Hey There!
Are you like millions of people that have a ‘sweet tooth’? Do you crave sugary foods such as chocolate, cake, candy, or ice cream?
Could giving into these cravings increase your cancer risk? The short answer is no. Before you celebrate (lol), let me explain.
While there is no direct link between sugar consumption and cancer risk, eating too much sugar causes weight gain and there is a direct link between being overweight and developing cancer. In fact, after smoking, obesity is the single greatest preventable risk factor for developing certain cancers.
Therefore, the takeaway is, there is an indirect link between sugar intake and cancer. Excess sugar causes weight gain and being overweight increases your cancer risk.
Next, let’s talk about how excess sugar causes weight gain. First, let me start by sharing the daily recommendations for ‘added’ sugar. Added sugars are sugars and syrups put in foods during preparation or processing or at the table. Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruit.
The recommended daily intake of added sugar is 25g/day (6 teaspoons) for women and 36g/day (9 teaspoons) for men. For context, there are 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz Coca-Cola can.
Now that you’re aware of the daily intake recommendations, I can move forward with explaining how excess sugar leads to weight gain. The short answer is too much sugar increases levels of the insulin hormone in your body and too much insulin results in weight gain. Allow me to elaborate.
When you eat, food is broken down into sugar in your blood, and this sugar, which is known as glucose cannot remain in your blood. So, the body releases insulin from the pancreas to transport the glucose from your blood to your cells where your cells can use it for energy. Your cells use the food energy they need, then excess energy gets stored. Think of insulin as the storage hormone. When present, it tells your body to store excess energy and it does not allow your body to burn fat for energy.
While all foods elicit an insulin response, some foods cause greater releases of insulin then others. Sugary foods stimulate higher amounts of insulin to be released because when eaten, they cause major spikes in your blood sugar. When more sugar enters your bloodstream, more insulin is needed to clear it thus resulting in higher insulin levels and increased fat storage and weight gain.
At this point, I hope you’re thinking ‘whoa, I want to conquer my cravings and reduce my sugar intake’. If this is what you’re thinking, let me share the ‘how’. Sugar cravings are caused by physical and mental factors. Physical factors include your current eating habits (i.e., sugary foods increase cravings) and lack of sleep (less than 7 hours/night).
The mental factors include stress and your emotional state. Therefore, overcoming your cravings encompasses, refraining from eating sugary foods, getting more sleep, and managing stress.
If you want help to conquer your cravings, I’ve got you covered. Coming soon, it's the 7-Day Sugar FREE Challenge!
Participating in the 7-Day Sugar-Free Challenge will address both the physical and mental causes of cravings.
This challenge includes:
7-day Sugar-Free meal plan
Cravings Assessment
Step-by-Step Guide for Conquering Cravings
Stress Management Tools and Strategies
Sleep Enhancement Tools and Strategies
Online Coaching Support
This Challenge works! Past participants reported conquering their cravings and losing up to 5lbs in one week!
If you're interested in the challenge, click below to join the GN Wellness Community Mailing List and be the first to know when registration opens soon.
Comentários