Let’s say you start off with something sweet like a bagel with jam and butter, sweetened yogurt, cereal, fruit bar, etc. This high -sugar meal rapidly breaks down to glucose and causes what we call a sugar spike followed by a blood sugar crash due to the pancreas secreting a hormone called insulin. Our body responds to them by telling you “give me more sugar” so what do we do…grab more sugar. The more this happens the more profound the sugar spike in the more insulin is required to clean up the mess. Eventually, our cells become resistant to insulin’s efforts, and the sugar is no longer efficiently burned for energy but stored for fat instead. The fat lands right on our once flat belly. This process is at the root of all inflammatory and chronic health issues.
We typically love sugar because it stimulates the brain with secrete serotonin. The “feel good” sensations take over for a short time and cause us to eat more sugar. These cravings create bad habits that are hard to break. Sugar is like an addictive drug. People even have withdrawal symptoms if they don’t wean off it over a longer period.
Our brain needs sugar though it actually uses half of all the glucose in our body to function efficiently. The foods we choose greatly affects brain function. Too much sugar can be a bad thing. Studies have shown the excess sugar consumption to accelerated aging of brain cells affecting memory and cognitive deficiencies. Moderation is key.