4 Unexpected Reasons You Should Cut Back on Sugar

When you look up proper nutrition, you will often see that you should cut back on sugar. There are actually a lot of reasons to reduce your sugar intake, from saving your teeth to actually boosting your immune system. Here are 4 of the top reasons you may not have considered when deciding whether to commit to cutting back on your sugar intake.

1. You Can Lose Weight

Naturally, one of the top reasons to cut back on your sugar intake is because it can help you lose weight. Sugar contains quite a lot of empty calories just in a very small amount, so whether you are adding sugar to your foods or you are  buying food with sugar already in it, it is going to cause your body to convert any extra sugar/calories into fat, which then causes you to gain weight. When you start reducing just your sugar intake, you will notice that you begin losing weight, almost without even trying. Cutting down on sugar helps to lower your body fat as well, making it easier for you to lose weight and get fit as desired.

2. Sugar Doesn’t Contain Nutrients

While sugar can be good for adding flavor to certain dishes, it doesn’t have any nutrients that your body needs. You won’t be missing out on important vitamins and minerals just by cutting out sugar. They are the epitome of empty calories, since you are adding to the calories/carbs of your dishes, without actually adding any nutrients whatsoever. Not to mention that foods containing a lot of sugar tend to be less nutritious because sugar is a major component, such as with sweets and desserts. Drinks with sugar, such as fruit juice and soft drinks, have so much sugar they don’t have much else that will be good for you.

3. It is Better For Your Immune System

Cutting back on sugar can also help give your immune system a nice little boost. Sugar actually adds to inflammation in your body and can make it harder to fight off infections. It lowers your immune system, which then leads to a high risk of the cold, flu, and other similar illnesses. Having sugar in your diet can also lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and arterial damage, which is another component of damaging your immune system.

4. You Can Have Better Concentration

Too much sugar in your diet can also slow down your nervous system, which affects your brain and your ability to focus and concentrate. When you don’t have a lot of sugar in your system, you may notice that your energy rises, and as that happens, so does your brain capacity.

I hope this was enough motivation to nix the sugar. There are SOO many other natural alternatives that won't raise your blood sugar or create damage.  In fact, some sweeteners, like Lakanto Monkfruit, may actually help lower your inflammation and risk of diseases. Another readily accessible sweetener is Stevia or stevia blends. This one, called Pyure can be found in most grocery stores and Walmart.  I'll have another post soon about the benefits of different sweeteners, but for now, I'd suggest checking these out! 

Let me know what your favorite is!