Sugar Is Ruining Your Health

146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health

  Researching online.. came across this link on a great blog that I follow. and wanted to share this with others
146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health
By Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.
Author of LICK THE SUGAR HABIT and LICK THE SUGAR HABIT SUGAR COUNTER.

1.  Sugar can suppress the immune system.

2.  Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.

3.  Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.

4.  Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.

5.  Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).

6.  Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.

7.  Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.

8.  Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.

9   Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.

10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.

11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.

12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.

13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.

14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.

16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.

17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.

18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.

19. Sugar can cause premature aging.

20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.

21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.

22. Sugar contributes to obesity

23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.

24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.

25. Sugar can cause arthritis.

26. Sugar can cause asthma.

27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).

28. Sugar can cause gallstones.

29. Sugar can cause heart disease.

30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.

31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.

32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.

33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.

34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.

35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.

36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.

37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.

38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

39. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol  in the blood.

40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.

41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.

42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.

43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.

44. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)

45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.

46. Sugar causes food allergies.

47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.

48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.

51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA

52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.

53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.

54. Sugar can cause cataracts.

55. Sugar can cause emphysema.

56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.

57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL).

58. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.

59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.

60. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.

61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.

62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.

63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.

64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.

65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.

66. Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.

67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.

68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).

69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.

70. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.

71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.

72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.

73. Sugar can adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders..

74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves.

75. Sugar can cause depression.

76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.

77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).

78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.

79. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.

80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to    low sugar diets. 

81  High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity.

82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood  proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.

83.  Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.

85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.

86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.

88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.

89. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.

90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.

91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.

92. Sugar feeds cancer.

93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.

94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.

95. Sugar slows food’s travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.

96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.

97.  Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.

98.  Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.

99.  Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.

100. Sugar is an addictive substance.

101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.

102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.

103. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

104. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.  

105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.

106. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.

107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.

109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.

110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.

111.. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.

112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.

113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.

114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.

115. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.

116. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.

117. Sugar may induce cell death.

118. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.

119. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.

120.  Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer.

121. Sugar dehydrates newborns.

122. Sugar increases the estradiol in young men.

123.  Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.

124. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia

125. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream. 

126. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer. 

127. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine. 

128. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.

129. Sugar induces salt and water retention.

130. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.

131. As sugar increases in the diet of 10 years old's, there is a linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients.

132. Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.

133. Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.

134. Sugar causes constipation.

135. Sugar causes varicose veins.

136. Sugar can cause brain decay in pre diabetic and diabetic women.

137. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.

138. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.

139. Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.

140. Sugar can be a factor in asthma.

141. The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.

142. Sugar could affect central reward systems.

143. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.

144. Sugar can cause endometrial  cancer.

145. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.

146. Sugar can cause liver tumors.

What an Inspiration...

Doing some research online today, when I cam across this article. It has always been something that I used to think to myself, how in the world do people get so far out of touch with their body,to allow this kind of weight gain. Well I have had a taste of allowing my body to spiral out of control,and ended up gaining about 50 pounds more than I care to carry around with me. It pretty much came on I thought pretty slow, so I kinda moved right along with the changes. I knew I was gaining weight, but I have been pretty much under weight for most of my life. So in the beginning I was welcoming it. Then it started to snowball me pretty darn quick. Blood pressure went crazy, and I didn't like who I was any more, and found myself not wanting to even look at myself in the mirror any more.. This article inspired me, and so I would love to share it with you...
(Article)

VIDEO: "I Lost 100 Pounds and Found Hope"

VIDEO: "I Lost 100 Pounds and Found Hope"
Once Bed-Ridden, Now I'm on the Road to a Healthier Me!
-- By ~INDYGIRL, SparkPeople Member















Here are my top 3 secrets to success: Read more here

Finding Inspiration In Your Biggest Temptations

Change the Way You Look at Obstacles on Your Journey
-- By Stepfanie Romine, Staff Writer


Getting motivated--and staying motivated--can be difficult, and when temptations abound, it seems like the world is conspiring to keep you indoors, on the couch and stuck in your unhealthy life.

Instead of viewing temptations as roadblocks, think of them as motivators--the devil on your shoulder, if you will. Their presence in your life should be just what you need to keep you from losing momentum, standing still or taking a break from your healthy journey. If you stop, they'll get you; if you stay one step ahead, you'll always come out on top. Temptations are like misunderstood Muses. They give you the chance to be creative while reaching your goals.

" In this article they have listed different Tempations, and in turn giving you different Inspirations to change things, that work for you, not against you"... Julie

So here are some of the temptations, and Inspirations, they have posted.

Temptation No. 1: Sleeping in or hitting the snooze alarm.

Inspiration: Taking care of your body.
consider changing your sleep schedule. Try to head to bed earlier--even just 15 or 30 minutes can make a difference. Sleep loss also can cause a lack of desire to achieve goals because you feel fatigued and "run down." Sleep is also important in developing lean muscle tissue. When you work out, you are actually tearing your muscles – sleep and proper nutrients help rebuild the muscle so that you get stronger.

Temptation No. 2: Grabbing takeout or stopping at a drive-thru.

Inspiration: Making smart choices. Ideally, you should drive by the drive-thru and cook healthful meals at home every night. However, not all takeout is created equal, and you can find some healthful options at chain restaurants and even your neighborhood deli. See this temptation as a challenge to be creative and bring home a healthful meal when you're in a hurry.

Plan ahead if you can, build a meal around vegetables and choose small portions to keep your takeout from taking away your self-control. (Find hundreds of tips and strategies to help you make smart, healthy choices when you're away from home here).

Temptation No. 3: Grazing on junk food all night long. ( This one I could really relate too.)

Inspiration: Getting to the root of a problem. Before you start chastising yourself for blowing your calorie budget after a good day of healthy, mindful eating, think about why you are snacking. Mindless munching is usually anything but.

Are you thirsty? Many hunger pangs are actually just thirst in disguise. Drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. If your hunger subsides, you weren't really hungry after all.
What did you eat for dinner? If you tried to save calories or reduce your carb intake by having a green salad or just a plate of veggies, it's no wonder you're hungry. Your body needs a bit of variety to stay happy. Protein takes longer to digest and helps keep you fuller longer. Toss some grilled chicken chunks, a small can of tuna or a half-cup of beans on your salad tomorrow night to give it some staying power. In the meantime, reach for a small servings of whole-grain crackers with a tablespoon of nut butter. The combo of fat, protein and carbs will tide you over until morning.

There are many more to review so I will paste the link.. I love the articles from SP... Read full article here

Know Your Numbers

I can never remember all of this, So I am posting this so I can learn it and remember it..

It might seem obvious, but it can't be emphasized enough. One of the best ways to lower your cholesterol is to track it. Have your doctor perform blood tests regularly to track your results and progress as you continue to make changes to your lifestyle.

A complete cholesterol picture is made up of three different things:

* HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is the good, Healthy cholesterol. HDL picks up and carries excess cholesterol away from artery walls and brings it back to the liver for processing and removal. You want this number to be high (at least 60 mg/dL) to protect your heart. Levels too low (less than 40 mg/dL) are bad for your health, increasing your risk for heart disease.

* LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is the bad, Lazy cholesterol. LDL is made by the liver to carry cholesterol to the body's cells and tissues. It may form deposits on the walls of arteries and other blood vessels. You want this number to be low. Less than 100 mg/dL is optimal (and up to 129 mg/dL is near optimal). Unhealthy levels are 130-159 mg/dL (borderline high), 160-189 mg/dL (high), and over 190 mg/dL (very high).

* Triglycerides are the most common form of fat found in food and in the body. The visible fat on meat, for example, is triglycerides. If you are overweight, your body stores the extra calories you eat as triglycerides. People with high triglyceride levels often have low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, increasing their risk for heart disease. Less than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides is considered normal. Levels above 150 are considered "high" to different degrees: 150-199 mg/dL (borderline high), 200-499 mg/dL (high) and over 500 mg/dL (very high).

Calif. lawmaker plans hearings on soda-obesity link

By Lisa Baertlein (Reuters) - The California lawmaker who spearheaded a high-profile anti-obesity effort across the country's most populous state is now training his sights on sugar-sweetened drinks.

Sen. Alex Padilla, who led a campaign requiring big restaurant chains to disclose calories in meals, said on Thursday he planned to hold hearings in November on the link between soda consumption and obesity.

The announcement from Padilla -- who chairs the California Senate's Select Committee on Obesity and Diabetes -- coincides with the release of a study that shows nearly two-thirds of children aged 12 to 17 gulp down at least one sugar-sweetened beverage daily.

According to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 62 percent of children aged 12 to 17, and 41 percent of children aged 2 to 11, drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day.

"I don't think that most parents truly appreciate the role soda pop has in causing weight gain," Padilla said. "It is unfortunate that soda is actually cheaper than milk and even bottled water in many instances." Read more.

Joy Bauer Discusses the Smart Choices Program™

A healthy diet begins in the grocery store aisles. Here are tips to help you find the right foods for you and your family.
Shopping at the supermarket can be confusing, with food labels touting "low fat," "reduced sodium," “healthy,” and other options. How do you know what's really a healthy choice? Leading nutrition authority and bestselling author Joy Bauer has some advice.
View video's

Think Progress, Not Perfection.

I always look forward to getting my letter's from Kathy. I must say that this event will be ending soon, and I am going to miss it, but I am so grateful to learn to LOVE my body, and I know now, I needed to be taught DISCIPLINE "thanks Tim". Kathy Smith has been staying in Park City, Utah to launch her new mission with NextFit: Lets get America Moving! I have had the honor being coached by Kathy Smith, Tim Misewicz, and Dori Madsen, and many more. I want to share with you the letter of motivation and the knowledge of one great and incredible woman Kathy Smith...

Think Progress, Not Perfection.

Julie,

I'd like to thank you for sharing your hopes, goals, and challenges with me as we approach the finish line of your 12-week program (which by itself is a wonderful accomplishment, by the way).

One of the thoughts I've heard several times is that some people feel that they have made progress, but may not yet have reached their more aggressive goals for the 12-week program.

Anything worth accomplishing takes time, patience, and perspective, especially when the goal involves a lifestyle change. The thought of losing weight or getting into shape, for example, can be overwhelming.

This is when it is important to think progress, not perfection. Always remember that all the little changes you make will add up to large changes overall. This process does not happen overnight. Your success will be cumulative.

Think inside out.
Don't forget too that as you make slight shifts in your life, a tremendous amount of invisible activity goes on inside your body. If you're trying to lose weight and get into shape, you may not see results as quickly as you want on the outside of your body, yet you are retraining your body's metabolic pathways to more efficiently metabolize food and burn fat.

You are changing your body on both a cellular and hormonal level. Don't beat yourself up if you can't stay laser-focused on a busy day when life gets in your way of healthy eating. Just stay centered on the positive:

You are exercising most days of the week now and you are eating in a way that is good for your body. One day (or even a few days) won't set you back in the grand scheme of things. Remind yourself that you are still moving forward.

Put success on the schedule.
Find concrete adjustments that you can build into your weekly routine that will contribute to your success. Call friends to schedule workout dates, write on your calendar (or in your Success Journal) the days you are going to use your keychain trainer and mix it up using a new trainer or style of exercise. Do your grocery shopping on the weekend to stock your fridge so you're ready for the week. And throughout your week, whenever possible, get outdoors - for a hike, a walk (with or without the dog) or a jog around the neighborhood - you'll be surprised what a little fresh air can do for your sense of well-being, and anything that increases physical activity on a regular basis is a gift to yourself.

Think big.
We all get sidetracked once in a while. That's OK. We become frustrated by the little stuff - like fitting into a certain dress size or seeing a specific number on the scale - and forget to consider the larger picture. Stay focused and remember the vision you have for yourself - to be healthier, more vibrant, and more energized, in a way that you can sustain for life. When we move from having a constant microscope on ourselves to appreciate a broader perspective, we can usher in a passionate attitude that has the effect of keeping us from fixating on the negative.

This Week's Goal: Write it out!

Think for a moment about all you've accomplished in over the course of your program in different terms. Set numbers aside for a moment and think about how things have changed. How do you feel on days you work out? How has your relationship to exercise changed?

Take a moment to jot down one paragraph about what you have already achieved in the last 10 weeks. This will help you shift your focus from what you haven't yet accomplished to the real, meaningful things you've achieved in this short time.

I think you'll be surprised when you take stock of how you feel, your energy level, and your general outlook over the last 10 weeks. This week, pay attention to the progress you've made, and let these thoughts be carry you through the more difficult moments.

Tips to Get You Moving

When I was 25 years old I weighed 315 pounds and had failed on every diet in the book. I remember feeling almost hopeless and wondering how I was going to drag my heavy body around another day. Clearly, popular diets weren’t the answer for me. That’s when I made the life-changing decision to begin exercising, and I have never looked back. Today I can’t imagine my life without fitness at the very center. But sometimes it’s hard to get moving. Here are 5 tips that will get you off of the couch and motivated:
Here are the TIPS

Real Stories, Expert Advice: kathy Smith

Fire Up Your Metabolism


A fast metabolism doesn't have to be exclusive to athletes. It can be yours, starting today!

First, eat up! One way to get your metabolism humming is to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day. Digestion is a very energy intensive process; it takes work to convert the food you eat into energy you use so get your body working by digesting! View video

Why Is Your Weight Loss Stalled?

Why Is Your Weight Loss Stalled?

You huff and puff through cardio sessions, but that extra layer of flab just won't budge.

Surprise: Your workout might be to blame. We talked to trainers and exercise physiologists across the country and discovered six surprising ways that well-intentioned fitness routines can put the brakes on weight loss goals. "Many women assume that 30 minutes of exercise will change their bodies, but it's not automatic," says Geralyn Coopersmith, the senior national manager of Equinox Fitness Training Research in New York City. "If you're focused and smart about how you use that half hour, you will be amazed by your results." Here is what to do--and not to do--to rev your metabolism and slim down for good. Read more

What It Takes to Burn Off an Order of French Fries

Tip of the Day:
What It Takes to Burn Off an Order of French Fries

French fries are delicious, but they pack a caloric wallop. The problem is that although they're most often a side dish, they feature main-dish calories. If you think you're going to have "just one" or "a couple of bites" and leave the rest, well, you're mistaken. French fries don't work like that. Find out what it takes to burn off even a medium order of french fries from your favorite fast-food drive-through.

Medium french fries: 380 calories

Exercise Equivalents

# Walking: 98 minutes
# Biking: 54 minutes
# Running: 40 minutes

To make matters worse, one order contains 22 grams of fat and 57 grams of carbs! And remember: You're adding a side of fries to a usually already hefty sandwich or burger. That burger and fries meal alone could rack up more than a thousand calories — busting your calorie bank for the whole day!

DIET DECTIVE.COM

Fiber Rich Foods

One of the most striking differences between the caveman's diet and our own is the amount of fiber our ancestors ate: about 100 grams a day, the amount some people in rural areas of the developing world still get.
The average American, on the other hand, consumes only about 15 grams of fiber per day, well below the recommended 25 grams. The cavemen didn't know it, but all of that fiber had countless health benefits, from lowering cholesterol to helping control (or maybe prevent) diabetes.

There are two types of fiber. Insoluble fiber, such as wheat bran, helps prevent constipation and may protect against colon cancer. It also fills your stomach, helping to quench hunger without calories. Soluble fiber, found in foods such as fruits, oats, barley, and peas, has more to do with lowering cholesterol. Soluble fiber forms a kind of gel in your intestines that helps reduce your body's absorption of the fat you eat. And if that fat never makes it into your bloodstream, it can't do its damage by raising your blood cholesterol levels.
Studies find that eating 10 to 30 grams of soluble fiber a day -- much more than the average American eats -- reduces LDL about 10 percent. (Remember, Americans average 15 grams of fiber, including both soluble and insoluble.)
One analysis of 67 different studies concluded that for every gram of soluble fiber you add to your diet, you can expect an LDL decrease of 2.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). So if you added just 10 grams a day -- less than a cup of baked beans -- you could see your level drop 20 points.

The best fiber-rich foods?

1. Dried beans, peas, and other legumes. These include baked beans, kidney beans, split peas, dried limas, garbanzos, pinto beans, and black beans

.
2. Oatmeal and bran cereals.
3. Vegetables

. Top contenders are fresh or frozen lima beans and green peas

, sweet corn, broccoli, green snap beans, pole beans, broad beans, carrots, and Brussels sprouts.
4. Dried fruit. Figs, apricots, and dates top the list.
5. Fresh fruit (with skin). Particularly raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, pears, apples, and cherries.
6. Whole wheat and other whole grain products. These include rye, oats, buckwheat, and stone-ground cornmeal, as well as bread, pastas

, pizzas, pancakes, and muffins made with whole grain flours.
7. Baked potato with skin.
8. Greens. Some of the best include spinach, beet greens, kale, collards, Swiss chard, and turnip greens.
9. Nuts. Especially almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and walnuts.
10. Bananas.