Sugar’s Empty Calories
Sugar is considered empty calories because it is void of vitamins and minerals. It is no wonder you feel so sluggish and heavy all the time when this lifeless ingredient is prominent in so many of the foods you eat.
These empty calories create a total imbalance in the body. Here’s what happens: First the body goes into a “sugar shock” spiking insulin levels and creating a brief energy rush. After the body recovers from the shock, it starts working furiously to recover its internal balance by:
- Tapping mineral reserves. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium are diverted from organs and systems that need them in order to replace the empty calories. That’s assuming you have enough of those minerals in the first place. The result? Energy crash and weakened defenses.
- Weakening your bones and teeth. High sugar intake can lead to an overly acidic body. The body will try to balance the acid/alkaline levels by stripping calcium from the bones and teeth.
- Impairing organ function. Most people know that consuming too much sugar leads to fat build up in the belly, hips, buttocks, and breasts. What you might not know is that once those areas are filled up, the liver starts depositing fat around vital organs like the heart and kidneys. Not only can this lead to high blood pressure, but also can result in damaging brain function!
- A non-functioning dull brain. Even in the short term, your brain is affected by sugar. In fact, you’ll feel the effects right away. Sugar dulls your brain, so you’ll feel sleepy. You’ll probably also find yourself forgetting things or having trouble making simple calculations. That’s because the brain needs glutamic acid to function properly. B vitamins help glutamic acid; a vital compound found in many vegetables that divides the brain’s stop and go responses. Unfortunately, eating refined sugar daily kills off the symbiotic, or “good,” bacteria living in your intestines. It this kind of bacteria that is responsible for producing extra B vitamins.
