subject: Should I Dump The Sugar And Pour On The No-cal Sweetener For Eating Healthy To Lose Weight? [print this page] It would seem to make perfect sense to trade in sugar, which is high in calories and can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels for artificial sweetener like Splenda, which has zero calories when eating healthy to lose weight. However, sugar and sugar substitutes are the number one reason for unwanted weight gain. While you may have never heard it put this way, the serious and ugly truth about sugar is that it is poison to your body. Processed sugar, which is found in a spectrum of goodies that are considered normal for Americans to consume (such as cake, cookies, and even cereal), can actually cause your body to develop diseases if consumed too much on a regular basis.
You may think that you have your sugar intake under control; you dont eat more than the average person, right? Well, 60% of Americans are obese, making unhealthy weight gain the average. However, instead of cutting out sugar because we dont want to have to lose the comfort of sweets we then turn to artificial, chemically created sweeteners which have been linked to cancer in lab tests and can overload the liver causing weight gain as well.
Sugar in All Forms is Detrimental to a Healthy Eating Plan
If you have never heard what happens in your body after you consume sugar, you may be surprised to find out how detrimental it really can be. Excess sugar in your body can have negative effects on every organ, but if you overload your liver, it will send the sugar back into the bloodstream in the form of fatty acids.
Do you know what then happens to sugar, which has been converted to fatty acids in the bloodstream? Well, that spare tire you are dying to get rid of but cant seem to run enough miles or do enough sit-ups to accomplish that goal is what happens. Sugar is to blame for being shuttled off to be stored in your belly, butt, breasts, and thighs. Excess fat isnt a good look, no matter how you try to hide it in flattering jeans or black shirts.
Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup and Artificial Sweeteners
High fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners are both bad for your body in the same way they are both made in a laboratory and are chemical concoctions that should not be consumed by your body. Anything that your body does not recognize as a food source is considered a toxin and can clog your bodys ability to process fat, forcing it then to store it. But not only are you ingesting toxins when you eat a product that is made with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener, you are also increasing your bodys cravings for sweets. Because most products that contain these two ingredients are sweeter to the taste than real sugar, your body is then programmed to crave and expect that same taste and comfort every time you need a pick me up. This can lead to a chemical addiction, taxing your organs to the point of failure or even the development of Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
If you need sweetness, try the natural route; stevia is a plant based sugar substitute that you can safely use to sweeten foods. So if you cant quit cold turkey, know that you have an option to still enjoy your foods on the sweeter side without the devastating side effects of sugar and its substitutes.
