Sugar. That simple carbohydrate that is so tasty and so bad for us, at the same time. Why though? Why is sugar so bad for us? In a new article from CNBC, it sounds like sugar is the worst food ingredient for your immune system. Something that is incredibly important right now as we area fully into cold and flu season and dealing with the contagious nature of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Here are the highlights of the article:
Sugar is the leading cause of metabolic disorders, specifically obesity and diabetes. Chronic high blood sugar (from eating to much sugar), can cause insulin resistance. Eating too much sugar also often leads to obesity. These two conditions combined put our body in a constant state of inflammation. Our immune system starts to work overtime to repair those inflamed areas. This creates an environment where dangerous bacteria and viruses can move in undetected. Some viruses, like COVID-19, bind to cells in our pancreas that makes it even harder to produce insulin. Thus, our blood sugar stays even higher for longer and this vicious cycle gets worse.
Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet is the best way to help. Keep in mind that sugar is hiding everywhere in our food. Sometimes, it’s obvious. We all know that cookies, doughnuts, and candy have sugar. Foods like bread, pasta, rice, and cereal may be thought of as healthier even though they still spike our blood sugar. Even worse, are foods most of us don’t notice like ketchup, salad dressing, juice, yogurt, protein bars, and some fruit.
Here is the full article that provides more ways to avoid sugar in your diet. But, here are two of our favorites:
1. Eat More Fiber: Fiber keeps your digestion more regular and slows it down. This protects you from sugar spikes.
2. Chose Nutrients Over Calories: Stop thinking about cutting calories. Your body needs vitamins and minerals. Give the machine what it needs.
