Goal: How To Cut Down On Sugar Intake

Did you know that most health problems in America come from poor diet? Sugar is one of the most fattening and harmful things Americans eat today. Sugar intake for Americans should be limited

Much debate has occurred regarding whether sugar is good or bad for your health. Whilst some sugar is important for the body’s functions, too much sugar can cause major problems. Tooth decay for example, is an issue that mainly affects children and young adolescents, however can cause prolonged effects such as gum disease or tooth sensitivity. Diseases associated with the high consumption of sugar, such as diabetes and obesity, can result in drastic lifestyle changes if not addressed. Addiction is also an issue that can lead to health problems later in life. These health risks need to be addressed as early as possible in order for long-term health problems to be avoided.

Sugar is probably one of the most consumed foods in the U.S.. From cakes and cookies to crackers and cereal, sugar is in almost everything. While it is a favorite of many, it has some serious consequences for a person’s health. New studies have shown that sugar, specifically added sugars, can have disastrous affects on people’s health. Sugar is directly connected to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Todays people are quick to blame dieting problems on sugar, saying "I cant avoid it!!" or "Theirs sugar in everything." Turns out dieting is not the greatest problem. Heart Disease is one most common problems with eating sugar. People who consume more than the average 30 grams (1.0 oz.) of sugar a day are more likely to contract this disease.

This isn't (really) a rant about sugar because let's face it you've heard it all before. You are well aware that too much sugar makes you fat and has ominous links to type 2 diabetes. You know the facts, so I'm not going to patronise you with a concoction of sensationalist stats. There is one question I need to ask though, it's nothing special, but it is important 'are you addicted to sugar?' Take a minute, think about it. Addiction is when you cannot control a behaviour or action, can you control how much sugar you eat?

Don’t eat your sugars or maybe? It all began 40 years ago, scientists are telling people that the more fat you eat the fatter you will get. So they took the fat out, but it was so bland, it didn't have much flavor so they added sugar. And now people are getting so addicted that's it even more addictive than COCAINE!

There are plenty of reasons and research studies that show how destructive sugar can be for your health if not managed properly, “and unfortunately our standard American Diet is anything but balanced.”(Konie 1) Americans don’t manage their sugar levels, let alone manage their sugar intake. The exponential growth of obesity in underway and the main cause. Sugar. Many people don’t understand this but sugar is perfectly fine as long as you can control it, many also don’t realize just, “how dangerous the extremes can be.”(Konie 1)

Studies have shown that eating too much sugar has a negative effect on our bodies. Sugar from regular sodas, cakes, cookies, and candy have been proven as risk factors for heart disease. In 2010 adults in the United States consumed about 300 calories a day, based on a 2,000 calorie diet from added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends that women don’t consume more than 100 calories a day from added sugars; and men don’t consume more than 150 calories a day. Other research has also tied a high intake of added sugars to many poor health conditions like; obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, risk factors for heart disease, and stroke (Hellmich). All of the research has proven that too much added sugars has a negative effect on our bodies.

Sugar is not the horrifying monster that everyone thinks will hurt you. Sugar isn't as bad as everyone thinks it is, it's actually good for you in different ways. It helps you focus, sugar is not addictive, and it doesn't cause serious diseases.

The main argument to be made here is that the only kind of sugars we should consume are natural sugars. Too much food these days contain high fructose corn syrup and other additives that our bodies can't handle. Some good natural sugars include ripe fruit and raw honey. Our bodies need natural sugar in order to function properly because, "when our cells don't have enough glucose to do their job they find alternative means by which to get their energy, particularly through fat or even our own body tissue. Always remember to be careful, though, as too much of anything is still bad.

Food consumption that is high in sugar has been linked with obesity rates, so in order to cut obesity rates we must avoid a heavy load of sugar intake. In order to understand why sugar is “trending” as something to avoid in our diet, here are some reasons why: sugar has been found to be poor for our metabolism and harmful to our health (Flegal). It contains no essential nutrients. Sugar is also high in fructose, which can essentially overload your liver. Sugar can also cause insulin resistance. This is something strongly correlated with obesity rates, which can also be associated with diabetes. So with sugars effects to insulin resistance, it can be a contributor to type II diabetes as well as other chronic diseases. A specific note of this diabetes influence sugar has comes for an analysis done on caloric consumption and diabetes. “When people ate 150 calories more every day, the rate of diabetes went up 0.1%. But if those 150 calories came from a can of fizzy drink, the rate went up 1.1%” (Lambert) showing that added sugar is eleven times more harmful within the same calorie

If the world is an engine, sugar is the oil. Everything has sugar, from sodas to fruit. But what if the sugar overload is hurting your body? It's a very controversial topic, but well-researched. Some say it has no long-term effects, but others beg to differ that it can lead to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Sugar has been fueling our lives for so long, so why is it just now gaining so much attention?

Too much refined sugar isn't good for your body. Not only will it cause you to gain weight but it makes you sluggish. Your body isn't getting the right balance of nutrition and value from the foods you consume. A sugar detox can help you to start feeling your very best and to shed those unwanted pounds. Getting ready for a sugar detox is important or it isn't going to be something that you can successfully complete.

Children’s health and wellness expert Dr. Alan Greene discusses this likeness of sugar to a drug in-depth in his Healthline.com article Is Sugar an Addictive Drug. “Evidence is mounting that too much added sugar could lead to true addiction. Added sugar is not the sugar naturally found in foods, but the amped up levels added to many processed foods. Medical addiction changes brain chemistry to cause binging, craving, withdrawal symptoms, and sensitization. Excess added sugar can do just that, through changes in the same pathways as addiction to amphetamines or alcohol. Sugar addiction could be an even harder habit to break, according to recent evidence about how added sugar affects our stress hormones.” Though the quantity and variety of food avaliable to us today is for the most part a good thing, it is having and will continue to have dire consequences for the

Consumption of sugary drink can lead to many health risks such as stroke, diabetes, cancer and many more.