Hey there. If you’ve been on this healthy habits journey with us a while, you’ve likely heard water is the beverage of choice for health, and I hope it’s in your good-habits arsenal. But in this battle for good health, we have a bad-beverage enemy as well.
Sweetened beverages, are like ammunition in the opponent’s arsenal. So why is sugar a bugger? Let me count the ways…! In “The Beauty Detox Foods,” Kimberly Snyder tells us this shocking news:
“Studies have shown sugar to be more addictive than cocaine. The more sugar you eat, the more your taste buds become conditioned to it and the more you need to feel satisfied.”
Does that sound like the effects of a drug? Does to me!
Here are ways she tells us sugar destroys our health and beauty.
- Sugar gives you wrinkles
- Sugar makes you move more stiffly
- Sugar makes you fat
- Sugar steals your beauty nutrients
- Sugar reduces the function of enzymes
- Sugar taxes your adrenals
- Sugar hinders your on-going cleansing
Dr. Colbert agrees. In his book, “Eat this and Live,” he adds these harmful woes to sugar consumption.
- Sugar can lead to osteoporosis
- Sugar can lead to type 2 diabetes
- Sugar can elevate cholesterol
And in “Lick the Sugar Habit,” Dr. Nancy Appleton targets sixty-seven (that’s right…67) harmful effects of sugar. Here are just a few of those:
- Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance
- Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties and crankiness in children (I think adults too – Kaylen’s personal note)
- Sugar can cause kidney damage
- Sugar may lead to cancer of the breasts, ovaries, prostate, and rectum
- Sugar can cause colon cancer with an increased risk in women
- Sugar can weaken eyesight
- Sugar can produce an acidic stomach
- Sugar can cause arthritis
- Sugar can cause asthma
- Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection)
I could go on, but I think you get the point. Sugar is not doing us any favors, and its time sugary beverages were introduced to the trash! You may have withdrawals but do the break-up anyway! Your health and well-being are worth it!
So, if you think artificial sweeteners are the answer, think again. Here’s what Dr. Colbert has to tell us. He calls it, “The Not-So-Splendid Side of Splenda.” He warns people who use Splenda (sucralose) may experience the following side effects.
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Gas
- Nausea
- Blurry vision
- Diarrhea
- Headaches, especially migraines
- Heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Frequent need to urinate at night
- Depression or overwhelming anxiety
- Spaced out or drugged sensation
- Joint pain
Dr. Colbert also teaches us side effects of aspartame include the following.
- Vision problems
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Convulsions
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Migraines,
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
And for those of us convinced diet sodas help people lose weight, listen to this astounding study shared in “Eat this and Live,” by Dr. Don Colbert. He says, “Many people think diet sodas help them lose weight, but one study showed otherwise. A study covering eight years of collected data showed that your risk of becoming overweight by drinking one to two cans of soda per day is 32.8 percent, but your risk increases to 54 percent if you drink one to two cans of diet soda instead.
It would be nice if we could trust all the products marketed in media and on grocery shelves. But in general marketers are paid to make money not to look out for our health. For better options in sweeteners, check out our video, Better Beverages and Sweeteners (can we link this?).
So, we may be in a war for our health, but it is winnable! Each healthy habit gives more momentum for the next. So, make the healthy water habit by drinking ½ your body weight in ounces of water every day, and you’ll be well on your way to crowding out the bad stuff! Sugar in the trash and water for the WIN!
