Anyone who really knows me knows that I have a thing for sweets. My cravings are almost constant and I can put away sugar like it's going out of style. This is, most likely, due to the fact that I've always eaten whatever I want and through a lifetime of sugar-ignorance have actually trained my palate to not only want sugar - but to expect it. While working as a dental assistant not too long ago, I would actually have candy in my scrub pockets at all times so I could sneak a piece beneath my mask between glove-changes, and considering how wonderful sugar is for your teeth...lol...talk about ironic.
But since I've had this epiphany on fitness and healthy-living, I've done my research on my biggest weakness and have come away pretty horrified about the insane amounts that I have ingested in the past. A few facts for you:
- On average, Americans consume around 110 grams of sugar a day.
- The USDA recommends 20 grams per day for women.
Twenty! Do you know just how tiny that number is when it comes to daily eating habits? Just to give you a few numbers:
- 39 g in one can of coke
- 26+ g in 8 oz of fruit juice
- 27 g in 1 strawberry yoplait
- 35+ g in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
See what I mean? One careless meal, snack or beverage and you've exceeded your recommended intake of sugar. So, why does sugar matter? How does it effect your body? The body metabolizes table-sugar in essentially five steps:
1. Sugar mixes with saliva in the mouth, partially breaking down.
2. Sugar travels to the stomach. After about 15 minutes it moves to the small intestine at intervals and there it's processed with enzymes and divided into glucose and fructose.
3. The pancreas pumps insulin to manage the glucose and it enters the bloodstream about 30 minutes after you've ingested it. Fructose heads to the liver.
4. Insulin moves glucose into the cells throughout the body, giving a "sugar rush".
5. After about two hours, insulin and glucose levels dip, leaving you tired and hungry. Extra glucose is stored as fat.
5. After about two hours, insulin and glucose levels dip, leaving you tired and hungry. Extra glucose is stored as fat.
Knowledge of how my body responds to sugar was enough to make me want to change, and there is hope for the sugar-addict-hopeless like myself because when you get right down to it, I am in charge of what I ingest. I have the final say, and with a little willpower and health-minded attitude, I can completely train my palate to crave less sugar. It's so possible, and easier than you may believe. Already, I crave less sweets - shoot! I crave less food in general because I've banished sugar-binging.
And you know what? It's a good feeling.
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