Sugar Blues

Trick or Treat....its that time of year when all the little ghosts and goblins go door to door to collect a barrel full of candy. Did you know that most people get sick from now until February? Why? Because their immune systems are depleted. Why? Because this time of year is the SWEETEST time of year..starting with candy at Halloween, then into Thanksgiving pies, and Christmas goodies! Don't get me wrong, its a wonderful time of year....but don't be tricked by all those treats. Sugar is probably one of the worst so called 'foods' on the planet. Here are some sugar facts, that just might get you thinking about giving your little goblins something else...or even just skipping the door to door idea this year.

Sugar Can (and will):

Suppress the immune system (the very system that is used to fight off sickness and disease)
Upset the body's mineral balance.
Contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration issues and crankiness in children. (Forget the drugs, get them off sugar!)
Causes elevation in harmful cholesterol
Causes cirrhosis of the liver
Causes kidney damage
Leads to chromium and copper deficiency
Increases risk of coronary heart disease
Interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium
Promotes tooth decay (but we already knew that, right?)
Leads to periodontal disease
Speeds aging process
Contributes to weight gain (empty calories!)
Increases blood pressure
Contributes to osteoporosis.
Cases free radical formation in the bloodstream
Overstresses the pancreas, causing damage
Produces pathological changes in the kidneys
Increases body fluid retention
Causes hormonal balance
Causes headaches, including migraines
Alters the mind's ability to think clearly (you know, that fuzzy feeling?)
Increases risk of blood clots and strokes
Increases bacterial fermentation in the colon
Whew!

With all that to think about...maybe its time to think about how much sugar you are consuming. Remember, there are 8 - 10 tsps of sugar in a 12 oz coke or soda. And a lot of the sugars are hidden sugars. The average person consumes over 100 lbs of sugar....and most dont even know it! Learn how to read labels and look for hidden sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar, sucrose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, ect.

So what about the sugar free stuff? Chemicals that cause tumors and strokes in rats, and have been proven to cause seizures in children - labeled nutrisweet, aspartame, splenda, sucralose....I think not!

Do yourself and your family a favor, and start assessing where you are with sugar consumption. It just may be the link to all those colds and flues in the winter, and a lot of what I just listed above.

Your health is wealth! Wishing you a hauntingly good holiday season!

Robin Brostovski
Health and Fitness coach
www.befitandwellnow.com