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Energise your life and get rid of sugar

We all know it's bad, but do we actually realize HOW damaging sugar really is to our bodies?

Yes we all need a balanced diet and a little bit of sugar is not going to kill us, however most of us are eating sugar without even knowing about it. If you have a healthy cereal for breakfast, have a look at the ingredients on the packet and see how much sugar is in a 100g serving. It may not look like a large amount, but most people have more than a small bowl full. You add that to the hidden sugar you may have in your sandwich for lunch, then your pasta sauce or your healthy snack bar that you eat later that day, and you are seriously in danger of being in the sugar addiction territory.


As we all know it's half term this week (how did that possibly come around so quickly!) and it's very easy for the treats to come out daily. Sugar effects the way children behave, and the combination of late nights, exciting days out and all those extra sugar drinks and foods are the perfect recipe for a hyperactive, distressed, angry and emotional child. That’s not pleasant for anyone, but as a parent it is up to us to give our children good nutrition. If we don’t monitor it then it is up to us to deal with the consequences of an unhappy child. I have met parents in the past that think they are being kind to the child by giving them constant sugar snacks, but the damage that this causes long term could potentially lead that child into an unhealthy adulthood. So, apart from the very obvious sugar snacks such as sweets and cakes etc it is the hidden sugars in processed and packaged foods that I urge you to check out on your next shopping trip. If you actually added up everything you ate in a day and measured out the sugar content most people would be horrified. 


So, why are we all so addicted? We have so much food available to us, but because it is not always the correct and most nutrient rich foods, our bodies begin to crave sugary foods because we are desperately trying to gain energy from somewhere. If the body is lacking in essential vitamins and minerals we start to crave the bad stuff. If we start feeding it with foods that nourish us such as fresh, whole foods, and support our bodies nutritionally to give us the energy that we require, the cravings will diminish! I have said this many times before, but food can heal us, or food can literally slowly make us sick! Sugar in abundance is one of the most damaging foods you can consume. Why? The list is endless, but here are the basics…


Sugar seriously suppresses the immune system by upsetting the mineral balances in the body. Literally after eating sugar your immunity can be weakened for up to five hours. It also increases the fat molecules in the body (Giving you more cellulite) and the more sugar you eat the more elasticity you loose. In other words it increases the aging process massively, inside and outside the body. Think about the elasticity being weak in the artery walls around the heart? It’s not all about the way we look, but hidden damages that become weaker on the inside and we are blissfully unaware of disease manifestation until symptoms arise. Excess sugar plays a big part in the disease process, and is directly linked to hormonal cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate. A high intake of sugar also increases the risk of crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, asthma, yeast infections, M.E, chronic fatigue, heart disease, osteoporosis, bowel disease, migraines, depression, indigestion, gout, diabetes and tooth decay. Most of all it can cause free radicals and oxidative stress on our bodies. We are seriously looking at impaired health if we consume too much of the white stuff. So whether you have children off for half term, or you know you need to make changes to your own eating habits to feel more energized, make a start today. 


Life is for thriving….not just surviving!


Denise Kelly is a BANT (British association of Nutritional therapists) registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist. 
She writes Nutrition Programs for a variety of organisations and has a private practise in Chichester, West Sussex and is the founder of K4 Fit Kidz. Tel: 01243 528040 
www.denisekelly.co.uk