Did you know, sugar has literally NO nutritional value? Sure, it tastes good and makes us feel good, but most of us are over-doing it. Waay overdoing it.

The average American consumes about 17 teaspoons (270 calories) of added sugar every day?! You need zero teaspoons. Zero. The recommended limit is six teaspoons (100 calories) for women/children under 18 and nine teaspoons (150 calories) for most men [1].

So what? Why is too much sugar bad for you?

According to the American Heart Association, every year 180,000 people die (25,000 in the U.S.) as a result of consuming sugary beverages alone! [2] And that is just one way we consume our sugar.

It’s also terrible for your waistline. In terms of calories, the average American is packing on 18 extra pounds per year from excess sugar [3]!  And being overweight is not just uncomfortable and inconvenient, it increases the chances of heart disease, diabetes and cancer [4].

And if that isn’t enough, let’s talk about the way consuming sugar makes us feel… Sure, there is an initial energy boost and endorphin release, but as our bodies become dependent on sugar; irritability, anxiety, cravings, depression and other negative mental health impacts take over [5].

The good news

It only takes a few days to eliminate sugar from your body [6]. Yes, you may experience withdrawal symptoms for up to 10 days, but the symptoms decrease every single day. And once you get past day three, the worst is over.

If you are ready to take the plunge and eliminate added sugar from your diet, there is some great advice in the article I linked to below [6] and you can join our 40 day sugar fast for access to more great information and encouragement for your journey! For even more support, join our Online Facebook Community

Photo Credit: Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent on Pexels.com.

Notes:

[1] “Added Sugar,” The Nutrition Source,  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard.edu, last reviewed April 2022, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/#:~:text=The%20AHA%20suggests%20a%20stricter,of%20sugar)%20for%20most%20men.

[2] “How to break the sugar habit-and help your health in the process,” Chan School of Public Health, Harvard.edu, July 1, 2013, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-break-the-sugar-habit-and-help-your-health-in-the-process.

 [3] @ 175 extra sugar calories per day times 365 days/year = 63,875 excess calories from sugar. @3,500 calories (the amount required to burn 1 pound), that is 18.25 pounds per year. If added sugar is eliminated entirely, that could be 28 pounds per year! Source: https://www.todaysdietitian.com/news/exclusive0612.shtml#:~:text=Burn%20more%20calories%20than%20you,you%27ll%20lose%201%20lb.

[4] “Sugar: The Facts,” NHS.uk, page last reviewed May 19, 2023, https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/#:~:text=Eating%20too%20much%20sugar%20can%20contribute%20to%20people%20having%20too,cancers%20and%20type%202%20diabetes.

[5] Krystine Murray “Sugar Addiction,” AddictionCenter.com, March 10, 2023,   https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/sugar-addiction/#:~:text=Some%20studies%20have%20suggested%20that,a%20risk%20of%20sugar%20overindulgence.

[6] Lisa Drayer, “One-month sugar detox: A nutritionist explains how and why,” CNN Health, CNN.com, March 22, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/09/health/sugar-detox-food-drayer/index.html.