Author: Guided Stretch
In a recent workshop entitled “Learn to Age Backwards” at the Social Wellness Club (SWC), we had the privilege of hearing from Dr. Charlie Ware, a functional medicine doctor and epigeneticist. Dr. Ware discussed the link between common diseases and sugar and described how sugar consumption can accelerate the aging process. Dr. Ware shared some startling statistics documenting the fact that the average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar per year. This is more than twice the amount that the American Heart Association recommends.
Dr. Ware explained that sugar is a major contributor to inflammation, a key factor in aging. In fact, inflammation is so damaging that it can literally age your cells which leads to a number of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Sugar Disrupts How Our Bodies Work
Sugar disrupts how our bodies break down food and absorb nutrients. One of the biggest culprits is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Dr. Ware warned that HFCS is found in nearly 99% of packaged foods and that it can have a devastating impact on our health.
HFCS can suppress brain function by up to 35% for two hours post-consumption. This means that when we eat foods containing HFCS, our cognitive abilities are impaired for a significant amount of time leading to issues with decision-making, problem-solving, and memory. Dr. Ware also compared sugar’s addictiveness to hard drugs like heroin and cocaine. He said that sugar is more addictive than the most highly addictive drugs, and that it can be very difficult to break our addiction to it.
Dr. Ware stressed that our health issues are not genetic, but largely a result of dietary choices. He pointed out that infants are often fed artificial sugars in baby formulas, and that this can set them up for a lifetime of health problems. He also noted the rising rates of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, which he believes are largely due to our consumption of sugary foods and drinks.
What We Can Do to Reduce Our Sugar Intake
It is crucial for us to recognize these risks and make more informed decisions for our health and the health of future generations. We need to reduce our sugar intake and choose whole, unprocessed foods instead of processed foods.
If you’re concerned about your sugar intake, you can take a GI Map test to get a better understanding of how your body reacts to different foods. This test can help you identify foods that are causing inflammation and outline beneficial changes to your diet accordingly.
The Social Wellness Club invites you to register for the Free Social Wellness Club Workshops and explore more about wellness, health, and reversing the aging process with renowned experts like Dr. Ware.
Add a Guided Stretch session and get personalized stretch and balance sessions for therapeutic recovery and injury prevention.
