Sugar Archives | Better Innovations

The Not-So-Sweet Truth Behind Sugar

May 8, 2012 By Kodesman

Even a short 20 years ago, we were consuming a fraction of the sugar that fills up our diets today. Practically every food we touch now seems to be filled with sugar. Breads, cereals, yogurt, juice, soda, and desserts are all just a tiny part of the problem. While a little sugar every day is perfectly fine for our diets, too much can lead to a variety of health problems that you may not be aware of.

Sugar brings on the blues.
Feeling a little low lately? It may be time to evaluate your diet. Our moods respond naturally to the foods we eat. While foods such as protein can give us a boost of long lasting energy, sugar does the complete opposite. A traditional sugar-high will only last a few mere minutes, followed by a major slump in your energy level. Sleepiness and fatigue are both natural side effects of too much sugar. If you think your caffeinated soda is giving you a lift each time you drink one, try switching to another form of caffeine such as Green Tea. You may be shocked at how much better you feel on something that is truly healthy for your body and naturally leaves out all the sugar.

Sugar can be as addicting as smoking.
If you find yourself craving the sweet stuff every day, odds are you could be addicted. Just like many other drugs or stimulants, sugar can lead to the same addictive behavior. Some countries have even gone as far as classifying its devastating effects with smoking or tobacco. Although our taste buds may love and crave it, sugar doesnâ€™t provide anything useful for our bodies to work with. If you wouldnâ€™t consider starting up a smoking habit, you may want to reevaluate your sugar intake as well.

Disease and illness love when you eat sugar.
This is especially true of cancer. Every time you indulge in a food or drink laced with sugar, cancer cells are throwing a party. The truth is that sugar causes cancer to grow and multiply. With our chances of cancer higher than ever these days, we canâ€™t afford to throw more gas on the fire. Another disease that could land in your lap as a result of sugar is diabetes. While you might feel great now downing that donut, just give it awhile. A diet high on sugar most likely will leave you diabetic down the road. Heart disease, bad eyesight, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, infections are just the beginning of what your sugar habit can leave you with.

A diet high in sugar can leave you much heavier than youâ€™d like.
Realistically speaking, itâ€™s a nightmare to lose weight when eating sugar is a regular habit. If you are ready to shed some poundsâ€¦find another behavior to take the place of sugar in your life. Fitness like swimming, running, drinking protein packed smoothies, using a natural sweetener like Stevia, all promote body wellness. In the end, steer clear of sugar and indulge on something that could end up much healthier and sweeter for your body.

The Realities of Sugar Addiction

October 4, 2011 By afountain

For those who are watching their weight, sugar is the first thing they give up. Some people are able to do so easily. But others are not so fortunate. Scientists have been looking into the topic of sugar addiction for years. There are many theories that surround it but what researchers have been able to find is that it is real. Studies have shown that too much sugar can influence a person’s weight and mood. In fact it is associated with chronic depression.

Sugar has many disadvantages. It is associated with heart disease, diabetes, tooth decay, osteoporosis and other diseases. But what causes sugar addiction? Before we get into that let us first look at the history of sugar. People have been using sugar for centuries. But for the longest time it has remained to be a luxury of wealthy people. Extracting sugar took such a long time that only those who had the money could afford it.

People’s addiction to sugar began when cheap labor was discovered. This lowered the price of sugar so that practically everyone could afford it. Soon doctors noticed that those who consumed sugar in large quantities began having many health issues. Further study revealed that our brain chemistry is affected by sugar thus prompting addictive behavior. If not regulated it can result in cravings and withdrawal symptoms – effects that can also be seen in addictive drugs. It has been discovered that it is it’s sweet taste that activates our brain’s endorphin receptor sites, the same sites that are triggered by morphine and heroine.

The reality of sugar addiction can no longer be denied. Many people now find themselves unable to stop thinking about sweets. They may be able to go cold turkey for a few days or even weeks but eventually they succumb to temptation. Sugar intake, if not controlled, can have serious physical and emotional repercussions. Sugar addiction is largely due to a persons lifestyle and eating habits. If you customarily consume large amounts of sugar in your diet then you will be accustomed to this level of sugar intake. If you think you are already a sugar addict then the first step to controlling your addiction is to make then decision to put a stop to it. You have to have a deep reason so that you can successfully conquer the addiction. The next step is to change the way you think about food. You won’t be able to hold off for long if you are continually thinking about sweets. The moment you change your relationship with food you will be able to let go of your addiction.

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8 Essential Sugars You Need

May 31, 2011 By mhsnutrition

Everyone who had studied nutrition has heard of the 8 essential amino acids. But did you know that there are 8 essential sugars? These essential sugars, fucose, galactose, glucose, mannose, n-acetylgalactosamine, n-acetylglucosamine, n-acetylneuraminic acid, and xylose, are only a handful out of a library of over 200 known glyconutrients that are absolutely vital for bodily health. Researchers have discovered that the primary function these nutrients are to help cells to communicate. When glyconutrients combine with proteins, they produce glycoproteins. When combining with lipids, they produce glycolipids. These molecules, called glycoforms, adhere to and coat the 600 trillion cells of the human body, essentially forming ‘name tags’ for each cell, allowing the body to recognize ‘self’ and to provide specific information about every individual cell, such as whether the cell is sick or healthy, benign or malignant. Thus, we can readily see their role in the auto-immune response.

Unfortunately, as modern technology has enabled the greater processing and longer shelf-lives of foods than ever before, many of these glyconutrients are lost in everyday foods; undoubtedly one of several reasons that many illnesses are on the rise in most industrial nations. Adopting a diet of plentiful amounts of unprocessed fruits and vegetables, seeds, and sea vegetables will provide many of them, but many nutritional experts believe that not all of them can be provided sufficiently even in a natural diet, thus making supplementation necessary. Also, since these nutrients have overlapping functions in the body, it is believed that they work better when taken in combination, something that may be difficult in procuring them only from food as many different foods may have to be eaten either simultaneously or closely together, thus resulting in bouts of indigestion or gastric depletion. Also, it is all too easy to accidentally miss out on numerous nutrients, as many of them are found in the skin and pectin fibers of various fruits and vegetables, which are usually discarded after juicing. Realizing this, health companies have devised supplement formulations with at least the 8 essential glyconutrients, extracted from the parts of these foods that most health seekers discard. Still, another reason for proposed supplementation is that many nutrients in food are degraded and/or lost during transit and storage. This is why many health enthusiasts cultivate their own gardens or strive to eat foods that are locally grown. However, these practices may be difficult for some, thus making supplementation a necessity.

It is believed that ‘glyconutrient therapy’ will soon become a standard part of medical care for patients suffering from degenerative diseases and other illnesses. As studies continue, it may further be discovered that the body can actually manufacture for itself some of these essential nutrients if it has the raw health materials. After all, it is widely accepted that our ancient ancestors were generally healthier, stronger and more resilient that we are today even though they did not have supplements. For instance, it is now known that the body can actually make galactose rather easily from the lactose found in dairy products (which, of course, is still not an option for vegans or those with lactose intolerance). So, strictly speaking, galactose is not an essential glyconutrient since it can potentially be formed in the body. However, when it comes to health, all healthy nutrients are essential. Learn more about glyconutrients, by visiting this site.

Are These Everyday Foods Damaging Your Healthy Smile?

May 27, 2011 By pamelafortin

Having a great smile takes more than brushing and flossing, yet itâ€™s often forgotten that diet can have a huge impact on those pearly whites. Sure, everyone knows that sugary foods are bad for your teeth. Most people realize that coffee is right up there with smoking in its ability to stain teeth. These foods have been known culprits for years, but there are a lot of surprising and unexpected foods that also impact your dental health.

Sugary foods

Letâ€™s start with the most obvious culprit. Sugary drinks, candy, and sweetened snacks contain a good deal of sugar. When the bacteria in your mouth break down that sugar it creates an acid that eats at the enamel of your teeth. This opens your teeth up to all kinds of potential damage. While all sugary foods are obvious problems, gummy candies that stick to your teeth and hard candies can cause the most problems due to long term contact with sugars. Soda, fruit juices, and sports drinks are often sipped which means repeatedly exposing your mouth to those sugars and acids. Each bite of candy or sip of soda exposes your mouth to the acids produced for up to twenty minutes, which can mean constant exposure for those who sip on juice or soda all day.

Starchy Foods

Starchy foods are also something to watch. Starches, like sugars, raise the acid levels in your mouth, eroding tooth enamel. More processed starches, such as breads and pasta, are the most damaging. Raw starches, like those from raw vegetables, provide no risk of damage to the enamel. Many of these processed starches also present an additional problem with getting stuck in the teeth, resulting in longer than necessary exposure to the spaces between the teeth. These areas are the most difficult to rinse free of acids with saliva. Foods containing starchy, sugary foods can cause the most problems as they tend to stick in the teeth.

Sticky foods

While itâ€™s easy to think of that candy bar or that breakfast pastry as being damaging to your teeth, the damage doesnâ€™t stop there. Childhood favorites like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, raisins, and even apples are unexpected dangers for your teeth. Peanut butter is sticky and many have sugar added. Natural peanut butter will reduce the risk, but its sticky nature is still problematic. Worse still are the sticky, sweet jellies, jams, and preserves. Even an all-fruit spread contains a good deal of natural sugars. Raisins contain a high amount of natural sugars as well, putting them on the list. Apples are also very high in acid and can be very hard on tooth enamel.

Acidic foods

Highly acidic foods are also often underestimated. Many of these acidic foods also contain high quantities of sugar in their processing as well, such as salad dressings. While salads are a healthy choice, the most preferred dressings tend to be made with vinegar with sugar for taste. Pickled vegetables are soaked in vinegar and often times, sugar. Lemons are another great culprit, especially when processed into lemonade. Lemonade does dilute the acid from the lemons in water, but often time that benefit is canceled out by the addition of sugars. Surprisingly, diet sodas are incredibly damaging for this very reason. They may not have sugar, but theyâ€™re highly acidic.

Any food that gets stuck in your teeth can also have serious results. The spaces between your teeth trap bacteria well enough on their own and the addition of foods doesnâ€™t make it better. Popcorn, meat, apple skins, and breads are all problem foods in this area.

Damage to tooth enamel isnâ€™t the only way diet can damage your smile. Many foods and drinks can have a discoloring effect as well. Itâ€™s fairly well known that coffee discolors teeth. Black tea is no better. Add sweeteners to either of those and youâ€™re both staining and degrading the enamel. Some other culprits are soy sauce, red wine, tomato sauce, and sodas.

So, what can you do about these damaging effects?

According to Dr. Takacs, a sedation dentist in Lexington, KY, the best solution is to brush after every meal, and limit your meals to three a day. Snacking between meals can drastically increase your exposure to sugars. If you have to reach for something sweet, go for a sugar-free gum. Not only does it help limit your exposure to sugars, but chewing gum also increases saliva production, which helps cleanse harmful acids from your mouth. Drink water or sugar-free juice between meals, or opt to drink through a straw to limit the exposure to your mouth. Be aware of how acidic, sweet and sticky your foods are as well as how long they stay in your mouth. Donâ€™t forget to check ingredient lists for hidden sugars. It never hurts to be aware of what youâ€™re eating.