Before you take your “Sugar In The Morning“, make sure you know what you’re getting into when you have
Too Much Sugar! 
That’s right! Too much sugar might be sweet…but the sweet quickly turns sour. Watch what happens when one man gets too much sugar in his coffee! Convinced? Aside from the taste, too much sugar can do a lot of damage to your body. Let’s learn a little more about sugar and it’s effects on the body.
Choices & Consequences
Dr. Robert Lustig begins his 2013 talk about “The Elephant in the Kitchen“. In his talk, “Dr. Lustig assesses the health dangers of sugar and its link to Type-2 diabetes and the global obesity epidemic.” He begins with the concept of personal responsibility. We have choices to make everyday. We make choices to do things and choices to not do things. Each choice comes with a consequence. For instance, you get dressed every morning for work, but decide to leave the lights off so you don’t wake your spouse. When you get to work, you discover you are wearing one blue sock and one bright green sock with figures on it. Hmmm. How DID THAT happen? Well, seems like if you turn on the light, even just a little light, you might be able to pick out a pair of matching socks thus avoiding the forthcoming embarrassment.
In the same way one’s behavior can affect the way they look in public, so can one’s behavior affect the body. One of the biggest offenders is sugar intake. Sure, sugar naturally occurs in many dairy products, in fruit and other foods we consume daily. However, what happens when we ADD sugar to food OR, even worse, when someone else adds sugar to the food?
What Happens To You When You Have Too Much Sugar?
According to Jessica Cording, a registered dietician practicing in New York City, “Excessive intakes of added sugars impact our energy, mood, weight, and disease risk,” Cording says. “Across the board it can impact our physical and mental well-being.” (12 Potential Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar) What is meant by the term “added sugar”? As we mentioned, sugar occurs naturally in most fruits, some vegetables and most dairy products in the form of fructose or lactose. However, almost all processed foods have added sugars. And processed foods are any food that comes in a man-made package. This may include some fruit juices. Learn more from Very Well Fit. Effects of too much sugar in the body include:
- Sleep Disruptions/Issues
- Brain Fog
- Hypertension
- Cavities
Yes, your dentist (and your mother) was right. Too much sugar can give the bacteria in our mouths a chance to work overtime, contributing to cavities and even gum disease.
Cut Back On Your Added Sugar
It’s important to understand that, like smoking or using narcotics, sugar is addictive. So you may experience some ‘withdrawal’ if you quit cold turkey. According to the folks at Wellness Retreat Recovery, “When an individual eats sugar, the brain produces huge surges of dopamine. This is similar to the way the brain reacts to the ingestion of substances like heroin and cocaine.” Dr. Vandana Bhide, with the Mayo Clinic, also notes in this interview that the best way to kick the sugar habit is to eat whole foods, especially fruit and whole foods that contain fiber.
Bottom Line 
So, before you enjoy your Sugar in the morning, think about the consequences. Yes, you may experience some withdrawal or cravings from reducing your added sugar intake. However, the benefits will surprise you and boost your life!
Additional Resources
- I Quit You! – MissionFiT Blog
- What’s On Your Food? – MissionFiT Blog
- Processed Food Disease – Interview w/Dr. Robert Lustig
