Sugar Fasting

Have you ever taken a Sugar Fast? After all the company and celebrating of the holidays, I took the opportunity to go on a week long Sugar Fast. This isn't my first or my longest. But, I still consider it a very useful exercise. Here are a couple of reasons why:

1. Sugar is a toxin. Our body doesn't see it as food. It must deal with it as a poison and use all its detoxification mechanisms to rid itself of the substance. It is nice to give your hardworking body a break.
2. Sugar is an immune suppressor. Performance of white blood cells is diminished after consuming sugar or artificial sugar substitutes. It is estimated that your white blood cells decrease by 30% after 6 tsp. of sugar and by 65% after 12 tsp. of sugar. Did you know that a 12 oz can of soda can contain 10-12 tsp. of sugar! Considering that it is cold/flu season, it is good to give your body a chance to rebuild its forces.
3. Sugar is empty calories. It simply adds calories without adding nutritive value to our daily diet. So, after a season when most of us put on a couple of pounds, it is helpful to let your body drop the extra caloric intake.
4. Sugar can be addictive. Yes, it really can. The book Sugar Blues, cites several studies in support of this fact. (I've put it in my Amazon Store so you can reference it conveniently.) It is beneficial to break even small addictions so that we are free from compulsory eating.
5. Sugar is hidden everywhere! Most of us don't realize just how often we feed our bodies sugar. It is in spaghetti sauce, regular peanut butter, even most packaged crackers! Taking a Sugar Fast enables us to check just how often we are eating sugar. It is an eye-opening exercise, even if we normally eat well and just lighten our discipline for the holiday season.
6. Sugar takes our body's glucose levels on a roller coaster ride. This wreaks havoc on our pancreas and other regulatory agencies. They can get worn out too! So breaking our sugar intake gives our body a chance to stay on an even keel.

My body is happier and healthier for the break from sugar. So, here's my challenge: take a Sugar Fast. Even if it is only for a week, you'll strengthen your discipline, become aware of just how much sugar your family consumes, and give your body a healthy boost. When your fast is over, you'll have the chance to cautiously reintroduce sugar, and maybe you'll even make a sugar reduction habit for life!

Disclaimer: While I have gleaned useful information from Sugar Blues, I cannot endorse all of the author's comments.