Seven Signs You Are Eating Too Much Sugar

Everybody loves the sweet taste of sugar. However, life is unfair, so sugar, especially in high amounts, is extremely bad for one’s overall health. When you read the ways sugar can affect your health, it is most likely that you won’t look at it the same way – although its taste will always remain delicious.Here are 7 indicators that will help you realize if your sugar intake has gone overboard, and that it’s time to take better control of it:

1. Lack of Energy and Feeling Tired

It is well known that foods high in sugar provide a temporary energy boost.

However, there is always an inevitable crash afterward, where you just don’t have the energy to do the necessary tasks throughout the day. If you experience this, you might want to check on your sugar intake.

2. Sugar/Carb Cravings

Regular sugar cravings can be an indicator that you have become a sugar addict. Sugar is very addictive, and its intake can create a chain reaction of sugar cravings.

If you’re experiencing these cravings, you should immediately try to take control of it.

3. Frequent Colds and Flu

On the long run, frequent consumption of sugar can lead to a weakening of the immune system, decreasing its ability to fight off flu, viruses, colds, bacteria, and even chronic diseases.

Cutting sugary foods from your diet can restore your immune system balance.

4. Foggy Brain, Especially After a Meal

Research shows that increased sugar intake will bombard your taste buds to the point where their reception of sugar will change. This means that you will need more and more sugar to satisfy your cravings.

The solution in such a case is to reduce your sugar intake and suffer through the short withdrawal period until your body becomes used to less sugar.

Over time, you might even start feeling certain things are too sweet for you, and thus be content with a moderate amount of sugar.

6. Problems With Your Skin and Feet, Dark Undereye Circles

It is a fact that sugar has inflammatory effects, and too much consumption of sugar can manifest in the forms of skin issues. It might be the cause of your rosacea, acne, eczema, or even excessive dryness or oiliness. Additionally, high sugar intake can have a negative effect on your adrenaline levels, causing a so-called adrenaline fatigue – which also leads to the creation of dark circles under the eyes.

A podiatrist in New York City, Dr. Sherri Greene, explains that sugar can also have an inflammatory effect on our feet – which might result in plantar fasciitis. This is one of the main causes of pain in the thick band of tissue on your soles, or heels.

7. Weight Gain
Given its structure, offering no protein or fiber, sugar is unable to keep us full. Sugar is only filled with often useless, high amounts of calories. It also stimulates the production and mobilization of insulin, which is in charge of carrying the sugar to the organs where it used as energy. Too much sugar leads to too much insulin production, which in the end can create insulin resistance.

This disables the body from reacting properly to normal quantities of insulin and cannot manage sugar as it should. Insulin resistance is closely associated with obesity so it is very easy in such situations to add weight. Worst case scenario is developing diabetes, leaving your pancreas working in overdrive all the time.

10 Things To Know About Your Gut & Probiotics

Until a couple of years ago, my understanding of the bacteria that live in our digestive systems could be summed up in two sentences – “If you take antibiotics they’ll kill some of the good bacteria along with the bad and you’ll get diarrhea. So eat some probiotic foods, like yogurt, to restore the good bacteria.”

That’s true as far as it goes, but I’ve now learned that those bacteria, which many people call “gut flora” and scientists call “gut microbiata,” do so much more than prevent diarrhea. Although the study of gut flora is still in its infancy, many scientists now refer to it as a separate “organ” of the body, one that plays key roles in everything from digestion to immunity to mental health.

Why are the good bacteria in your digestive tract so important? Research is beginning to show that “good” bacteria play dozens, if not hundreds, of roles in maintaining our health.

Here are five:

1- Bacteria in our intestinal tracts produce B vitamins and vitamin K. These vitamins play important roles in energy metabolism (producing energy from food), maintaining the health of the nervous system, and clotting blood.

2- Bacteria in the large intestine digest fiber and use it to produce chemicals that feed and protect the intestinal lining. This lining plays key roles in preventing infection, boosting immunity, and reducing inflammation. If the lining breaks down, chemicals that should never leave the intestines end up in the bloodstream, which can lead to inflammation or an overactive immune response.

3- Gut floral produce most of the body’s serotonin, a key neurotransmitter. Scientists are beginning to see connections between the health of the gut and the health and functioning of the brain.

4- Intestinal bacteria produce enzymes that metabolize drugs, hormones and toxins. In addition, they produce chemicals that “communicate” with the liver regarding production of enzymes used in detoxification.

5- Gut bacteria may play a role in obesity. Some animal studies, and now a few human studies, have shown that animals or humans deficient in certain bacteria may be more prone to gain weight.

Can We Improve Gut Flora

Can we “improve” our gut flora? And should we even try? Yes! Although scientists are hesitant at this point to “prescribe” actions people should take, the research to date suggests that people can change their gut flora in ways that are likely to benefit their health.

Here are five things we can do:

1- Eat probiotic foods regularly. These include yogurt and fermented foods, such as kefir and sauerkraut. You can buy high-quality yogurt and kefir at the grocery store, but you can make them too. We make both, and it’s fun, cheaper, and not too difficult,

2- Eat fewer processed foods. Processed foods lack many of the nutrients that contribute to a healthy “climate” in the digestive tract. In addition, they tend not to contain the kinds of healthy bacteria found in more natural forms of food. (For example, think of a processed cheese product vs. real cheese. The former doesn’t contain any bacteria when it leaves the factory, but the latter contains plenty of “good” bacteria – and it tastes delicious!)

3- Eat foods high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables are great for your health in so many ways. When it comes to your gut health, plant fiber feeds the bacteria in the large intestine, and they in turn produce chemicals that protect the intestinal lining.

4- Take antibiotics only when necessary. If your doctor says, “Let’s wait a day or two to see if you need antibiotics,” don’t insist on getting some right away! Antibiotics can significantly alter the gut flora, killing off beneficial bacteria and providing an “opening” for harmful bacteria to move in and “set up shop.” When you do take antibiotics, eat probiotic foods (take steps during and after treatment to re-establish a healthy gut microbiata.

5- Consider taking probiotic supplements. Scientists, physicians and government agencies have not issued official guidelines on probiotic supplements. The research on the benefits (or drawbacks) just isn’t clear yet. So right now there’s no clear “right” or “wrong” answer to the question, “Should I take a supplement?” I’ve done some research on probiotics, and my husband and I take a supplement fairly regularly (probably 4 or 5 days a week). We buy several different brands that contain different bacteria, and we alternate them (because it’s hard to figure out which bacteria are the best ones to take!).

Microbeads Toxic Substance Under CEPA

Statement by Environmental Defence’s Maggie MacDonald on federal government’s decision on microbeads
Jun 29, 2016

Taken From: http://environmentaldefence.ca/2016/06/29/statement-environmental-defences-maggie-macdonald-federal-governments-decision-microbeads/

Toronto, Ontario
We applaud the federal government’s decision to add microbeads to the Schedule 1 list of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), enabling the government to regulate the substance. The government can now move on regulations to ban microbeads under CEPA.

Microbeads are toxic and unnecessary additions to personal care products like toothpaste and body wash. They may contain toxic substances such as phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA) that become absorbed on their surface, and can be consumed by fish and birds. Furthermore, every day they continue to be used, the Great Lakes become more polluted with microplastic. Researchers from the State University of New York estimate that Lake Ontario contains 1.1 million plastic particles per square kilometer of lake bottom.

Microbeads can easily be eliminated from personal care products and replaced with natural ingredients like almond and apricot shells. Several large companies, including Johnson & Johnson and Loblaw have already taken the lead and announced that they will be ending the use of these microplastics, effectively eliminating economic arguments for delaying a ban on these substances.

Also, other jurisdictions have already moved to ban microbeads. On December 28, 2015, U.S. President Obama signed a bill requiring that American manufacturers end the use of microbeads in products by July 1, 2017. The bill will also end the sale of products containing microbeads in the U.S. by July 1, 2018. Today’s announcement will enable the Canadian government to better align our regulation of microbeads with the U.S., in terms of the definition of the size of microbeads, and how quickly they can be removed from the market.

This announcement also comes at a time when CEPA is being reviewed by the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. We are calling for improvements to risk management under the act to make sure toxic substances are removed from products in a timely manner.

While risk assessments have been completed for many toxic chemicals on schedule 1, development and implementation of risk management strategies for many substances assessed as “CEPA-toxic” has yet to be completed or is inadequate. For example, triclosan was declared toxic to the environment under the CMP in 2012, yet no ban or restrictions have been announced to date. We hope that this swift action on microbeads is a sign of things to come when it comes to the federal government’s attention to toxic chemicals.

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For further information contact:

Jen Mayville, Environmental Defence, jmayville@environmentaldefence.ca; 416-323-9521 ext. 228, 905-330-0172 (cell)