Hey everyone, I’m Dr. Frank Donaruma and this is part 7 of our 7-part Video Health Tip Series on the 7 reasons you may not be losing weight.
In our last video we looked at our reason #6 which was,
You’re Not Keeping Track of What You’re Eating
In this video we will be looking at reason #7
And that is…
You’re Still Eating Too Much Sugar
I often find that my patients are eating the right amount of calories for weight loss, but are not losing weight. The culprit is usually sugar. Sugars and refined carbs have the unique ability to stop weight loss in its tracks.
Think of it like this: Your body is burning fat and all of a sudden it gets an influx of sugar. Well, it will use that sugar immediately as energy and promptly stop fat burning. Your body is very smart, it will go after the most readily source of energy in can to function and that is sugar. Sugar will definitely sabotage your weight loss.
You see, one problem with eating too much added sugar is the way your body processes it. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that is easy for your body to break down into glucose. When glucose passes into the bloodstream, your blood sugar rises quickly. To bring levels back to normal, the pancreas releases insulin, which lowers blood-sugar levels by shuttling glucose out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells.
Very similar to a car using up its gas, if your body’s energy needs are high, the sugar is put to good use by providing energy to your working cells. The problem occurs when you send sugar into your bloodstream too often and your body doesn’t need it. The extra sugar supply causes your pancreas to go into overdrive, releasing excessive amounts of insulin to compensate.
Excess insulin drives sugar into muscle, fat and liver cells, where it’s stored as glycogen (which is a sugar) for later use. Sadly, we have a limited capacity to store glycogen. When this capacity is breached, the excess sugar is converted to fat for storage.
Our fat cells are capable of creating chemical signals that lead to chronic inflammation, especially when you eat too many calories and too much sugar.
Another problem with sugar is that eating it tends to make you crave it later. The link between excess sugar intake and sugar cravings is real. Sugar activates reward centers in your brain. As your intake increases, so does the release of serotonin and endorphins, powerful brain chemicals that make you feel calm, relaxed and happy.
On top of that, sugar tastes good! Once you get used to eating highly sweetened foods, your taste buds adjust, and that’s what you want. Genetics are also a factor. Some people are genetically wired to enjoy sugar at a greater level than others. Over time, this excess intake can lead to added calories and weight gain.
Another reason for sugar cravings may be in your gut. Your gut flora, or microbiome, is the diverse community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live inside our intestines. These gut microbes are essential to our digestive health.
Unfortunately, Refined carbohydrates and sugar feed the unhealthy bacteria in our gut and disrupt the balance between good and bad bacteria. Recent research indicates the composition of our gut flora may actually influence how much sugar we crave and how we balance our blood sugar. The more unhealthy bacteria that exist, the more you may crave the sugar they need to multiply. This imbalance may make it difficult to lose weight, cause unwanted weight gain and create other digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation.
My friend, if this is you don’t lose hope, I’ve helped hundreds of patients overcome sugar issues with great success.
So, if you need some help with the effects of sugar addiction in your wellness and weight loss journey, then speak to your doctor or call us at 908-279-7740 for a free consultation. Why?
Because, we at NewLife are in the business of transforming lives to transform the world!