My Two-Week Experiment with Sugar
Every year, for the last two weeks of the year, I eat every kind of Christmas and New Year’s food imaginable. I load up on cakes and pies and cookies and candy and pastries and beer and wine and hot toddies and anything else you can think of. Mmmm, so yummy, right? Not so fast.
Everyone likes to celebrate over the holidays, and a lot of people put on quite a few pounds in December. But what do all those tasty treats do to your body? Well, besides adding pounds, there are a number of other things that happen to your body. To be clear, this can happen anytime during the year, but using the holidays is a great example, because that’s when we normally eat the most junk food. What do all those holiday treats have in common? Sugar. Carbs. Bad Fat. So, what happens when you ingest all those bad carbs and fats? Let me tell you what happens to me. Maybe it happens to you, too.
What Happened to Me…
First of all, there are studies that have shown that sugar can be more addicting than cocaine. Since I’ve never done cocaine, I can’t say for sure, but I can definitely speak about sugar. it doesn’t take long for these foods to start to affect your body. Within about two weeks, I started gaining weight. I lost one belt loop on my belt. I could see and feel extra fat around my waist. I also started having more bloating, gas, and intestinal discomfort. These are symptoms one might see with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I also experienced more belching – something one might see with GERD or Acid Reflux. I also started having achy joints – something one might experience if you have arthritis. I had achy knees and ankles. I also started having pain in the joint of my big toe. This is something one might experience with gout. I also started feeling physically sluggish. I also started feeling mentally sluggish. I started having headaches and migraines. Sugar is known to cause migraines in some people. And my nose was constantly stuffy.
What Does It Mean?
What does all this mean? The most important thing I want you to understand is that too many carbs, too much sugar, and bad fats can affect your body and mind in many different ways. It should also make you consider your diet when dealing with various health issues. Sugar is acidic. Acidity causes inflammation. There are many health issues associated with acidity and inflammation. There is a list of health issues or “diseases” that are called Inflammatory Disease. Another way to know if a health issue is related to inflammation is to look for the suffix “-itis.” For example, arthritis, gastritis, etc.
Often, people don’t make the connection between the food they eat with the health issues they are experiencing. People usually link food to weight, so they go on diets to lose (or gain) weight. But food is connected to much more than just weight, as you can see from the issues I experienced during the two weeks of consuming mass quantities of sugar. If you have any inflammatory issues such as arthritis, gastritis, etc, you may want to try restricting your sugar intake. This would include not just white sugar but bread, alcohol, white rice, pasta, ice cream, etc. If you have intestinal issues, you might be surprised how reducing your sugar intake can reduce the pain, gas, and bloating you feel. The same goes for foggy thinking and other health issues.
Kickstart with a Detox
In order to speed up your health, you can do a detoxification program. A Detox will clear out the toxins from your intestines and colon, your liver and gall bladder, and your bladder, etc. I always suggest a Detox to my clients, because it is helpful, but not mandatory. Of course, you want to add in some exercise. Even deep breathing helps. People usually make their New Year’s Resolution in January, and it usually refers to becoming healthier. But many people don’t understand how to become healthy. So, they go to the gym for a month or two. When that doesn’t work, they quit. Defeated. All you need is a little more knowledge. If you understand that what you eat is just as important as your exercise routine, and understanding what is in your food, you could be very successful not only in losing weight but actually being healthier. Get rid of all those aches and pains. Get rid of that belly fat. Get rid of those headaches. Get rid of the gas and bloating. Reduce your blood pressure. Reduce your blood sugar. Reduce your cholesterol. Yes, it can be done.
I can work with you and show you how you can be healthier by making a few changes to your diet and lifestyle. Maybe this year, it’s time to really get healthy.
Bill
Ultimate Health & Wellness