media over last 20 years.
The over consumption of sugar causes obesity, which has a significant link to heart disease, one of the most important reasons to quit sugar.
#9. Bad for your teeth
One of the most commonly know reasons to quit sugar is because it causes cavities, in combination with bacteria it creates an acid which rots your teeth.
Having bad teeth not only looks unappealing but can be painful and expensive to fix.
Sugar free chewing gum is recommended to help protect teeth. It encourages the production of saliva which helps prevent cavities.
#10. It’s expensive
Bags of sugar are not expensive, but the indirect costs can be:
- Dental issues – having to correct and treat cavities.
- Skin products – purchasing skin products to moisturise or hide the result of consuming too much sugar – wrinkles.
- Clothes – a high sugar intake can lead to weight gain, requiring a change of wardrobe.
- Diet products – purchased as a result of weight gain. Being on a diet and consuming large amounts of sugar will not have the desired results.
#11. Dulls your taste
If you’ve never done it, give up sugar for a few days and you’ll see how different fruit tastes. Giving your tastebuds a break from sugar can help them recover their flavour tasting powers.
This will mean that you enjoy food more and find flavour in things you may have once found quite dull.
#12. Hampers mental activity
Sugar gives us a cognitive boost briefly, but it ultimately dulls our thinking. Without it we would be sharper and more focused.
Over consumption is also being linked to not only impaired memory but also an increased risk of dementia.
So if you want to remain sharp and retain your cognitive abilities into your old age, reduce or cut sugar out of your diet.
#13. Obesity
Sugar can be to blame for increasing your weight. Which leads to other health issues.
Sugar is addictive, we want to eat more and more of it to get our fix. Its availability means that we struggle to avoid it. Be cautious to avoid the obvious culprits and sugar is hidden in so many processed foods.
It also takes many forms in a list of a products ingredients. You have to be vigilant and not just look for sugar but other names which it goes by.
#14. Causes crashes
We’ve all experienced the sugar roller coaster, the sugary breakfast then the crash, the early afternoon chocolate bar, then the crash.
These highs are soon followed by the lows, demanding more sugar for another high. The lows make us feel tired, and cause us to be short tempered, irritable and moody.
In conclusion…
Sugar has a bad reputation for good reason. It’s something most of us like to consume, but we may not have fully realised the consequences. We’ve identified many ways that consuming large amounts of sugar hurts our body and mental health.
This is a timely reminder that now is the time we need to change, don’t put it off until next week or the new year. Make a commitment, don’t be afraid to set yourself goals and remain motivated to achieve a healthier you.
As with anything moderation is key. If you can have one small sugary item a day and avoid heavily processed sugary foods then you’re on the right path. This will help break the sugar habit. Pick the reasons to quit sugar which most standout to you, and give it a go.
It’s not a small challenge to cut back on sugar and it’s even harder to completely eliminate it. Quit refined sugar and you’ll give yourself the best chance of a healthy body, brain and state of mind. Cutting back or reducing the stuff that’s bad for your health is essential for longevity.
When you’ve cut back on sugar consider other unhealthy lifestyle choices you would like to change. For example: alcohol, smoking or tolerating negative people.