Sugar and Inflammation

Sugar and Inflammation

It was an interesting weekend. We had our eleven year old nephew stay with us for three days, and we were out doing things we don’t usually do. At a popular amusement center, we were waiting to go on one of the rides, and I was surprised by a sign that was posted at the entrance. It read, “CAUTION – For your safety, the ride attendant will ask you to lift your belly, so the safety belt can secure your waist.” I had never seen a sign like that anywhere, and I was struck by the tsunami of obesity that we are enduring. The part that makes me angry is that it’s not our fault, but that’s a subject for another article. The incident did make me think sharing some information about sugar and inflammation would be a good idea.

(Scroll down to find the link to your special gift…it’s a Wellness Plan worksheet to help you get control of your sugar intake.)

Later, we went for ice cream. We walked around the grounds eating the delicious treat, and when we passed a man with a huge banana boat, our nephew Gil looked up at us and said, “diabetes…” Clearly Gil understood the connection between sugar and diabetes, but when we talked about it a bit, he explained that kids don’t have to worry because they burn sugar faster while adults don’t.

There is some truth to the fact that kids burn everything faster than adults, but it’s not the complete picture. Type II diabetes is affecting more children and young people than ever before. If what Gil believes is really true, why would this be happening?

The fact is that even if you have a rapid metabolism and are not overweight, sugar still affects you whether you are a child or an adult. It makes your pancreas work hard to secrete insulin whenever you eat sugar or highly processed carbohydrates (which turn to sugar…sometimes even before you finish chewing them!).

There is a link between sugar and inflammation regardless of your weight or your age. Inflammation is the boogeyman and is your body and mind’s worst enemy.  Inflammation leads to leaky gut, weight gain, heart disease, cancer, depression, Parkinson’s Disease, MS, and diabetes just to name a few of the “rewards” waiting for those of us choose to eat to increase the inflammation in our bodies!

I suggest to my clients they should ask their doctor to include a CRP test in their yearly blood work. CRP stands for C-reactive protein, and it is a measure of the level of inflammation in your body. Be prepared you may need to strongly request it or even argue to have it done. It’s not a test they will offer you. My test was the result of an argument. My PCP insisted I didn’t need the test, that the inflammation levels in my body would be fine. I wanted a baseline that I could come back to in three or five years to see how I was doing. Inflammation monitoring really is that important! After about five minutes of her saying “no” and me insisting on it, she agreed saying, “I’m not going to argue with you, you can have the test”. She was right, my inflammation was in the proper range, but I got my baseline, and now I can monitor myself in future years.

Because so many people struggle with sugar cravings and even sugar addition, I’ve put together a two part course to help you better understand sugar and take steps to reduce or eliminate it from your diet.  It’s titled “Crack Your Sugar Habit”, and I really want you to take a look at it.  It will be recorded and available even if you can’t attend live, so you won’t miss any of the great information!  Getting control of sugar will automatically help you lose weight and reduce inflammation.  You’ll also have a clearer mind for being productive during your day!

Here’s the link to your special gift. It’s a Wellness Planner, and it will help you get a handle on your sugar intake and how to begin to manage it. It really helps to put down on paper challenges and action plans to manage those challenges, so I created this planner just for you!

Remember, it’s in your best interest to always manage your own healthcare and not be intimidated; advocate for yourself! When you have the urge to eat sugar, I hope you’ll remember the connection between sugar and inflammation. By the way, your CRP level should be less than 5.0 mg/L.

I hope this is helpful.  Please hit reply if you have questions or a topic you would like me to address.  I’m here to serve you and help you in your quest for improved health and a better, longer life!

Helping You Achieve Major Wellness in Your Life!

Cheryl A Major, CNWC

I am Cheryl A Major, a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. My TV show, “Thin Strong Healthy”, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of my blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com   I offer ongoing information, live and online courses and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier.  Follow me on Twitter @CherylAMajor.  

My new book, “Eat Your Blues Away” in which I chronicle my recovery from depression by changing how I eat is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback!  Remember you DO NOT need a Kindle device to read this, and that the Kindle Reader is a no cost way to read books on your laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone.

If emotional eating is an issue for you, be sure to pick up my new focus guide that will help you rid yourself of the cues that can set off eating a bag of chips or cookies   http://EndYourEmotionalEating.com