Oh, no sugar for me thanks, I’m sweet enough!

I don't think I have to tell you the effect sugar has on your health. But I will anyway because studies show the average Australian currently consumes more than 40 kilograms of sugar per year, which is equivalent to around 22 teaspoons and equals 1840 Kilojoules / 440 calories per day. Also, the consumption of soft drinks, which are sweetened with sugar, has increased by 30 per cent in 10 years. 

Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate when your food is digested it is broken down and the nutrients are transferred into your bloodstream. Sugar is then broken down rapidly into the blood stream because it is made of only one substance. This raises your blood sugar levels. This isn't good as your poor pancreas goes OH NO, QUICK GET SOME INSULIN INTO THE BODY! It does this so your blood sugar levels get back to normal again. This hormone (insulin) acts to clear sugar and fat from the blood and stores it in the tissues for future use. This causes weight gain. 

ALSO, the scare factor to this is if you do this all the time your poor pancreas gets tired and can stop releasing insulin, or your insulin your pancreas does release stops being effective which equals diabetes or insulin resistance… 

This is also is the cause of your after sugar snack crash! Wonder why when you eat a chocolate you feel good then BAM your energy gets sapped out of you? This my friend is insulin doing its job too well. It releases so your blood sugar levels decrease but sometimes it goes too low causing that crash of energy as your blood sugar levels decrease. 

Anyway so we have established that high blood sugar alerts the pancreas to release insulin as it detects the excess sugar in the blood. Insulin then lowers the elevated blood sugar by shifting the metabolism into storage mode.  So when the pancreas is producing insulin, it cannot produce another hormone called glucagon, which is responsible for telling the body to release and burn fat stores for energy.  
This is when it gets scary as this higher levels of insulin prompts the body to store the excess sugars as fat, as well as telling it not to release any of your stored fat, meaning that you are unable to use existing stored fat as energy.  This equals WEIGHT GAIN. High insulin levels not only suppress glucagon it also suppresses growth hormone.  Growth hormone is used to build new muscle mass and also for muscle development. Hence why I always say YOU CAN’T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!

You cannot maximize fat burning with elevated levels of insulin, it's that simple!

So how much sugar is in your favorite foods? Watch the video below to find out!

 NOTE: (Alyson here) I just want to point out that the "sugar" used in Kristy's demonstration is salt! She is that healthy that she literally had no sugar in her house...wow...I'm not joking people, imitation sugar!

In conclusion, look after your poor pancreas! The poor guy is only there to help!

All he wants is for you to limit your sugar levels in your diet. Learn to enjoy foods that are naturally sweet, without added sugar. 

Until next time, get squatting !

Kristy