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Sugar—Friend VS. Enemy

Sugar. It's everywhere. It's in our drinks, it's in our foods, and it's hidden in places we never would think of. Many would call sugar their friend in time of need, but in fact their so-called “good friend” could turn out to be their worst enemy in disguise.

Sugar for many is something they may have been battling with for a long time. Here's a simple three-step process to help you start to win back the battle for your health.

First Step—Awareness of What Sugar Really Does to Your Body

Most people will say they “know” that they shouldn't have sugar, but they really can't help it. To me that is a lack of true awareness of what sugar does to oneself. I don't think many people will say that they want to hurt their body on purpose, but unless they know it's really happening they will continue down that road. Sugar is slower to impact our health, and it's that slow destructive process that is the most dangerous. Unfortunately, most people don't know the damage until it has already been done.

Let's look at what is really going on with sugar from inside our body's point of view.

1. Sugar increases fat storing. Possibly the most important hormone in the body is insulin（胰島素）, when it comes to weight loss and health. Insulin is the main hormone that we have full control over daily through our diet and lifestyle. When we eat sugar and it enters into our bloodstream too quickly, we have a spike in blood sugar levels. Now in times of high activity we are able to burn it off, but if we are sitting around this is not a good thing. So in response to that high level of blood sugar, the body will release more insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin will then take the excess glucose（葡萄糖）and try to find a place to store it. If your muscles are all full (or have insulin resistance) then the best place to put the excess glucose is fat cells. When insulin is high, the fat cells are told to shut down any process of releasing stored fat into the blood for burning. With chronic high insulin spikes comes a resistance to it by your cells, leading to more insulin production, leading to more fat storing, and more resistance, eventually going down a road of diabetes and ill health for the whole body.

2. Sugar also disrupts normal brain function. I think most people can relate to mood swings and energy highs/lows that come after a high sugar meal. Sugar can also be the source of many people's increased anxiety and depression. Let us not also forget the kids with ever-increasing attention “disorders” and behavioral issues. Sugar is not helping with that, either. In fact, there have been many studies that show when taking sugar out of a kid's diet and increasing fat intake, their attention ability increases, their behavior changes for the better.

3. Sugar decreases your overall health and makes you age quicker. Too much sugar will lower your overall immune system, increase destructive inflammation, lead to essential mineral deficiencies in the body, feed bad bacteria growth in your gut and other wonderful stuff. Aging is just a fancy word for the body breaking down quicker than it can repair itself, as that is what happens when we get older. Aging also is accelerated by the increasing risks of all degenerative diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancers. We are all going to get older, but it doesn't mean that we have to “age” quicker.

Second Step—Realize You Are in 100% Control of Your Actions

This could be the most underrated yet the most important step, as we are the only person who controls what we put into our body. Everything starts in what we choose to put in our mouths. Some people may say they can't control their sugar cravings, but that is already admitting defeat and giving up power to some “cosmic sugar influence” out there. We can pass on dessert, we don't need to buy a candy bar, we can drink water instead of soda, but the choice is ours to make.

Also many like to call it an “addiction”. This is just another way to give up your own personal power of choice. While sugar can have “addictive like” qualities, it's not something that you own or is a part of you. Fight the battle and you will get over the addictive feelings, they will go away. But if you call it an addiction and make it part of you, then it is yours to keep forever. Be free from it, let go. Take back control and anything is possible.

Third Step—Just Live the Daily Journey One Choice at a Time

Life is just a series of present moments, and the choices we make in those moments. So let's just focus on what we can do right now instead of worrying about what has happened in the past or may or may not happen in the future. “Now” is all we have and all we need to focus on.

Choose to eat more natural foods. Choose whole food proteins, healthy fats and natural sources of carbohydrates. If it wasn't around a thousand years ago or is made by man (and not nature), chances are you don't need it. Note how it says “Choose” above, as it is your choice.

Find the hidden sources of sugars and remove them. Sugar is hidden in places such as sauces, ketchup, soups, processed foods, drinks, so called health bars, and more. Become a label reader and see how much sugar you are consistently putting into your body. Don't fall for the marketing trick either of “l(fā)ow fat”, because that usually means “more sugar”.

1. The author believe that sugar in fact is _____.

A. our good friend most of the time

B. a hidden enemy

C. a friend as well as an enemy

D. a longtime friend

2. The reason why many people can't help having sugar is _____.

A. they are addicted to it

B. they neglect its danger

C. they are unaware of its danger

D. they want to hurt their body

3. We are able to cut down blood sugar levels by _____.

A. taking part in intense activities

B. just sitting around

C. going on diet

D. losing weight

4. When insulin in the bloodstream is high, fat cells will stop releasing _____.

A. excess glucose

B. bloodstream

C. insulin

D. stored fat

5. Taking high sugar meals may result in _____.

A. brain damage

B. mood fluctuation

C. mental disorder

D. bad temper

6. Many studies show that sugar-free diets with more fat can improve children's _____.

A. attention ability

B. behavior

C. brain function

D. depression

7. The truth that we get older is that our body _____.

A. lacks essential minerals

B. is under risks of diabetes

C. has a weak immune system

D. breaks down faster than it can be self-repaired

8. You yield to your addictive feelings, which means you give up _____.

9. To be healthy, what we should do now is to eat natural foods and remove _____.

10. This passage discusses how to _____ out of our life.