Sugar.

It's no fair, I know.


Sugar can really mess with you. And me. All of us. Especially during the holiday season, aka Sweetapalooza.


There was a time, a dozen decades ago or so, when sugar was only available to the wealthy.  So back then diabetes was considered a rich man's disease.


Then sugar became cheap and plentiful. And then it was analyzed in labs in the search for even cheaper and more plentiful ways of sweetening mass-produced food products.


Now everyone has diabetes.


Well, ok, I exaggerate sometimes. But really, it's absurd how much sugar and other sweetening products we consume, knowingly and not-so-knowingly. Google it, "How much sugar does the average American consume?"


The more refined a carbohydrate source is, the more of an impact it has on your insulin levels. Your body absorbs any and all carbohydrates quickly, compared with protein- or fat-based foods. The more refined or sugar-like the food, the faster it is digested and absorbed, and the more your body responds with a release of insulin.  Simplistically speaking, insulin is a hormone which helps transport energy into cellular storage. Carbohydrates break down to blood sugar and insulin helps move blood sugar into storage.


Did you see that part that said insulin is a hormone? If you repeatedly overload your system with sugar or refined carbohydrates, you also repeatedly demand an insulin response. If your system is repeatedly imbalanced by excessive insulin demand, the rest of your hormonal system becomes imbalanced as well... not to mention other systems such as immune, metabolic, and so on.


This can get ferociously complicated.


Here's how you feel when you've had too much sugar:  Pumped, then lethargic; sleeping fitfully; experiencing skin erruptions or joint discomfort; having mood swings; and, having digestive distress.


Sounds hormonal, doesn't it?


Is insulin response the only reason to steer clear of excess sugar and carbohydrate consumption? No, but it is a darn good one.


Quoting Dr. Mark Hyman, "Now that science has proven that processed food—and especially sugar—is addictive, the conversation has changed. When your brain is hooked on drugs, it is a fiction that willpower and personal responsibility alone will solve the problem."


So is your brain and body hooked on sugar? Let's get you some help with that. You can start with The A.L.I.V.E. protocol... those of you who have the binder, dive back in! Those of you who don't can ask me about embarking on the protocol, 8 weeks of change. Or we can have a "Pantry Raid!" Kick the overprocessed foods in your house to the curb, and replace them with healthier choices. Then, learn to prepare simple, healthy food to nourish, satisfy, and heal you.


Small steps, small changes, accumulating benefits daily, adding up to a better you. Sounds sweet, yes?

Happy New Year, and Be Well!