The US spends two and one-half times more on healthcare per capita than any other developed nation, currently totaling about $3.5 trillion every year.

You’d think that would translate into 326 million healthy citizens, but you would be wrong.  Americans are sicker, fatter and have shorter life spans than citizens of most other industrialized countries.

There are many factors that contribute to our abysmal health—overuse of pharmaceuticals, sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, stress, toxins in our environment, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

But one of the most significant factors behind our skyrocketing rates of disease is SUGAR.

When it comes to the impact it has on your health, sugar is anything but sweet.

Its impact is growing and it likes to hide

It is estimated that 30 to 40 percent of healthcare expenditures in the US are directly related to illnesses caused by excess dietary sugar.  And I’m not talking about the sugar in your kitchen sugar bowl.

Most of the sugar people take in is hidden sugar, usually in processed foods and beverages. 

What makes this even more dangerous is the go-to cheap sweetener commonly used by food companies—high fructose corn syrup—is especially deadly.  HFCS is your ticket to liver damage, insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, and elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, among other things.    

In addition to HFCS, sugar takes many other forms.  Here are 55 of sugar’s aliases:

The deadly health price we pay

Although the most obvious health concern from sugar is excess weight and obesity, here are several other serious health issues that it is a driving force behind:

• Diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Dementia and impaired mental functioning
• Immune dysfunction
• Chronic infections
• High blood pressure
• Chronic inflammation

Minimize sugar’s effect on your body

Hopefully, you’ve gotten the idea that unless you desire a lifetime of sickness and disease, it would be wise to limit your consumption of sugar and minimize its dangerous effects on your body. 

Here are three ways you can help achieve this important, life-saving goal:

Avoid sugar-loaded processed foods

My Great Taste No Pain health system teaches you about all the dangers of sugar, plus stresses wholesome real foods which are inherently lower in sugar.

Many of the recipes in Great Taste No Pain feature delicious meats, poultry and fish, good fats and healthy sources of complex carbs that properly nourish your body and support a strong gut flora balance. 

You’ll see that once you get away from a regular intake of sugar, you'll begin to appreciate the taste and natural sweetness of real foods and will lose your taste for heavily processed, refined foods.

Also, since real foods nourish you better and keep you fuller longer, you’ll likely see excess weight drop off too!

Plus you'll learn about the dietary science of food combining, which promotes better digestion and nutrient absorption by pairing foods together in meals that your stomach can break down easier.  This can help curb gas, bloating, constipation and acid reflux, plus encourage a healthier gut microbiome. 

Ensure your intestinal flora population is strong

The friendly bacteria in your system takes a hit from sugar, because sugar feeds the harmful microbes in your gut, and eventually they can overcome your beneficial bacteria.

Not only can this cause gas, bloating, yeast infections and reduced nutrient absorption, but it can also greatly hamper your immune system functioning and even trigger or worsen depression! 

You can help support your gut flora balance by repopulating your supply of helpful bacteria with Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula.

Super Shield contains well-studied, effective strains of 13 friendly bacteria that are can help fend off harmful microbes, support smooth digestion, beef up your immune system and curb gas and bloating! 

Find alternatives and curb your consumption

Note that artificial sweeteners are NOT a viable alternative to sugar!  Aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda) and saccharin (Sweet and Low) have all been linked to health dangers of their own.  As a matter of fact, the FDA has received more reports of adverse reactions from aspartame than any other substance in existence!

Instead use organic raw honey, organic real maple syrup, organic cane sugar, blackstrap molasses or stevia for sweeteners in moderation.

If you use sugar in your coffee or tea, try cutting it in half and eventually eliminating it altogether. 

Drink plain water instead of soda, sports drinks, sweetened waters or energy drinks. 

Stay away from sugar-loaded lattes or fancy coffee drinks.  Brew your own coffee at home (an old-fashioned stove-top percolator makes the best coffee in the world) and add a splash of real cream (never powdered creamer) if desired. 

Avoid processed foods and read labels to detect hidden sugar.  Print out the sugar alias chart I provided above (or take a picture of it with your phone) and keep it with you when you shop for groceries.

And if you want to indulge in something sweet now and then, that’s OK!  Just make sure it’s occasional and not a regular thing.   

To your health,

Sherry Brescia