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Sugar in the body: are all sugars the same?

It’s a Friday evening, you’re tired after work and you can’t wait to get home and relax to the max! On your way back from the office you get a sudden craving after those Friday yummies, and you stop by the grocery store. With the intention to just “get a few snacks” you end up making it rain over at the candy aisle. Sugar. The first thing we crave when we’re hungry and the last thing we want after a big meal. It’s said that sugar is as addicting as cocaine, and well if you’ve ever been a major sweet tooth, I think you can agree. Not that I’m assuming you know all about cocaine addiction, but you know what I mean…

Sugar in the body

That sugar isn’t the most healthy thing you can eat, most of us already know. And if you didn’t know, or have been denying it, well, this should be your smack in the face wake up call. But why is sugar unhealthy and what does it do in our body? Keep reading to find out, and you probably want to keep your hand away from the candy bag while you’re at it.

Insulin and diabetes

Sugar spikes our insulin and blood sugar which is what affects our bodies first, and fast. Since sugar is easily absorbed by our intestine it shoots straight up in our blood and makes us go crazy. By fast, I mean fast! You know those roller coasters which goes up slowly about 80 m high up in the air, and then just drops you? Yes, like that kinda fast. Or like a bunch of buff Fast and Furious guys racing their hearts out. Ever felt jittery or even a bit sick after too much sugar? Or the classic one where kids are bouncing off the walls? Well, that’s the insulin and blood sugar going on roller coasters and drag races in your body.

When this happens frequently, you are at a higher risk for type 2-diabetes, which usually is the first disease we associate with sugar. What diabetes essentially is, is when the pancreas has gone too sick and tired of making so much insulin after each sugar spike, that it no longer can regulate and maintain normal insulin levels, and that’s why you as a diabetic need to take insulin shots to stabilize your blood sugar.

Premature aging

If poor health wasn’t bad enough, sugar is also the worst thing for our beautiful faces as well. Sugar loves to pick a fight with our healthy cells, and unfortunately, they are stronger and knocks our cells out of the park, leaving us with damaged cells resulting in gloomy, wrinkled skin, and overall aging of our whole body. Take care of your cells people! Sugar does also include alcohol, people. Don’t forget that…

Different types of sugar

A lot of people like to lump sugar into just one category, and that category is called “unhealthy, get the fudge out” (literally, get the fudge out). If you’re sweet, you’re unhealthy (strictly food speaking. If you’re a sweet human being, you’re wonderful. Keep being sweet.), meaning that they put both candy and fruit in the unhealthy box and ditch fruits altogether. This, my friends, is a major mistake!

When we talk about sugar we call them either disaccharides or monosaccharides. This probably sounds like straight-up tooth fairy language, so to put it in simpler terms, a disaccharide is made up of two monosaccharides, and needs to get broken down by the body before it gets absorbed. A monosaccharide is a molecule in its simplest form, that doesn’t require to get broken down before absorbed into the body, which makes it easier for the body to absorb it. So, a disaccharide needs to get broken down into a monosaccharide and then get absorbed into the body, a monosaccharide just gets absorbed. Got it? Kinda?

Sucrose

This is the type of sugar that we find in most of our favorite processed foods. All those naughty treats that we love such as candy, ice cream, soda, cupcakes, and a lot of cereals and bread. Sucrose is basically the fancy science word for sugar, that white normal table sugar you can buy at the store.

Sucrose is made up of both fructose and glucose meaning that sucrose is a disaccharide. It’s made up of two monosaccharides (glucose and fructose).

Glucose

You’ve probably come across any of these expressions such as “glycogen storage”, “low glucose levels”, or “the brain runs on glucose”. And to make it simple, glucose is the sugar that we find in most carbohydrates. Bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, noodles, bananas, I mean you know what carbohydrates are. Glucose is a form of energy that our body and brain require to function, and is the type of sugars our body prefers. So yes, you could eat a bag of candy for that glucose spike, but you could also eat a whole grain avocado toast for a steady glucose spike while getting fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You see the difference?

Fructose

As the name kinda implies, fructose is naturally found in fruit, and we can also call it fructose for “fruit sugar”. Fructose is the sweetest for out of the three and is why it’s mostly used for sweet processed foods such as sweets and candy. Ever heard of the ingredient high-fructose-corn-syrup? Well, that’s the aftermath from processing fructose and what ends up in our candy.

Processed sugar and natural sugar

So, since we can find sucrose, glucose, and fructose in a lot of stuff, both whole foods and processed foods, it’s easy to understand why people draw the line and ditch all sugars. That’s why we see the whole “low carb” diet trend going around, since every carb contains sugar, and sugar is unhealthy and makes you fat. But, this is not true!

The sugars we want to stay away from are the processed sugars. The guys who are derived from our natural whole foods to make up this sweet additive that gets sprinkled on everything we eat and drink. A lot of big brands love to sneak in processed sugar into their products to make us addicted and hooked on their products. Even the most unharmful products, like cereal, “healthy” granola, yogurts, “freshly squeezed” juice, ketchup, whole grain bread, just to name a few of all the items sugar is sneaked into. Yes, we actually live in a world that cruel.

What does this mean for you? You need to become the boss, take control of your grocery situation, and become the food label reading police. If one of the first three ingredients are sugar, NEXT! Most likely you’ll be able to find a way better option of the same item with less, or without sugar.

And then we have our natural, healthy sugars which occur naturally in a lot of foods. Fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, whole grains, these are the things you want to eat and should be eating. Whole foods provide us with a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and gut-loving fiber which are essential to our body. Not to mention that our brain and body needs natural sugars to function properly, plus it makes our skin more radiant and keeps us looking fresh as fudgy budgy for longer.

So please, say it with me, fruits are HEALTHY. They are sweet, they are filled with fructose and natural sugar, but they are healthy! Eat them every day. And if you’re wondering about the insulin and blood sugar spikes from fruit, wonder no more! Thanks to all the fiber it slows down the spikes, making the insulin steady and chill. Our pancreas loves that. He’s not good with stress management.

Alternatives to sugar

Now you might be thinking, jisses woman, are you telling me to stop eating my favorite sweet treats? What about my sweet morning tea? Birthdays? How am I supposed to bake a cake without sugar? Slap some fruits in there!? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. And no, I’m not going to tell you something like “you’ll get used to not eating sweet baked treats”, or “dark chocolate is just as yummy as milk chocolate” because let’s be real, it’s not the same thing.

In baked gods:

Dates: Not the ones you get on Tinder, but the edible dates you can buy in the grocery store (if only dating was that easy, huh?). Mix them up in a food processor and add them as a natural sugar to your cakes and treats.
Bananas: It might leave a bit of a banana taste, so if you’re not into that, then don’t use bananas as your replacers. Mash them up and add them to whatevs.
Agave and honey: If you’re strictly vegan then toss the honey out of the window. Agave and honey are as natural as it gets when it comes to that real sweet goodness of nature. It’s already a liquid and you don’t need much of it at all.

In drinks (coffee, tea, I mean even cocktails if you please).

Agave or honey

Snacks:

Fruits.
Dried fruits.
Raw treats.
Baking your own cakes: You can find so many recipes only for brownies, cakes, cookies, whatever you might think of that uses real whole ingredients. Black bean or sweet potato brownies? Yes, they are a thing, and no you actually won’t notice the difference. If you want me to post a sweet recipe, leave a comment below on what, and I’ll try to “whole food” it.
Dates in cacao powder (this is so darn delicious I promise you).

Obviously, snacks will be the toughest part so let’s get real. You are allowed to eat sugar. You can eat donuts, you can have a bag of candy, you can do whatever you want, and I want you to do it! Life isn’t about restrictions, it’s about balance. It’s definitely healthy to keep the processed sugar intake low, but if you are craving a twinkie or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, eat it!! It’s also healthy to feed your craving, enjoy it, and then get on with your life.

Now, go ahead and have a sweet ass with your sweet ass!

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sucrose-glucose-fructose#absorption-and-use

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6215768/

https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/what-sugar-does-to-your-body/

Natural and Added Sugars: Two Sides of the Same Coin

August 4, 2019August 4, 2019

Linnéa KindstromLeave a comment

Are orgasms healthy?

Let’s talk about the one topic every human finds interesting. No matter if you’re black, white, tall, short, boy, a girl or a nun we all sharpen our ears a little bit harder when sex is the topic of discussion. Since we all essentially came from sex, and we all sooner or later will develop an interest in it (you know, hello there evolution), it can be interesting to see if there are any health benefits to it, and especially, are orgasms healthy?

What is an orgasm?

Well, we all know that an orgasm is the peak of sexual pleasure. The grand finale, the climax, the part where we afterward say something awkward like “high five dude!”, or “that was cool”. Or if you’re riding solo you might just high five yourself.

What we first associate orgasms with is the genitalia pleasure, but actually, it all takes place in the brain. And, believe it or not, it’s absolutely possible to achieve an orgasm without having anyone touching you at all. No, I’m serious. What about that trip, huh? Casually strolling down the street, and then bam!!

To be fair, everything we do is connected to our brains, so that an orgasm shouldn’t take place in the brain would be kinda weird. During the orgasm itself, our brains enter party mode x 1000. With an overload of dopamine released to your body, the brain is bouncing up and down like an energizer bunny. If the brain during orgasm was a person, you’d want to bring this guy to every single rave. Besides the release of dopamine the brain also flushes out a stream of oxytocin through our bodies, which we will get more in to below.

What are the health benefits of orgasms, are there any?

Okay, so now let’s get into the fun part! Are there actual health benefits to reaching the big O more than just feeling pretty awesome? Continue reading and you’ll find out!

Glowing skin

Since an orgasm pretty much is an overdose of feel-good hormones, our stress levels go down significantly. And since stress and anxiety can be a cause of aging skin, I do recommend that you take a quick break once in a while during stressful times and gett off a little. Think “The wolf of wall street”, they made it pretty clear that if you don’t get off once in a while you’ll burn out.

During sex, and an orgasm our blood is flowing like crazy, being able to carry more oxygen to our skin. An increase of oxygen causes collagen production, which, if you have ever read on any anti-aging face cream, is the magic formula for slowing down aging.

For us chicas, we also release HGH – human growth hormone which also helps us obtain our youthful glow. Does this mean that you should go an inject a bunch of growth hormones? Definitely no! Get it the natural way through exercise, and you know, a few orgasms here and there.

Strengthen your heart

Sex is a physical act, you move around, it takes effort, you might break a sweat, your heart gets pumping, basically it’s a form of exercise. Obviously, the more work you put in, the more you’ll burn during a steamy session. And to be honest, you’ll probably have more fun as well. Movement and exercise are all part of the healthy heart formula, so get on that high horse to not only feel good but to make your heart stronger and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well.

Become closer

So, ever wondered why sex can cause a slight obsession with your partner after reaching orgasm? It’s because of the oxytocin released during the big O. Oxytocin is a hormone that causes us to bond and get closer to each other. During childbirth and breastfeeding, oxytocin is released as well, which explains the attachment a mother feels towards her child.

And ladies, I know that we can sometimes become a bit crazy, and we have all heard guys tell stories about “that crazy girl” after sex. Not to say acting crazy is a woman thing only, guys also have some crazy in them! But, women do have a stronger reason for it, since the release of oxytocin continues to get released even after the orgasm itself, while it in men just happens during the orgasm.

Cure your cold

Maybe getting down and dirty might not be the top priority when you’re down with the sniffles, but if you do manage to convince your partner to get a little frisky the orgasm comes with a lot of nice benefits. I mean, if you don’t have a partner you might as well get it on by yourself!

Again, the release of oxytocin also spikes the endorphin levels in our blood which strengthens our immune system. Besides that an orgasm also lets you sleep like a baby, which we all know is the best medicine to treat a cold.

That an orgasm comes with health benefits shouldn’t come as a major surprise. In the end, it’s nature’s way of leading us towards more reproduction, which from an evolutionary standpoint we need to do for survival. It’s such a natural phenomenon that has made taboo by modern humans and religion. Interesting and weird at the same time.

No matter what, it’s something we all like, love even! So own your orgasm and make sure you get them in as a part of your health routine!

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/orgasm-benefits#boost-of-estrogen

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052677/

https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-orgasm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15316239

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019

Linnéa KindstromLeave a comment

The 1200 calorie myth

It’s a 1, and a 2, and a double zero! 1200. This number is glued into our brains as the magical number for weight loss. Eating 1200 calories a day will guarantee a slim body. For years we have, or more or less, women have been slaves under the 1200 calorie diet.

1200. Where did this random number come from you might ask yourself. If you’re not, I’m still going to answer it for you. 1200 calories have gotten this exclusive repp that it’s the perfect amount of calories you should consume just to be above that starvation line. But to be more exact, the 1200 calorie champ has got some history in its baggage. It all started with Lulu Hunt Peters. A female author who published a diet book for woman called Diet & Health: With Key to the Calories in the early 1900. What this book emphasized on was that starvation would keep you skinny. To be able to control your hunger and your appetite was a way to be in control, (hey early signs of eating disorders, but whatever…). To put the icing on the cake, (or maybe we should skip the icing to stay under our calorie limit) Lulu Hunt Peters was born in the 1800’s. Her book published in the early 1900’s. Guys, this is more than a 100 years ago. Yet, we are still clinging on to this 1200 calorie diet like it’s the holy scripture for magical weight loss. I mean, weight will drop since 1200 calories will put most people into starvation. The bottom line – this “diet” is not a healthy one for the majority of people. A one size fits all diet doesn’t work for everyone, just like anything in life.

Whats wrong with 1200 calories?

Basic Metabolic Rate – Fact, we are all different. Fact 2, we all have different caloric needs to simply stay alive. Research has showed that the basic caloric need for an average woman to simply keep her alive, this means without any hard core exercise, is around 2100 calories. For men around 2800 calories a day. Imagine that you stick to your 1200 calories. You won’t even have the proper energy for you body to function the way it’s supposed to, and you’re most likely not getting enough of the vitamins and minerals you need.

Fact 3, we are again different. We are different heights, different weights, ages, we’re more or less active, are digestion works differently, some of us might be aliens, we’re just different! We all have our own specific needs to be healthy and this includes our caloric intake as well. Gertrud from across the street might actually be healthy on 1200 calories, Doris might need at least 2300 calories and Magnus the hard core kick boxer might need up to 4000 calories a day. When we talk about the basic caloric need for every individual we refer to it as Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is how much calories our body will burn by simply staying alive. Meaning that you can sit on your couch a whole day, be indecisive about what to watch on Netflix, eat some snacks, and your body will burn these calories automatically. When we add activity to that mixture in some shape or form, our caloric intake goes up.

Metabolic adaptation – Going on a 1200 calorie diet when you actually need 3000 for the long haul will cause your body to go into metabolic adaptation. We have all heard of this in some shape or form and it’s usually called “starvation mode” or something in that ball park. This simply means that after a while your body will adjust to the fact that “Hey, I guess we’re just have to start surviving on these 1200 calories a day now! Let’s slow down our metabolism so we can use this energy for the major shit to stay alive!”. When our body has adjusted to this new calorie limit we’ll stop losing weight because now we have to store as much of these calories we can. Simply, to not frikkin die. Losing weight will not become the priority. What will happen though is that when you do eat more than those calories again, you’ll gain all the weight back if not even more. If you’re lucky you can get back on track pretty quickly, but if you’ve been doing this for a while your metabolism can go into the “metabolic damage” state.

Metabolic damage – When worst gets to worse is when our metabolism get damaged. Or actually, to call it a damage is pretty extreme. Our metabolism will become normal after some adjustments, but it might take some time because of the adaptation it has adopted. This happens when we’ve stayed under calories for a long time. We might have went on a little binge here and there and over time our body doesn’t know what’s going on at all. Are we starving? Do we have all this food? What the fudge brownie is going on!? If you add heavy exercise on top of that cocktail our metabolism goes even more crazy. When our metabolism is stressed out, he checks out and takes a vacay to the Bahamas. What usually happens in this state is that no matter how healthy you eat, or how hard you exercise you’ll keep gaining weight or just stop losing anymore. This can be very frustrating for a lot of people, especially those who have started off on a weight loss plan with great results to suddenly come to a halt or even gain weight. So what can we do about this bullshit?

Eat more to loose more – This can be provocative for some people who swears by the calorie deficit method. It is the opposite of what we have been told about weight loss since our young ears first heard about it. When you start to eat well and enough your body will slowly start to go “Oh, okay, we’re safe again. I don’t need to stress myself out to keep us alive anymore. Nutrition is coming in, and we have plenty of it!”. This is where you want to be all the time. You should always focus to get the proper amount of calories that you need everyday – at least. When we have the proper calorie needs, it’s easier for the body to let go of the stored fat. I know, it’s all just the opposite of what we’ve been told. Don’t believe the lies!!!! #FakeNews

Strength training – If you spice it up even more you should add some strength and resistance training into your life. Building muscles while your body has all the nutrients and calories it needs will make your metabolism fire up and burn fat like its never burnt anything before! You will keep burning calories even at rest which means that you can eat even more food now and still lose weight. I mean, how can we hate this!? This lifestyle will make sure that you lose weight and keep it off.

We live in a world that is terrified of eating. Especially woman. Bullshit since more than a 100 years ago as an addition to social media has caused this bad food cycle.We need to eat. It’s a basic survival mechanism. Food is fuel, not the enemy! I promise you, that when you’re feeding yourself the right amount of food (healthy of course, I’m not talking three meals a day from McDonalds) with an addition to some resistance training, you will magically drop all the weight your body needs to drop, to maintain the perfect healthy weight for you.

“One size fits all” does not apply to anything in life. Remember to never compare your body to somebody else. We all have different weights and shapes that are healthy and ideal for us. The best thing you can do is to rock out and knock out the world with your uniqueness, while eating a proper dinner. Maybe even two. Bon Apple Tea!

August 21, 2018

Linnéa KindstromLeave a comment