Yesterday I was very brain fogged. I spent the day forgetting what I was doing, not quiet comprehending what my kids were saying to me, and unable to concentrate for longer than 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Small noises made me lose my concentration and I was just overall irritated. I felt like my entire nervous system was screaming at me . This morning, I awoke with every joint on fire and aching. Just the act of getting out of bed brought tears to my eyes. Even though I have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, these issues are not typical for me. My diet, exercise and supplement protocols have been very successful in reversing my ms symptoms and stopping progression. My personal experience tells me that symptoms like I’ve been experiencing are a direct result of something I ate, or something I did.
So, I sat down today and looked at absolutely everything I have eaten and drunk in the last week and I realized the problems started a few hours after I shared some “candy coated chocolates” with my daughter Tuesday evening.
Sugar. Of course. I’ve been feeling so well lately, that I didn’t even think about how sugar effects the immune system. I know from past experience that sugar causes my immune system to go wonky. Too much sugar, and I have ms symptoms, blood sugar problems, and mood fluctuations. How do I know how much sugar is “too much”? Well, there lies the problem. It seems to depend on several factors, meaning that I can’t always predict how my body will react to sugar. Which is why I go out of my way to avoid sugar, in all it’s various forms, including grains. I experimented with a Paleo diet about a year ago, and after 2 weeks, I was hooked!
So.. the bottom line is I should have know better. I’ve read the research, and I’ve experimented on myself and I know beyond all shadow of doubt that sugar negatively effects my immune and neurological systems, and i should avoid it at all costs.
What’s the best way for you to know how sugar effects your body? Personally, I believe that every person could benefit from abstaining from all forms of sugar for 2 -4 weeks. That would mean no table sugar, and no fructose. For most people it would probably involve giving up commercially prepared and packaged foods, because sugar, in some form, is hidden in just about every single packaged food on the market. From applesauce to zwieback – if it is commercially packaged, it’s likely to have hidden sugar. At the end of the two week trial period eat a small candy bar, or even a tablespoon of table sugar and see how you feel. Chances, if you’re paying attention and being honest with yourself you will notice a difference.
If you’d like to read more about the negative effects of sugar on the body read some of these articles;
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sugar-suppresses-immune-system/#axzz2ODCq97Cj
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/10-immune-system-busters-boosters
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx
