Sugar - The Legal Drug

What Is Sugar?

Written By Working Workout

Used the right way, sugar is fine. It's actually quite necessary for our bodies. But with great power comes great responsibility, as Uncle Ben's right once said... The vast majority of people don't have the right relationship with sugar. How much sugar do you have a day? Sugar is the bodies best form of instant energy and great to have if you're going to use that energy straight away. E.G jelly babies at halftime during a rugby match, or one of those gel packs at mile ten of a marathon. Sugar is needed for proper muscle function, and did you know it's actually needed for a healthy brain? Now you may or may not be aware of the different types of sugar out there; in an ideal world we would stay away from refined sugar, but in reality that is difficult to do 24/7. It's in everything! So what's simple? Chocolate? Adding sugar to tea and coffee? Cereal? Soft drinks? If you think about it, you can identify foods and drinks with refined sugar in them pretty easily. Just think, is it sweet? If the answers yes, it probably contains refined sugar. If not... it probably still contains refined sugar, but check on the back!

Addiction

Apart from the fact that sugar isn't great for your teeth, it is also highly addictive, more in fact than cocaine, according to a study published on PlosOne. I can't say I have personally tested this one (and I don't recommend you doing it either), but that's what the lab says. I shouldn't have to write a a post about the detrimental health effects of cocaine, so don't assume that this means its better for you than sugar. There. Disclaimed. Why are more and more people becoming diabetic each year? It's because most are addicted to sugar, they consume it at the wrong times and don't exercise enough to merit it's consumption. In terms of weight the simple principle is: if you put more in than out, you're going to gain weight and vice versa. It's not necessarily down to sugar, but for a lot of people, this would be the thing to change.

Benefits Of Reduced Sugar Intake

• Clearer skin (sugar is a breeding ground for spots)
• Vegetables taste sweeter and less bland
• Cutting down on sugar makes it much easier to change and adapt your diet as well
• No sugar spikes that always leave you feeling bummed out after having too much (a sugar hangover comes on way quicker than an alcoholic one!)

So I urge you all to do a bit of experimenting, try having a bit less refined sugar and see how you feel. If you keep it at a steady decrease, then you shouldn't find it too hard to stick at. If you're able to cut your sugar consumption in half, then you'll feel and look wonderful, that's a Working Workout promise. Which means nothing currently, but who knows, it might be in the future! Come on, you're sweet enough already. Sugar Alternatives? Organic Lucuma Powder can be used as a natural sweetener and is packed full of nutrients. Lucuma is prepared from the Peruvian Lucuma Fruit and includes a considerable amount of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.