We’re all about proper hydration, nutrition and healthy lifestyle at Qure. Like you, we know eating too much sugar is not a good thing; you feel bad and the pounds creep on. But there’s more to it; over consumption of sugar has been linked to damaging effects on our brains. And we don’t mean that out-of-control feeling you get when you look at the desert menu, followed by feelings of chocolate mousse guilt! No, overconsumption has actually been linked to depression, learning disorders and poor memory.
How Much Is Too Much?
A healthy diet includes significant amounts of naturally occurring sugar from fruits and grains. The problem comes in with the “added” sugar in processed foods. Believe it or not, the US Department of Agriculture estimates that the average American consumes 156 lbs. of “added” sugar a year. That equals three 1 lb. bags of sugar a week. To break it down a bit further, the Centers for Disease Control puts it another way…. 27.5 teaspoons of sugar a day—whoa, that’s way too much sugar! Time to dump the soda and start drinking Qure Alkaline Water!
The Sugar Brain Connection
So, if you’re ready to kick the sugar habit (we know how hard it is and we’re proud of you!) the first step is to differentiate between naturally occurring sugar and “added” sugar.
The brain needs sugar to function. Brain cells require two times the energy that other cells in the body need and that energy comes from glucose (blood sugar). But, when “added” sugar comes into the picture it brings about a very different result. It reduces the production of a brain chemical called BDNF [Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor]. That leads to problems with memory and has been linked to depression and dementia. As BDNF declines sugar metabolism worsens and it goes from bad to worse. If you can’t remember what you had for dessert last night, it might be a sign! (We’re joking…. sort of…) But one thing is certain, “added” sugar consumed from processed foods is a major culprit in low BDNF.
It seems like a no-brainer (pun intended) that sugar and obesity are linked. Well, researchers have now found that chronic consumption of “added” sugar dulls the brain’s ability to tell you when to stop eating. We knew there was a reason we couldn’t stop at one donut!
Sugar Busters
Now we’ve learned about overconsumption of “added” sugar from processed foods, let’s look at how to get our brains on track for better health.
- Start with proper hydration, flush all that added sugar out with the highest quality water you can buy—Qure Alkaline Water with a pH of 9.5+
- Add an Alkaline diet with lots of organic fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Get your circulation going with exercise and start burning the excess fat.
- Eliminate processed foods and drinks.
We recommend starting at the top of the list, you’ll find by the time you get to #4 you’re well on the way to success.