The average American consumes over 70 pounds of sugar per year. With the increasing number of people with diabetes and obesity, the message is clear that one must start to cut back on sugar consumption. Many people think that by replacing their sugary drinks and foods with alternatives that are loaded with artificial sweeteners, they will be able to reduce their consumption of sugar without adding more calories.

However, these are not as beneficial as you’d think. Below are three of the benefits of minimizing your consumption of artificial sweeteners.

1. Foods with artificial sweeteners do not actually fee fully satisfied.

There is an increasing evidence in the concept that those who consume foods that are loaded with artificial sweeteners may actually end up taking in more calories than those who don’t. According to Yale University School of Medicine researchers, artificial sweeteners do not trigger the release of the hormone dopamine which is responsible for controlling one’s appetite. This is the hormone that gives the feeling of satiation.

According to Harvard School of Public Health professor of Nutrition Dr. David Ludwig, artificial sweeteners do not satisfy a person’s appetite with calories. While diet soda can satisfy your craving for something sweet, it won’t help in reducing your appetite.

2. Artificial sweeteners make you have a hyperactive sweet tooth.

Harvard School of Public Health professor of Nutrition Dr. David Ludwig, consumption of artificial sweeteners can limit your tolerance for more complex tastes. Because artificial sweeteners are 200 to 600 times sweeter compared to sugar, you will develop a greater tolerance for sweetness and will start to crave these super sweet foods the more of them you eat.

Eventually, more nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods will lose their appeal to use. Naturally sweet foods such as apples and carrots will also not taste as sweet for people who consistently consume artificially sweetened drinks and foods.

3. Consuming too much artificially sweetened foods can probably change your bacteria in a negative way.

Recently, Israeli scientists found that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose can be contributing factors to diabetes and obesity because they can affect the microbiome in your gut. Basically, this is a collection of bacteria that aids in food digestion, absorption of nutrients, and maintenance of the inner lining of the digestive system.

According to the study, artificial sweeteners disrupted the balance of bacteria present in the digestive system in mice, boosting blood sugar levels and increasing a certain gut bacteria’s growth which triggered storage of fat. Since there are no calories associated with the artificial sweeteners and there is nothing to digest, they pass directly into the gut and impacts millions of microbes in the digestive system.

Final thoughts

If you think that artificial sweeteners are okay, think again. This article just proves that anything that is taken too much can have a negative effect on the body. Hence, it is important to regulate not only your consumption of sugar, but artificial sweeteners as well.

Although there is nothing wrong with giving in to your craving for chocolates, icecream, or margarita from time to time, consuming too much sugar can have adverse effects on your health and can negatively impact your weight loss efforts if you are trying to stay fit and healthy.

According to the FDA, you should consume more than 10 percent of your daily recommended calories from added sugars or sugars that are added during the packaging or processing. Some foods with added sugar include honey, syrups, and concentrated vegetable or fruit juices which have more sugar than expected from the same volume of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. In this article, we will share with you some of the ways to cut back on sugar on your diet.

1. Use fresh fruits and cinnamon to sweeten your breakfast food.

Packaged granola bars, yogurt, and cereals normally contain significant amounts of added sugar, and sometimes you even add honey, maple syrup, and other types of sweeteners. For instance, you can choose plain yogurt and just top it off with fresh fruits and nuts. For oats, you can just add sliced fruits and cinnamon which can make it sweeter even if it is sugar-free.

2. Drink flavoured seltzer or other healthy beverages instead of soda.

Soda has tons of sugar in it. So instead of soda, drink flavored bubbly water or seltzer which do not have any added sugar or syrups. You can also drink tea and other healthier beverages instead of unhealthy softdrinks.

3. Read a product’s nutrition labels.

When you go to the grocery store, it is important to read the nutrition labels carefully and opt for those which do not have too much added sugar in it. For instance, granola which have less than 5 grams of added sugar per serving is ideal.

4. Reduce the sugar that you add in your food when baking or cooking.

Cut back on the sugar that you include in your favorite recipes by a half or a third. When you’re baking pies, even just a little added sugar can work well into bringing out the sweetness of the fruit filling.

Final Thoughts

Anything that is eaten too much can be detrimental to your health. With this, it is important to always practice self-control and avoid eating too much sugar if you want to avoid diseases and live a long, healthy life.

Hormones always try to maintain homeostasis and keep your body functioning well. However, there are some cases wherein the hormones in your body are not regulated properly, leading to weight gain. However, did you know that you can manage your hormones and use them to your advantage?

In this article, we will discuss three hormones that you should always keep in check if you are trying to shed some extra pounds.

Leptin

This hormone is produced by fat cells and is responsible for signalling the brain about how much fat is in your body. According to Atlanta Endocrine Associates Medical Director Dr. Scott Isaacs, when the amount of leptin in your body is low, you will tend to feel hungry. Conversely, if the leptin levels in your body is high, you will feel full.

Sounds simple, right? However, according to Dr. Isaacs, it can be a bit more complicated than that. He said that as you become overweight, you will begin to develop resistance to leptin. With this, it is possible that you have high leptin levels, but your brain is not detecting that and you would still feel hungry. According to Susan Carnell, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at John Hopkins Medicine, this can put you at risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

So how do you regulate this hormone? According to studies, physical activity can aid in managing the amount of leptin in your body. Although any type of exercise can be beneficial, one of the most effective types of exercises if your aim is to reduce the leptin in your body is resistance training. This is according to a recent review of studies on obese and overweight middle-aged adults published in PLOS One. In addition, being more physically active can also help you lose some weight.

According to Dr. Isaacs, getting enough sleep is also important because leptin is produced in your sleep. This is one of the reasons those who are sleep deprived tend to be hungrier. Research studies suggest that acute and chronic sleep deprivation can deplete the leptin levels in your body.

Ghrelin

This hormone is produced by the stomach and is called the hunger hormone. When your stomach is empty, the levels of ghrelin is at their highest and then they will decrease once you ate. According to Carnell, when the amount of ghrelin in your body rises, you will seek for food and that stress will further increase the levels of ghrelin. Increased ghrelin coupled with stress can be more intense later in the day, and it is during the evening when there is a higher risk for you to overeat.

If you want to regulate ghrelin levels, it is important to manage your stress and make sure that you get adequate sleep because sleep deprivation can increase your hunger hormones. Furthermore, it is also recommended to consume foods that are high in fiber or protein so you will feel satiated longer.

Cortisol

Also called the stress hormone, as it is responsible for the fight or flight response, cortisol can also promote the release of insulin. This leads to an increased appetite and storage of fat especially around the waist.

You can regulate your cortisol levels by managing your stress. Instead of stress-eating, you can go for a walk in the park, enjoy some time with nature, or do something you are passionate about.

Final Thoughts

Aside from keeping these hormones in check, it is also important to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, and get enough sleep and rest if you want to get fit. Not only does losing weight help you look good, but it can also bring countless of health benefits.