Prescription for Health

Can eating added sugars cause stress to our bodies?

Absolutely!  Stress on our bodies can come from outside sources such as exercise, dangerous situations, tense situations, confrontations, etc.  BUT the other causes of stress seem to be more detrimental to our health because we don’t always think about them; such as lack of sleep.  When our bodies are stressed, our adrenal glands release the stress hormone cortisol.

How does eating added sugars cause stress?

When we eat sugars that are added to foods we have a rapid spike in blood sugar (this is what is called the sugar high) BUT then we have the drastic dips in our blood sugar.  These peaks and dips are unstable blood sugar and our body can cycle through these spikes and dips many times per day when we consume excess sugars.

Cortisol is also involved in how our bodies react to the sugar crashes after consuming large amounts of added sugars.  A blood sugar dip causes stress and our bodies respond by releasing cortisol to pull our blood sugar back up.  Cortisol causes our blood sugar to increase in an effort to prepare our bodies for dealing with the “stressor”.  Cortisol then inhibits insulin production in an attempt to keep sugar in our blood.  Our bodies normally produce insulin to help control blood sugar levels by telling our muscles, liver and fat cells to take in the sugar to use for making energy to fuel the body.  When cortisol inhibits insulin production chronically, we aren’t able to use insulin properly to deal with sugars from our foods.  Then excess cortisol from all this chronic stress on the body from excess sugar leads to increase in appetite and more cravings for high calorie foods.

It’s a vicious cycle.  Excess sugar = blood sugar dips = chronic stress on body = cortisol release = imbalance in insulin effectiveness = cravings/increased appetite = more chronic stress on the body.  The cycle repeats…

What can we do to prevent some of this?  Make every effort to keep our blood sugar levels steady throughout the day.  Eat a balanced diet, eat 5 to 6 small meals per day and don’t skip breakfast.  Cut back on ADDED sugars from foods such as cookies, cereals, some store bought dressing/sauces, sodas, sweetened beverages, etc.

Is it OK to eat fruits?  YES!  The fiber in the fruits slows the absorption of sugar from the fruit so the sugar enters our blood stream at a slower rate.  This is why fiber is so important – it helps prevent blood sugar spikes from the foods we eat.

I used to be a HUGE sweet eater - I could have eaten sweets over real food.  I just loved them that much.  Then I realized what I was doing to my body - the sugar crashes were literally damaging my body.  And I realized that, by eating sweets so often, I was setting myself up for failure.  I never felt good - my energy was always lacking.  Then about 13 months ago I realized that changes HAD to be made.  I began drinking Shakeology EVERY DAY and I started my clean eating journey.  Now, I do have sweet treats every now and then - moderation is key!  I don't deprive myself - but I also do not go overboard.