Sugar, anyone?

There are lots of things that you need, nutrition wise, to keep your body going.  You need some fat.  Carbs. Protein.  But do you really need sugar?  Sure it tastes great.  It is in almost everything, but do we need it to survive?

Here is what i found out:
"Sugar is the body's preferred nutrient for the production of energy. Glucose, a basic form of sugar, is the only nutrient that nourishes the brain. When we don't get enough glucose, we feel light headed, jittery, faint, tired, and we crave carbohydrates. Though we can also make energy out of fat and protein, sugar has its place in the diet and carbohydrates should not be avoided completely under most circumstances."

"A healthy diet would contain a significant amount of naturally occurring sugar (in fruits and grains, for example), the problem is that we’re chronically consuming much more added sugar in processed foods.  That’s an important clarification because our brains need sugar every day to function.  Brain cells require two times the energy needed by all the other cells in the body; roughly 10% of our total daily energy requirements.  This energy is derived from glucose (blood sugar), the gasoline of our brains. Sugar is not the brain’s enemy — added sugar is."

As a person with PCOS I am somewhat insulin resistant, which in a general term means that when i spike my blood with carbs and sugar, it is harder for my body's insulin to even out my blood sugar.  It also means I crave sugar more regularly and my body stores the fat and sugar more easily.

All not good things. So cutting out sugar would be so so beneficial.  I am working on it.  But it is so hard.  

Here are some tips I found:

1. "If you're going to cut out one item from your diet, it should be sugary drinks. This is sodas and sports drinks, but I would add to that fruit juices."

2. "A lot comes down to reading labels. There are a lot of places sugar hides."

3."Eat your fruits and vegetables. Your parents did not tell you "no desserts until you eat your fruits and vegetables" for their health, but your health. While fructose, a natural fruit sugar, is found in your fruits this is okay for you to eat. This is a type of sugar that your body does need and offers your taste palette a sweet treat which is actually healthy."

4."Get a cookbook. Plenty of people know how damaging sugar is for them have figured ways to rid their bodies of this poison. Cookbooks and internet sites have a plethora of information on how to cook sugar free. It may surprise you how easy it is to cook treats including cookies and cakes sugar free."

Food for thought, I suppose.
~Alison