Sugar, Sugar

Good morning. I am a terrible blog writer so it seems. Three posts in a week followed by 3 weeks of silence. Not the way to get followers that's for sure. I woke up today and read a few pages of my last reading assignment for this semester (YES!!!) from a book called The Schwarzbein Principle. This book is part of a class called Lifecycles and Aging and the focus is about slowing down metabolic aging and maintaining a younger, vibrant and healthier internal body. One of the main culprits that screws with our metabolisms and increases the rate at which our bodies decline is sugar. Of course sugar gets a bad wrap everywhere you look: websites, magazines, the news. You may know that when you eat sugar, your body processes it rather quickly, causing that quick "high" followed by a crash and probably, a craving for more. Perhaps you've fed that viscious cycle, which may have resulted in a decline in your mood, your ability to concentrate and your enegy level. But what else is sugar doing that isn't so apparent?
There's been talk lately about probiotics. In simple terms, probiotics are the good bacteria that live in our guts. They are invaluable for many reasons including synthesis and absorption of the fat soluble vitamins in the colon and they fight the bad bacteria, viral toxins and other invaders that our bodies encounter everyday. Probiotics play a huge role in maintaining a strong immune system. These good bacteria thrive on the same foods that help our bodies thrive in general, vegetables, quality proteins, live, cultured dairy products (yogurt and kefir) and other whole foods. The food of choice for bad bacteria and other unwelcome organisms is....sugar! You may have noticed, if you are a female, that you got a yeast infection once and maybe you connected it to a day when you ate lots of sugar or maybe after a weekend of high alcohol consumption (alcohol is a sugar also). Yeast, is not a bacteria, it's a fungus, but it's still an unwelcome one in our bodies. Yeast feeds on sugar and will grow exponentially when there is some around. Normally, the body can rid itself of a little yeast, but when there is an abundance, it can take over, causing an infection. This infection can be a common one like women experience or it can be in your blood, a condition called candida. Viruses also feed on sugar. When these toxic organisms are able to feed and multiple in our bodies, the good bacteria get overwhelmed. So if you want to keep your immune system functioning optimally this winter, try this simple step and watch your sugar intake. And remember, it's not just sugar in the obvious forms (soda, sweets, ice cream); sugar is added to yogurt, juice, breads, soda, and breakast cereals. Concentrate on eating whole foods, lots of leafy green vegetables and low sugar fruits like green apples and underripe bananas. Limit alcohol consumption and avoid binge drinking. Staying healthy this winter just got easier!