Let's talk about sugar!

Just because you are not sick,
doesn’t mean you are healthy.

Let’s Talk Truth with Dr. Taryn

Let’s talk about sugar! Are you constantly craving sugar? Sugar has been shown to be as addictive as cocaine. Think about that! Something that is legal and readily accessible can be as addictive as an illegal street drug. That’s scary. Aside from smoking, the biggest culprit in today's heart attack pandemic is high blood sugar. It leads to a condition known as insulin resistance or early Type-II diabetes.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in the food that you eat. Insulin has two roles: 1. To lower blood sugar and 2. To store calories in the form of fat. Insulin resistance is the perfect set up for sugar addiction.
           
Here’s some science for all my biology loving folks:

• High blood sugar elevates insulin and leptin resulting in never feeling full.
• High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) increase your urge for comfort foods.
• High cortisol during sleep increased ghrelin (the always hungry hormone).

​You may be sitting here, thinking of grabbing a Diet Coke next time instead of a Coke to “remove” the sugar. Problem solved, right? WRONG! Diet pop (also referred to as Soda for all you non-Wisconsinites) wreak havoc on your metabolism and will ultimately cause you to gain weight. Why is that? First, the sweet taste from Diet Coke elicits an insulin spike, which blocks your ability to burn fat. Second, artificial sweeteners found in Diet Coke disrupt satiety, the feeling of being full. 

I’m going to share with you a few of the, as I like to call them, “Worst Drinks in America”.

SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
240 calories
0 g fat
61 g sugars​
Sugar Equivalent:
4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie

Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
With Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
660 calories
22 g fat (15 g saturated)
95 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent:
8½ scoops Edy’s Slow Churned Ice Cream

McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake
(large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated, 2 g trans)
168 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent:
13 McDonald’s Baked Hot Apple Pies

Fun fact --> Did you know, interval training can lower blood sugar by up to 40%. To put it into perspective, the commonly prescribed Metformin does so by a paltry 19% while putting users at risk of obesity, if they can tolerate the constant vomiting and diarrhea! (WOW!)

Controlling blood sugar has become the absolute hottest area of research and that research continues to point to Functional Medicine! Not only does it suggest a way of ameliorating heart disease, but also a host of other diseases caused by high blood sugar. These include but are not limited to diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer's!
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Don't let anyone tell you that you must just accept that you have an illness and learn to live with it. Please contact Stittleburg Restorative Health Care for information about how we can help you!
 
Let’s get back to health,
Dr. Taryn