The 'Sugar Season' Stay Healthy With These Tips!

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  • By Denise Potter
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The 'Sugar Season' Stay Healthy With These Tips!

Ahhh fall… the smell of the crisp autumn air, the beautiful changing colors of the leaves, and all the sweets! Fall has finally arrived. As we wrap up the year and slow down from the busy summer pace, and the children have started to get settled into the routine of school, we start to turn our attention to preparing for the holiday seasons ahead. 

The last several months of the year, as the weather begins to cool down, we are bombarded with candy and sugar-filled holiday celebrations. From Halloween, to Thanksgiving, then onto Christmas, we are loaded with delicious sugary treats. All of these sweets are filled with processed and refined white sugar which can wreak havoc on the body.

The average American consumes approximately 53 teaspoons of refined sugar daily. The USDA recommendation is 8 teaspoons or less daily. Most of this sugar is hidden in everyday products such as salad dressings, breads, frozen fruits, and most processed foods. Many people do not recognize that these items contain large amounts of sugar, partially due to the fact that refined sugar ingredients have 56 different names!

Sugar is incredibly addictive. It acts in a similar way to many drugs by stimulating the release of dopamine in the body. This addictive substance is very hard on the entire body. It damages the immune system, depleting the immune function for up to 72 hours after consumption. This makes the body much more susceptible to infections and illnesses, which is often why the later months in the year are commonly referred to as “flu season”. Along with this immune system depletion, sugar also depletes the body of essential nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, sodium, and potassium to name a few, without providing any nutritional benefit in return. The depletion of these minerals can lead to tooth decay, bone weakness, and can also set the body up to develop insulin resistance, obesity, premature aging, ADD or ADHD, joint pain and stiffness, slower healing capacity, liver stress, depression, anxiety, cholesterol imbalances, and even many cancers.

Sugar is a very harmful and prolific substance. Many people are under the false assumption that white sugar, or toxic artificial sweeteners, are the only way to get the sweetness into life and are not willing to give that up. Thankfully there are many natural alternatives to refined white sugar that can be used in any dish. Honey, coconut sugar, stevia, and maple syrup are common sugar alternatives that don’t have the negative impacts of white sugar, and instead are actually filled with beneficial nutrients that support a healthy life!

During the holiday seasons, it's hard to avoid refined sugars offered during gatherings and celebrations. This is why we often suggest supplementation to help keep your body and immune system strong this time of year. Since sugar dampens the immune response, we suggest taking some supplements such as a quality probiotic, zinc, vitamin D3, or Elderberry to name a few, to help support the immune system during this time. It is also suggested, especially for children, to take a magnesium supplement to help offset the depletion of this mineral caused by sugar consumption. Below are the top suggestions to help keep your kids healthy during this ‘sugar season’ ahead.

 

Magnesium Complex
Living Streams Living Minerals
Vitamin C
Metagenics ‘Metakids’ Multi Soft Chew

 

We wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season this year! Remember to always consult with your local health professional about more ways to improve health for yourself and for your young ones at home. 

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