In life, many people love to eat sweets and can't stop once they start. But did you know that eating too many sweets can lead to "intoxication"?
Dietary Taboo: Eating too many sweets can be toxic.
Sweets often contain large amounts of white sugar, and even the rice we eat every day contains a fair amount of "sugar." Whether it's white sugar or starch, both can easily cause a rapid spike in blood sugar. After a rapid spike, blood sugar levels will then drop quickly. This is because insulin works hard to lower the excessively high blood sugar in the bloodstream.
However, once insulin overcompensates, a person's blood sugar can drop to abnormal levels. At this point, the brain may not get enough energy. The brain then judges that "it needs more sugar for energy," leading to a further craving for sweets. This, in turn, causes blood sugar to drop again, leading to insufficient energy for the brain... This creates a vicious cycle. In other words, our natural craving for sweets is closely related to fluctuations in our blood sugar levels.
Sugar is the "culprit" that "steals" vitamins.
Vitamin B1 helps metabolize sugar into energy. However, when sugar intake is too high, it becomes difficult to break down, and a large amount of Vitamin B1, which has other functions in the body, is occupied, leading to a deficiency in Vitamin B1.
A deficiency of Vitamin B1 in the body can lead to a series of symptoms, such as fatigue, edema, irritability, and depression. To alleviate this mental unease, people may reach for sweets, as the dopamine in sweets can bring a sense of happiness. Over time, this happiness from sweets leads to an inability to quit, resulting in continuous weight gain and various lifestyle-related diseases.
Furthermore, sugar is the main culprit behind diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer's, collagen diseases, infertility, and irregular menstruation. Eating too many sweets is harmful to your health with no benefits.
Five Tips to Prevent a Sharp Rise in Blood Sugar
Any food has its pros and cons. Although the sugar in refined products like white sugar and white rice can cause a series of health problems, completely cutting out sugar can lead to a rebound effect. For both sick and healthy individuals, stabilizing blood sugar is very important. You can try implementing the following five points to effectively prevent sharp spikes and drops in blood sugar.
1. Mix white rice with brown rice.
When cooking rice, try mixing white rice and brown rice in a 3:1 ratio first. Once you get used to the taste, gradually change the ratio to 2:1 or even 1:1. Try to reduce your consumption of refined white rice and increase whole grains to better maintain stable blood sugar levels.
2. Wait 30 minutes when you crave sweets.
When you have a craving for sweets, don't give in immediately. It's best to wait for 30 minutes. During this time, you can exercise, browse social media, or chat with friends, but try not to talk about sweets. After 30 minutes, your brain's intense craving for sweets may have subsided, and you might not need to eat them at all.
3. Eat Western food in the correct order.
When eating Western food at a restaurant, it's best to follow the traditional order: start with a salad, then have soup... This order is actually very health-conscious because it helps prevent a rapid rise in blood sugar. When eating at home, it's also best to have soup or vegetables first before starting on your main dishes and meat.
4. Replace white sugar with fructose or sweeteners.
Compared to white sugar, fructose and sweeteners cause smaller fluctuations in blood sugar while still providing the sweetness that people crave. However, it's important to note that although they don't affect blood sugar, they still contain calories. Overconsumption can still burden the body and lead to fat storage, so you should pay attention to controlling the amount you use.
5. Consider switching sweets for nuts.
When you really want to eat sweets, try having some nuts like walnuts or almonds. These nuts can not only suppress hunger but are also rich in Vitamin E and healthy fats, which are beneficial to your health. However, nuts are also high in oil, so your daily intake should be limited to a small handful.