A question that deserves some attention as the Centers for Disease Control has estimated that 57 million people are in danger of becoming diagnosed with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, attributed mostly to poor food choices and lack of exercise, accounts for 95% of the 23 million diabetics already diagnosed in the United States.
No better time than now to evaluate your chances by understanding these 7 common symptoms of poor sugar choices in your diet.
1. Oops, Is That My Belly? The body’s storage capacity for carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, sweets and other starchy and sugary foods) is quite limited so any excess carbs are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the fatty tissue. Insulin, stimulated by excess carbohydrates is responsible for adipose fat. This is the type of fat that collects in your abdominal region causing bulging stomachs and fat rolls in thighs.
2. I’ve Lost My Spark? Do you feel tired in the morning, no energy for fun after work or lethargic after eating? Once simple sugars are digested in your body they are metabolized and should be available for energy. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body – it’s purpose is to be used for energy. However too much processed sugar disrupts the balance so that glucose can’t get into your cells and instead builds up in your blood, causing fatigue.
3. What’s Going On With All That Gas? Does your body feel sluggish? Is your digestion slow? A healthy gut is made up of the friendly microflora (good bacteria) that reside in your intestines and should keep you healthy and strong. Over time, antibiotics, pasteurized and processed foods, along with a lifestyle of constant stress will damage this inner ecosystem. An unhealthy inner ecosystem can lead to a digestive tract that functions inefficiently causing bloating, excess gas with constipation or diarrhea.
4. More and More Sugar, Please. Low blood sugar occurs when glucose is used up too quickly, glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly or too much insulin is released into the bloodstream. You may feel dizzy, fatigued, have double or blurry vision, rapid heart rate, cold sweats or unexplained nervousness. Your body is often craving that snack or sugary drink to relieve the symptom you have by raising the glucose level of your blood.
5. Only Old People Check Their Blood Pressure. High blood pressure often has no noticeable symptoms so don’t wait to start checking it. In a study conducted at the University of Colorado researchers found that people who consumed 74 grams or more per day of fructose had a 77% greater risk of having blood pressure levels of 160/100. For comparison, a normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80. Certain sugars break down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. Uric acid may be elevating your blood pressure.
6. How Can I Still Be So…..Hungry? Sugar is processed in the liver. When you eat too much sugar, your liver can’t process it fast enough, instead it turns it into fats which go into your bloodstream in the form of triglycerides High amounts of triglycerides causes your brain to sense starvation and prompts you to eat more even when you should be full.
7. Seems I am Eating Sweets To Feed Those Darn Yeast? Sugar encourages the growth of yeast and suppresses your body’s natural immunity. If you are experiencing recurring infections this is a sign that the digestive tract is out of balance. Without the proper amount of good bacteria in the gut, yeast and harmful bacteria will take over causing infections.