Let me be perfectly honest: I have a huge sweet tooth. I always have. Sweets are my nemesis. I see cookies and I become the cookie monster.

I mean really, what is better than a warm chocolate chip cookie? So it’s a battle. Me and the cookies battle it out. Why? Because I know the disturbing effects of sugar.

Here are the top 3 reasons to stop eating sugar:

1. Sugar feeds cancer. Scientists have long noted sugar molecules are present in high numbers near cancer cells. A 2013 study by the University of Copenhagen shows that sugar actually aids the growth of malignant cells. And if that’s not reason enough, on to number 2.
2. Sugar goes straight to your belly. When sugar gets processed by our liver, excess sugar is turned into belly fat. Aside from how a big belly looks in our clothes, there are even greater risks associated to belly fat such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
3. Sugar causes cravings. This point I can whole heartedly attest to. The more sugar we eat, the more sugar we crave. Sugar intake spikes our blood sugar, so our body has to quickly work to re-balance itself. Insulin is released, and the liver starts storing the sugar as fat. All this work from our body lowers our blood sugar, and as our blood sugar dips, we then get ravenously hungry again. So, we get stuck in a vicious cycle fueled by sugar cravings. From time to time I will actually follow a 3 day carb depletion diet. I am amazed how when sugar is cut out from the body, the body stops craving it completely.

There you have it. My go to reminders when I’m tempted by the cookie jar. Again, it’s a battle. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But at least I have a reason in my head why I’m fighting the battle.

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Banana Oat COOKIES (of course!) No sugar added

These are the easiest cookies to make. Have some overripe bananas sitting on your counter? Mash them up with a few other ingredients and you’ll have guilt free cookies on hand when the cookie monster comes out.

Ingredients:
4 very rip bananas, mashed
2 cups oats
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and stir to mix well. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy.