Who struggles with lack of energy around 3 pm and reaches for a sugar fix? Sure it feels good at the time BUT why doesn't that fix last and you need another one not long after the first one? No point me just saying out how bad it is for us, we all need ways to beat it. My mum has commented that when she has given up sugar she feels like she is coming off a drug [this is funny as she has never smoked or rarely drunk alcohol and definitely never taken illegal drugs] BUT she complains of headaches, tiredness, feeling sick etc. I have also felt in the past that if I am feeling stressed and lacking energy I CRAVE IT. Sure I felt good for a while but then the crash set in and I wanted it again. A vicious cycle. To answer this I have included my Top 7 Reasons to Ban Sugar. 1. To be plain and simple - Sugar is Not Food – Sugar provides your body with little more then empty calories/kilojoules. It does not provide any nutritional value BUT in fact it actually causes your body to take vitamins from other organs in an attempt to process the sugar you are eating. This then leaves you undernourished. 2. Consuming Sugar Suppresses your Immune System - Sugar interferes with the body by overtaxing its defences. As a crohn’s disease sufferer this is something we don’t want to do. We want our body to be working at the highest possible level that it can be. 3. Having Sugar in your diet Makes You Nervous – There is a clear link between excess sugar and disorders like anxiety and depression because of the extreme levels of insulin and adrenaline. Again as a crohn’s disease sufferer we need to try and avoid stressing out our bodies as much as we can. We all have enough stress in our lives. 4. Sugar Causes Diabetes, Kidney and Heart Problems – Excess sugar can damage the pancreas's ability to function properly. Our digestion system is already compromised why have other organs not work properly. 5. We all know this one, Eating Sugar Rots Your Teeth – Sugar increases the bacteria in your mouth that erodes enamel. I don’t know about you but I already had a lot of problems with my teeth as a result of this disease. 6. It Makes You Fat – Sugar is filled with calories/kilojoules that are actually stored in your fat tissues. I know this sounds great if you are on the skinny side or have trouble gaining weight with your crohn’s BUT there are better ways to do this. 7. It makes you look older because Sugar Causes Wrinkles – Consuming a diet high in sugar damages the collagen in your skin. None of us want that. So think about this as cutting sugar out of your diet will certainly improve your health. How to Wean Yourself off Sugar. I think this is such good news. It actually takes you about 7 days to get your addiction to sugar and sugary foods out of your system. However this does not mean your cravings will disappear but the intense addiction you experience needs that amount of time to go. Now you can either wean yourself off sugar or go cold-turkey. The choice is yours — you pick the way that works for you as we are all different. However remember that having crohn’s disease is stressful enough so you might find the cold turkey method too much to handle. I think for most of us the weaning yourself off sugar slowly works better. Tips on How to Wean Yourself off Sugar Slowly: 1. Never miss a meal – How do you feel when you miss a meal – STARVING right? – Well this feeling actually makes us want to eat ANYTHING to get our blood sugar levels under control. And what is the anything we select? Yes you are right, it is generally high sugar foods. Of course they bring our blood sugar levels under control BUT then we crash. 2. Consume fresh fruit – You might be thinking – hang on isn’t fruit high in sugar – Well yes it is but it is natural sugar and the fruit also contains vitamins, minerals and fibre which we need for a healthy life. 3. Limit your intake of Desserts – During your first week of weaning only eat this type of food once a day. In Week 2 only eat dessert food twice a week. Then in Week 3 only once a week. Make it your rule to have fruit [raw or poached/cooked] at least half of the time. 4. Avoid missing meals – When we miss meals our body goes into starvation mode. When you are in this state you will eat ANYTHING to get your blood sugar levels back to normal. GUESS what you reach for first? Yes the high sugar foods that get your blood sugar back to normal quickly BUT then what happens - WE CRASH AGAIN. If you avoid missing meals this does not occur. 5. Don’t drink sugary drinks – Do not drink the sugary drinks that are available everywhere eg iced teas, soda/soft drinks, energy drinks and juices. They are full of sugar. If you feel like the bubbles use sparkling mineral water and add fresh fruit eg lemons, limes and/or oranges. 6. Do not have sugary foods in your cupboards or fridge – Temptation is an ugly thing – avoid it 7. If you do have cravings go for a walk – It has been discovered that athletes actually crave more salty foods after exercise – it also clears your head which is a great thing for us all to do as well. If you have any more questions then please free to email me at mycrohnsdoctor@gmail.com or visit my Facebook Page at My Crohn's Doctor. Yours in Health and Wellness Dr Michael My Crohn's Doctor
www.mycrohnsdoctor.com LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This article (including links to any/all website pages, blog posts, blog comments, forum, videos, audio recordings, etc.) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have an urgent medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. Any application of the recommendations in this blog post is at the reader's discretion. My Crohn's Doctor and Dr Michael are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this blog. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this article.
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Everyone seems to walk around carrying a take away coffee. This is probably because there are literally thousands of coffee shops everywhere you go. You will find a lot of information about caffeine and the effects it can have on your body. Does it increase inflammation or does it make you more stressed by raising your heart rate. AND the list can go on (and on). I have gone through the ban caffeine 100% from my diet but over time I have come to implement these rules for drinking coffee. If I wake up tired in the morning, then definitely I do not drink caffeine after 2pm. In fact, I like to have 1 coffee in the morning for enjoyment and usually to catch up with someone. That satisfies my love of coffee without damaging my health. I also make sure I never drink coffee on an empty stomach as this can lead to exhaustion and feelings of false hunger later. Here are some other thoughts on the effect coffee can have on your body. Your Sleep Habits and Coffee. It is important to get a good night’s sleep, especially between 11 pm and 7 am. Good quality sleep helps your body heal as restful sleep activates your body’s own regenerative abilities. This is when your body repairs and restores itself. However, the caffeine in coffee can interfere with this process. A study measured sleep quality when people consumed 400 mg of caffeine (about the amount in a Venti Starbucks) at bedtime, 3 hours before bedtime and 6 hours before bedtime. All groups experienced a statistically significant reduction in sleep. Think about your afternoon pick me up as well as this may even interfere with your quality of sleep. Also, remember the importance of sleep when you have Crohn’s Disease. I have talked about this in detail here. Coffee & your Adrenal Health. When drinking caffeine, neurons are triggered in your brain and your adrenal glands start producing adrenaline. This “fight or flight” response is perfect when you need to lift a car off an injured person, but not if you’re sitting at your desk working. When the adrenaline wears off, you’re left feeling wiped out, anxious and moody. Next stop? You guessed it! Off to dose up on more caffeine, sugar or other stimulants. It’s a vicious daily cycle. ( Admit it we've all done this) This continuous roller coaster results in adrenal exhaustion. And when your adrenal glands are tired out, they can’t be as effective at doing their many jobs, which include: producing other essential hormones, boosting your immune system, regulating the health of your body tissues and balancing blood sugars. To make matters worse regular coffee drinkers need more and more caffeine over time to get the same adrenaline boost, which can lead to adrenal burnout. Signs of adrenal burnout include: relentless fatigue, constant low blood sugars, depression, allergies, joint and muscle pain and chronic infections. Things some of us already experience and obviously don't want more of these symptoms in our lives. The good news is that adrenal exhaustion and burnout caused by too much caffeine can be remedied by eliminating excessive stimulants and stresses on the body. So, if you can keep your caffeine intake to one or two cups of caffeinated coffee a day, you probably won’t experience the roller coaster—and .you just might experience some benefits! How Coffee Impacts Your Boobs. Listen up ladies, this one’s for you. Women who are prone to breast cysts and lean women with osteoporosis running in their families, will probably want to stay away from too much coffee and other highly caffeinated drinks. Caffeine tends to increase the lumpiness of breast tissue, making those lumps more tender, and making monthly self-exams more difficult to do. See your doctor if you ever feel even the slightest lump. And if it turns out to be a benign cyst, you may want to try reducing these lumps by taking evening primrose and vitamin E. (You could take about 1,000 mg of evening primrose and 400 to 800 IUs of vitamin E.) Of course, it’s always smart to talk to your doctor about new supplements, so run this by them for good measure. How Coffee Impacts Your Bones. As for bone health, high coffee consumption (more than 3 cups per day) may decrease bone density in women, therefore increasing the risk of osteoporosis. This could be in part due to the decrease in calcium absorption and increase in urinary calcium that happens with caffeine consumption. If this is the case for you, you may want to peel back on the number of cups you’re drinking per day. Remember I have previously discussed the health of your bones and having Crohn’s Disease. AND this may be important for both sexes. If you have any more questions then please free to email me at mycrohnsdoctor@gmail.com or visit my Facebook Page at My Crohn's Doctor. Yours in Health and Wellness Dr Michael My Crohn's Doctor
www.mycrohnsdoctor.com LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This article (including links to any/all website pages, blog posts, blog comments, forum, videos, audio recordings, etc.) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have an urgent medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. Any application of the recommendations in this blog post is at the reader's discretion. My Crohn's Doctor and Dr Michael are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this blog. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this article. |
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