by Makiko Oka-Castro

You are responsible for maintaining your good health and balanced well-being. And the best gift to your loved ones’ happiness and peace of mind is to take care of yourself.

True story: A friend drank a lot of lemonade during a Mexico vacation, which was sweetened with sugar and artificial sweetener. She was not worried when others told her to not drink so much of it, and she told them that she was old enough to know what was good for her. On hotter days she would drink even more lemonade to cool down. By the end of the trip, she was complaining that the heat had made her very tired, to the point of frequently resting her head on her crossed arms. For a long time afterwards, she continued to drink her favorite sweetened lemonade.

Recently, her husband told me the bad news that she had been diagnosed with an immune system disorder. And her medication was making her tired and sleepy all day. Of course, her children were also worried and sad to see their mother’s suffering. But she also admitted that she was just denying her guilty feelings and common sense once she realized that her sugary drinks were not helping her maintain good long-term health. It became obvious that she had placed herself in a bad cycle of sugar highs and stamina lows­–the basic signs of a sugar addiction.

You need to understand that your body must expend many more nutrients to digest the sugar that you eat. This depletes your storage of nutrients and you begin to negatively impact your bones, muscles, body fluid and more. That’s why people who eat sugary food age faster than those who does not. And by eating sugary foods, you are also fooling your brain into not feeling very hungry. It is also likely that you are not eating properly and your digestive system is working harder to digest the sugary foods. In the end, the more sugar you eat, the sooner your body will not function properly.

Once you are caught in a vicious sugar intake cycle, it is difficult to get out of it without proper healthy nutrients and basic supplements to strengthen your body, mind and soul. If you become aware that you are consuming too many sugary foods, please ask about our GAPS Nutrition Program and Basic Supplements Kit, as well as our Consultation Sessions which are available for added support.  Over time, you can (and will) reduce your sugar intake, and feel healthier.