One Degree of Change

One Degree of Change
 

I invite you to take a moment and imagine what your life will look like in your 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.  Are you full of energy?  Are you enjoying your grandchildren?  Are you traveling the world?  Do you see yourself healthy and happy?  Unfortunately, for our society that is not what most of our retirement years will look like.  Instead our calendars are filled with doctor appointments and we spend our mornings counting out our prescription dosages for the day.  A majority of us will have difficulty getting around and for some they will be wheelchair-bound at early ages.  What if I told you that by making a one degree shift in your lifestyle you could dramatically change what your golden years look like? Would you be willing do it? Really sit with that for a moment.  How much is the quality of your life worth and what are you REALLY willing to give up to have a lifetime of health, energy, happiness, and enjoyment?

Now remember the commitment and thoughts you just had because the one degree of change I am going to ask you to make is to eliminate one ingredient from your life - sugar!  What are your thoughts now?  Do they sound anything like these?  Is she crazy? That is impossible!  Really, how does she expect me to do that? 

Sugar has many dangers, but the top three are heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.  For years cholesterol was thought to be the cause of heart disease.  Recently there are a growing number of physicians like Dr. Stephen Sinatra who feel inflammation is the real culprit.  Inflammation is caused by a number of things, but eating sugar is at the top of the list.  Obesity is at an all-time high here in the United States. Why? Because we consume a lot of sugar.  Sugar is everywhere and in everything.  The problem with sugar is that it drives fat storage and makes our brain think we are hungry, setting up a “vicious cycle.”  Obesity leads us to our next danger, diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes for years has been solely related to weight gain, but new research indicates that sugar intake may also be directly linked to diabetes.

                        

We can make a significant difference in the quality of our life just by making better choices.  Choose not to consume products that contain table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup.  Choose not to eat processed foods or soft drinks.  In addition, pass up artificial sweeteners and instead choose natural sweeteners like raw local honey and Stevia. Replace sugar with whole foods such as vegetables, nuts, avocados, fish, and olive oil.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better do better.”- Maya Angelou

One choice to give up sugar will yield so many benefits!  You will enjoy health; have more energy, and age gracefully. The quality of your life is completely in your control.  How do you see your future?

Live well, think well, move well, be well!   Written by Dr. Kimberly Besuden, Chiropractic Physician and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner.  She is a frequent speaker and contributor to articles on the subjects of wellness, health, and nutritional issues. Dr. Besuden’s knowledge of human behavior concerning nutrition and the most effective ways to make change happen have helped thousands of people and hundreds of organizations over the years. www.drbesuden.com