It's Sugar—Not Fat!

For the last several decades, the government eating guidelines endorsed by many doctors have advocated a low fat diet. As it turns out, this is not a good idea. Eggs were once a banned food for patients with high cholesterol, but not so now.

Recent studies show that those with the highest sugar consumption have the highest risk of heart disease. In a study published in JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association), those with the highest sugar intake were at a four-fold risk of heart attacks. Drinking one 20-ounce soda increases your risk by 30%. The average American consumes about 150 lbs. of sugar a year!

Sugar is hidden in many foods, even in some we consider to be healthy. Did you know that fruit yogurt has more sugar in it than a Coke? The average serving of tomato sauce has more sugar than most cookies. The biggest source of sugar for most Americans is sugar-sweetened beverages. The average teenage boy consumes about 34 teaspoons of sugar a day. This equates to about 545 calories a day from sugar.

Our bodies need about 1,000 mg of cholesterol a day to function. Cholesterol is important for brain function and many other roles in our bodies. Most of our hormones are made from cholesterol. The liver manufactures about 75% of the cholesterol that we need. The other 25% comes from our diet. Some people have a genetic issue that causes them to make too much cholesterol, but most people simply eat too many calories in the form of refined sugars and certain fats that often lead to elevated cholesterol levels.

Sugar is a quick source of energy for our bodies and is used first. Most of the carbohydrates we eat must be turned into glucose for our bodies to absorb them. However, when you consume more sugar than your body needs, the sugar is stored in your liver in the form of triglycerides and glycogen. High intake of refined sugar also lowers the good cholesterol (HDL) and changes the size of the LDL (bad cholesterol) particles. It can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. Fatty liver disease is often caused by the over consumption sugar. All of these changes increase the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

I believe that you will lose weight, lower your cholesterol, improve your energy, and decrease brain fog by eliminating refined sugars and high glycemic carbohydrates. Take a look at my 10-Day Diet Challenge and give it try.