Brief Summary
This video discusses the negative impacts of sugar on the body and provides tips on how to reduce or eliminate sugar from your diet. It covers why sugar is addictive, the difference between glucose and fructose, the effects of sugar on stress and dopamine levels, and practical strategies for managing sugar cravings. The video also addresses the consumption of fruits and fruit juices, and the use of sugar alternatives.
- Sugar is addictive due to its effect on dopamine production in the brain.
- Fructose, found in high amounts in processed sugars and some fruits, can hinder energy production and lead to fat accumulation.
- Managing stress and understanding the role of gut bacteria are crucial in controlling sugar cravings.
Introduction to tips to avoid sugar
The video begins by acknowledging the difficulty many people face in cutting sugar from their diets, despite knowing its harmful effects. The content creator shares her personal experience of eliminating sugar while on a weight loss journey, going from 98 kg and how she managed to cut out sugary treats completely. The video aims to provide practical tips and insights on how to reduce sugar intake effectively.
When do we decide to quit sugar
People typically decide to quit sugar when starting a weight loss journey or after being diagnosed with a health condition like diabetes or fatty liver disease. In both scenarios, there's a realization that sugar must be eliminated to achieve health goals. Despite understanding the lack of nutritional benefits from sugary foods, many still find it challenging to resist them.
Why sugar is an addiction?
The reason why it is hard to stop eating sugar is because it is an addiction. Sugar consumption triggers the same reward pathways in the brain as substances like alcohol and drugs. Withdrawal symptoms, such as behavioral changes, hand tremors, and feelings of depression, can occur when sugar is cut out for a prolonged period, although these symptoms are generally less severe than those associated with other addictions.
My way of sugar addiction
The content creator shares her personal experience with sugar addiction, noting that she used to consume a lot of sugary foods. When she started her diet and cut out sugar, she experienced low energy levels for the first week. By the second week, her energy levels started to stabilize, and by the third week, she felt much better. This transition was achieved through various tips and tricks, which she will share in the video.
Problems I faced when I quit sugar
When the content creator quit sugar, she faced significant challenges, including very low energy levels during the first week. It was difficult for her to manage daily activities due to the lack of energy. However, by the second week, she started to feel slightly better, and by the third week, she had adjusted and felt okay.
What is sugar?
The video transitions to explaining what sugar is, focusing on table sugar, which consists of two molecules: glucose and fructose. Glucose has less sweetness compared to fructose, which is very sweet.
Glucose and Fructose
Glucose provides energy to the body, while fructose hinders energy production in cells. This can lead to fatigue and the accumulation of fat in the body, particularly around the liver.
Demerits of fructose
Fructose can cause fatigue by inhibiting energy production in the cells. It also leads to the accumulation of fat in the body, especially around the liver. In essence, fructose offers no health benefits and is essentially a waste product for the body.
Fructose in Fruits
Many fruits contain high levels of fructose. Despite this, fruits are not entirely detrimental because they also contain fiber, which mitigates the negative effects of fructose.
Fruits contain natural sugar
Fruits contain a significant amount of fiber, which helps to counteract the harmful effects of fructose. This is why consuming whole fruits is better than drinking fruit juice.
Which is better fruit or fruit juice?
It's better to eat a fruit than to drink fruit juice because juicing removes the fiber, leaving mostly sugar. The video illustrates this point with an example: if Geetu eats five apples and Meenu drinks juice made from five apples, Meenu will consume the sugar much faster. This leads to a rapid insulin spike. Geetu, on the other hand, consumes the apples slowly, allowing her body to process the sugar more gradually and benefit from the fiber.
calories in fruits and fruit juices
Meenu consumes all the calories from the five apples at once, while Geetu feels full after only two apples and stops eating, thus consuming fewer calories. This is another reason why eating whole fruits is preferable to drinking fruit juice.
High fructose fruits
Fruits high in fructose include ripe jackfruit, ripe mangoes, apples, oranges, and grapes.
Low fructose fruits
Fruits low in fructose include avocados, berries, kiwis, and green apples. Despite the fructose content, consuming fruits in moderation is beneficial, regardless of whether they are high or low in fructose.
Reason for sugar addiction
Emotional distress, such as stress, anxiety, or depression, can lead to sugar addiction. People often turn to sugar when feeling emotionally upset.
Stress and sugar addiction
The content creator shares that she used to rely heavily on sugar when she felt upset, consuming it before even crying. This provided a temporary sense of pleasure and stress relief.
How does sugar eliminate stress
Sugar consumption leads to the production of dopamine in the brain, which is known as the "happy hormone." This results in a momentary feeling of happiness, reinforcing the behavior of turning to sugar during times of distress.
Sugar and dopamine production
The brain associates sugar with a reward, leading to increased consumption over time. The amount of sugar needed to produce the same level of dopamine increases, requiring more sugar to achieve the same satisfying effect. This creates a dangerous cycle of increasing sugar intake.
Tips to avoid sugar
There are two main techniques to avoid sugar: completely cutting it out all at once or gradually reducing the intake. The content creator used the first technique, eliminating sugar entirely from her diet. For those who find it difficult to quit abruptly, gradually reducing sugar intake is recommended. For example, if you usually add a spoonful of sugar to your tea, reduce it to half a spoon, then a quarter, and so on.
Sugar cravings
Sugar cravings are often caused by an imbalance of bacteria in the gut. The gut contains both good and bad bacteria, and when the bad bacteria are dominant, they signal the brain to crave sugar.
Reason for sugar cravings and gut bacterias
When you crave sugar, it may be because the bad bacteria in your gut are hungry. To manage this, you can "trick" the bad bacteria by consuming natural sugars from fruits instead of processed sugars. Eating an orange or an apple can often satisfy the craving.
Control your stress
For those who rely on sugar to cope with stress or anxiety, it's important to address the underlying issues causing the stress before cutting out sugar. Suddenly stopping sugar intake can exacerbate stress and anxiety. Addressing the root causes of emotional distress is essential before making dietary changes.
How much sugar can I consume
A healthy adult can consume a limited amount of sugar per day. For men, the recommended amount is 37 grams, and for women, it is 25 grams. This amount can easily be exceeded with just a few cups of coffee or tea with added sugar.
Alternatives of sugar,stevia,honey
The content creator advises against using sugar alternatives like honey, jaggery, or stevia. While these may seem healthier, they still provide the sweet taste that perpetuates sugar cravings.
Why should you avoid sugar alternatives?
Even if sugar alternatives are used, the taste of sweetness is still present, which can lead to continued cravings and a tendency to seek out sugary foods. It's better to gradually eliminate the taste of sweetness from your diet altogether.
How long will it take to quit sugar?
In the content creator's experience, it took about three weeks to control sugar cravings after abruptly quitting sugar.
Can sugar patients quit sugar?
If you have diabetes, it's crucial to consult with a doctor before making significant changes to your diet, especially regarding sugar intake. Dietary changes can cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, so medical supervision is necessary. For healthy individuals without underlying health conditions, making changes to reduce sugar intake is generally safe.
Bye bye
The content creator summarizes her experience of quitting sugar abruptly, noting that the first week was very difficult with low energy levels. By the second week, things improved, and by the third week, she felt much better. She encourages viewers to start making changes to their diet if they want to improve their health, emphasizing that mindset is crucial. If you believe you can't do it, you won't succeed.
