Why You Should Stop Eating Sugar

Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Cathy

Sugar is so sweet and it tastes so good, kids love it and adults love it. Sugar stimulates the brain’s reward system making us feel good. But, you need to learn to stop eating sugar due to many health issues.

Carbohydrates are in fruit, vegetables, flour, and sugary drinks. They give you energy, that’s why people grab something sweet in the afternoon to give them a boost of energy. Carbohydrates also break down into sugar. Diabetics count carbs every time they eat to keep track of their blood sugar.

I have severe yeast overgrowth (Candida) due to too many rounds of antibiotics. Antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria but also the good bacteria. This allows candida to continue to grow out of control. I also have an EXTREMELY high amount of mycotoxins (mold). Both of these feed off of sugar. Bacteria and parasites also feed on sugar so it’s important to eat a low-carb diet to stop feeding the infection.

It’s amazing how much sugar a person consumes. Two hundred years ago the average American ate about 20 pounds of sugar in one year. Today, the average American eats about 152 pounds of sugar in one year!

Processed foods have many hidden forms and different names for sugar. They come with lots of calories and have little to no nutritional value. Food manufacturers add sugar because it tastes good and is addictive so you’ll continue to buy it.

Obvious places to find sugar are in pastries, candy, and energy drinks. But, sugar is also hidden in foods you wouldn’t expect. Such as condiments, salad dressings, yogurts, pasta, and dried fruits.

Too much sugar intake leads to:

• Accelerating aging
• Belly fat
• Brain deterioration
• Brain fog
• Digestive issues
• Heart disease
• Inflammation 
• Migraines 
• Mood swings
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Obesity
• Stroke
• Suppressing the immune system
• Type 2 diabetes

Different names for sugar:

• Agave
• Artificial sweeteners 
• Beet sugar
• Brown rice syrup
• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Sorbitol
• Sorghum syrup
• Sucrose
• Sugar

Natural sugars:

• Date sugar
• Date syrup
• Coconut sugar
• Freshly squeezed fruit juice
• Fruit
• Maple syrup (grade B)
• Molasses
• Palm sugar
• Raw sugar
• Stevia (extract or green leaf)

There are many healthy recipes on the internet. Make sure you are eating natural sugars and healthy carbohydrates such as fruit, squash, and root vegetables.

Counting Carbs

Unless you’re a diabetic you don’t need to count carbs. Even if you’re overweight doctors don’t normally suggest to patients that they should eat a low-carb diet. If you are eating healthy carbs you don’t need to worry about what you are eating. It’s unhealthy carbs such as bread then you have a problem.

There is a blood test called ‘Hemoglobin A1c’ or ‘A1c’ for short. It checks your average blood sugar level from the previous three months. Dr. Terry Wahls, author of The Wahls Protocol recommends 5.1 or lower.

You can get tested through your doctor or use an online lab like Walk-in Lab. I used an online lab, it was easy to use and less expensive than going through my doctor. The picture below is from my first A1C test back in 2018 which shows 5.3 which is still good – I wanted it to be lower.

A1c levels:

• Normal = 5.6 or lower
• Pre-diabetes = 5.7-6.4
• Diabetes = 6.4 or higher

Breaking the Sugar Habit

It’s hard to break the sugar habit, sugar is highly addictive. I tried a keto diet which is very low carb but failed because I was losing too much weight and I was already thin. You can read about my experience here: Why I Failed the Wahls Paleo Plus.

I used to eat a low-carb diet due to candida. But, after learning that fruit does not feed candida I don’t worry about how many carbs I eat in a day. Healthy foods high in carbs such as fruit and squash are healing. Now, instead of lowering carbs I consume less fat. – It’s more heart-healthy.

My son is a type 1 diabetic so we had to count carbs at every meal. It only made sense for me to also keep track of my carbs. You can keep track of your carbs on a piece of paper which is what we used to do when our son was first diagnosed. There are also apps for your smartphone to help make this easy. I like to use Carb Manager.

How to Stop from Losing Too Much Weight

To stop losing weight I increased my carbs. But when I needed to bring my yeast and mycotoxins under control I needed to eat fewer carbs. If you’re concerned about losing weight increase your healthy fats. Such as avocados, coconut oil, and full-fat coconut milk. Unfortunately, I’m sensitive to avocados and coconut. If you’re in the same situation there are still plenty of good fats that you can eat and enjoy.

Goods fats:

• Animal fats (beef, duck, lamb, etc.)
• Avocados 
• Butter (grass-fed)
• Coconut milk (full fat)
• Coconut oil (unrefined)
• Flaxseed oil
• Hemp oil
• Lard
• Olive oil
• Nut butter (almond, cashews, pecan)
• Nut oils (macadamia, walnut, etc.)
• Sesame oil

Make sure you aren’t consuming too much fat in one day.

Cutting out sugar helps you to lose weight and it helps with many other health issues:

• Anxiety
• Dementia
• Digestive issues
• Heart disease
• Hormones
• Imbalance of gut bacteria
• Joint pain
• Mood fluctuations 
• Skin issues
• Sleep issues 
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Stroke
• Yeast overgrowth

How to Cut Out Sugar

It is hard to cut out sugar even to reduce sugar intake – especially at first. If you have an infection like Candida you’re sugar cravings are going to get really strong. But, once you get in the habit of eating less sugar you’ll discover your cravings start to diminish.

Pay attention to what’s in your food. Read all labels and look at how many carbs are in one serving. Sometimes you’ll think the package is one serving but it’s really two. For example, one 8-ounce bottle of store-bought kombucha is two servings. So if you drink tet whole bottle you would need to double your total carbs.

Find substitutes for flavors you’re craving. For ice cream, make a smoothie. If it’s something crunchy, eat a Granny Smith apple (they are lower in sugar). If you crave finger foods eat vegetable sticks or olives. When you eat foods that are higher in carbs such as sweet potatoes include foods that are higher in fiber.

Fiber is great for your digestive health. The higher the amount of fiber you eat the lower your overall carbs. Net carbs are the amount after subtracting the amount of fiber. If there are 20 grams of carbs and there are 8 grams of fiber then the ‘net carbs’ is 8 grams. 

Foods high in fiber:

• Blackberries 
• Broccoli 
• Brussels sprouts 
• Raspberries
• Strawberries 
• Turnip greens

Now, I consider an 8-ounce glass of carrot juice to be really sweet, it’s my candy. No wonder horses like carrots so much. Plus, if I consume too many carbs the tip of my tongue begins to get numb and my gut doesn’t feel right. Eating a lot of carbs just isn’t worth it.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your body will feel after eliminating sugar. You may even become more sensitive to sugar.

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