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Sugar vs. Calories?

Which Is More Important To Staying Lean & Healthy?

Oct 18, 2021 Detrick Snyder
Resync

Sugar is a major culprit in the rise in diseases across the globe. Sugar’s empty calories cause you to eat excessively, lead to metabolic damage, and take the place of healthier foods. Combine these with a number of other damaging effects of sugar, and it makes sense why eating too much sugar is linked with heart disease, diabetes, and unhealthy weight gain.In this blog I want to tell you why paying attention to sugar is just as — if not more — important as counting calories. Half the battle of being healthy, not just lean, is simply cutting the high-sugar processed foods, so I want to give you the most impactful tips to do so here. In this article we will go over. 

  • What are the diffrence between calories from sugar and claories from other sources? 
  • What are the negative effects of sugar?
  • Can Cutting Sugar Help With Weight Loss?
  • Does Eating Less Sugar Help With Cholesterol And Heart Health?
  • How To Eat Less Sugar?

What Is The Difference Between Calories From Sugar And Calories From Other Sources? 

Calories are calories: if you eat more than you burn, you will end up gaining weight.

That’s just an oversimplified, tiny piece of the picture though.

Check out the above nutrition facts label for 100 grams of sugar. Sugar comes with a lot of calories and almost no nutrients. With such a low nutrient density, calories from sugar take up space that should be left for foods that come with more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Calorie for calorie, sugar causes you to feel less full than other foods. That leads to you overeating sugary things, which increases the amount of calories you're eating and ultimately leads to weight gain.

Sugar may also lead to inflammation in the part of your brain that helps you regulate your body weight and food intake, according to animal studies.

Sugar may even have an addictive effect. Studies suggest that it negatively impacts the same pathways in your brain that are hijacked by opioid drugs.

All of this put together shows that sugar is not just another calorie source. It may be the single greatest metabolic insult that lies in your control!

Negative Health Effects Of Sugar

Research shows that sugar has some pretty damaging health effects not just on your skin but much more. Here are just a few of the most established adverse effects of sugar:

• Increase risk of diabetes
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Increase risk of cancer
• Unwanted weight gain
• Increased risk of mouth diseases
• Negative gut effects for some people
• May lead to increased inflammation

With a list of negative effects like that, you probably want to start cutting the sugar out of your diet right now! At Resync, we like to say that sugar is our body's biggest enemy. 

Can Cutting Sugar Help With Weight Loss?

There is a reason that added sugars is now something you can find on the nutrition facts label in the United States.

There's a reason, too, that sugar gets mentioned time and time again in policies meant to protect public health. The changes are minimal and slow, yet at Resync, we believe it's better than nothing. And because of the lack of full transparency by many companies, we want to share data that will help you live healthier and happier lives.

Simply cutting sugar out of your diet can help you lose weight — this is vitally important for the hundresds of millions of people in the United States who are overweight or obese.

Just replacing one soda per day with a diet version or a calorie-free version can help you lose unhealthy weight easily and quickly. One study that did just that saw significant differences after only 3 months.

Three months may seem like a long time to wait for weight loss, but when you're doing one thing that takes almost no effort, that seems like a sure-fire win!

Even if you end up eating more calories from other foods, you may still be supporting healthy weight loss. Foods high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber — and necessarily low in sugar — help you stay full for longer, equating to eating less calories throughout the day.

Sugar often comes alongside other damaging nutrients. On the flip side, foods that have no sugar are always higher in nutrients. For this reason, cutting sugar can be one way to easily cut out unhealthy calories.

Rather than counting calories, just pay attention to your sugar intake as a great first step in losing healthy weight in a sustainable way.

Does Eating Less Sugar Help With Cholesterol And Heart Health?

The quick answer is, yes, it can. Beyond weight, getting your calories from things other than sugar can help with your metabolism, your cholesterol, and your risk for heart disease.

Diets high in sugar, refined grains, and other unhealthy foods can lower HDL “good” cholesterol, raise damaging triglycerides, increase insulin resistance, and decrease your heart function.

Just eating less sugar and refined carbohydrates can help with these health issues.

Pay attention to the foods that replace those sugars: eating more foods high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber-rich vegetables are part of a holistic strategy to improve metabolism, cholesterol, and heart health.

How To Eat Less Sugar?

By now you can tell that it's time to ditch the sweets. Here are three steps you can take to eat less sugar:

  • Sugar goes by so many names that, first, you have to find it. Here are ten common pseudonyms for sugar: 

              1. Dextrose
              2. Sucrose
              3. Fructose
              4. Lactose
              5. Malt
              6. Maltodextrin
              7. Fruit concentrate/nectar
              8. Syrup (including high fructose corn syrup)
              9. Dehydrated cane juice
              10. Caramel coloring

    Get familiar with all the names that sugar goes by, and all the foods that usually have sugar, and get these out of your diet!
  • Then, find alternatives and make it easy to cut out sugary foods one by one. 

    Choosing diet alternatives can help you make the shift to eating less sugar.

    For example, switching your dessert out for a cup of unflavored yogurt with blueberries is one way to kick your sweet tooth!

    Natural calorie-free sweeteners like stevia and monkfruit extract are great options for taming your sweet-tooth without the empty calories. Don’t rely entirely on these, but they are handy when the craving strikes!
  • Establish new patterns 

    Break up with sugar by reframing things you associate with sweet treats.

    For example, if you find it hard to travel and keep to a healthy diet, look up healthy restaurants ahead of time and make sure you have on the go snacks to take on your trip.

    If you usually eat dessert, consider starting a new healthy routine of going on a walk.

    To beat sugar cravings, an old trick a strength conditioning coach gave me once is to have a tablespoon of heavy cream with glutamine to prevent sweet cravings. Try using coconut cream for a plant-based alternative. And it works!

For a more in-depth guide and a ton of ideas, check out this blog: 51 Ways to Sugar- Proof Your Health & Home.

How Resync Can Help You With Your Health Goals?

Our customers know that Resync means non-negotiable quality. Resync is dedicated to minimizing the amount of sugar in your diet and goes above and beyond by ensuring that the calorie-free sugar substitutes used are safe for your health.

The Resync beverage is an excellent example of a carbonated refreshment that contributes to your health rather than taking it away. Soluble fiber, polyphenol antioxidants, plant-based nitrates, and botanicals known for their health effects are packed into a wonderfully refreshing and flavorful drink. And we know how liquid sugar calories can add up to extra pounds or a doctor visit.

With zero added sugars and a lot of nutritional value, Resync is ready to help support your health goals. It is 3 in 1 functional beverage created to support heart, immune and digestive health. So stop hurting your health with soda, pop, fruit juices, flavored waters, and other “refreshments” that are packed in sugar.

It’s time for a revolution in the beverage industry. Are you going to support a company that packs in the sugar to fuel their profits at your expense? Or are you going to side with the new way to reinvigorate and refresh? Invest in your health with Resync. 

Summary Highlights 

When it comes to improving your health, getting rid of added sugar is low-hanging fruit. Here's a recap of how you might think about sugar and your health:

  • Sugar has been linked with many chronic diseases that affect the entire world.
  • Sugar is a refined carbohydrate, which can cause you to overeat and gain weight.
  • Sugar is an empty calorie, leading to issues with heart health, diabetes, and metabolism
  • Eating less sugar is an effective strategy for losing weight and improving health.
  • Resync products provide a number of the nutrients that your gut — and your whole body — needs for optimal healthYou can eat less sugar by identifying it in the ingredients list of common foods and not eating those, finding substitutes, and establishing patterns that solidify healthy eating habits.
  • Resync products are designed to be as low in sugar as possible while still delivering a delicious flavor and valuable nutrients that support your total health!

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References

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Disclaimer

This content is for general informational purposes only, and does not constitute the practice of any professional healthcare service, INCLUDING the giving of medical advice. No provider-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information, and the materials linked to this content is at the user's own risk. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should abide by the advice of their healthcare provider, and should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have.

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