Did you know that sugar is harmful for your fertility?
I know, I get it. Sweet treats are yummy! Hey I was just like you. I used to crave sugar all the time. Little did I know that it was affecting my health which ultimately lead to a hormonal imbalance in my body. I know it sounds crazy, but I was able to beat the sugar cravings and restore my health.
First how sugar affects your fertility.
Sugar creates a hormonal imbalance in the body. All the sweet treats we consume raise our insulin levels. This spike in blood sugar gives us that temporary high, but then watch out as our blood sugar plummets. This causes continued stimulation of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenalin in an attempt to raise sugar levels. When this happens repeatedly the adrenals become weakened and this may lead to hormonal imbalance. This creates a roller coaster ride in the body with blood sugar erratically rising and falling. The adrenals are responsible for maintaining a proper balance between DHEA, estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. This affects hormone levels for both men and women.
What about insulin resistance? The pancreas secretes insulin to control blood sugar levels. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance disrupts normal ovulation by preventing the body from ovulating. Insulin resistance can be blamed for problems with ovulation and higher risk of miscarriage (1). Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance. Fifty percent of women with PCOS will have diabetes or pre-diabetes before the age of 40. (2)
Like many of you chocolate was my vice. I craved it like crazy. Growing up I loved chocolate ice cream and chocolate bars. As an adult I would have said that I ate a healthy diet. I sought out fat free options so I could eat all my yummy sweet foods. I loved having my daily “healthy” fat free yogurt. I knew there was a lot of sugar, but I didn’t realize how it was affecting my health.
Did you know there is 19 grams or 5 teaspoons of sugar in a 4 ounce container of yogurt? Oops maybe not the best healthy option. I noticed that I craved sugar when I was bored or stressed. I didn’t realize the affect sugar was having on my moods and that it was also fueling my Candida. It also made me tired and anxious. The sugar was also contributing to my frequent bladder and yeast infections and worsening my Candida.
As I learned in the Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates when the body’s inner ecosystem is not aligned we will crave sugar, breads, fruits and dairy. “In other words, a diet full of sugar can damage your inner ecology. The more sugar that you binge on, the more you feed Candida overgrowth. The more Candida overgrowth you have, the more you crave sugar. It’s a vicious cycle”. (Body Ecology Diet). I was in this cycle and needed to cut sugar from my diet We use sugar to get us going in the morning, in coffee to pick us up again during the mid morning break with a muffin or donut.
Going off sugar was difficult but the rewards are so great. The first 2-3 days you may experience headaches, cramps, dizziness, irritability (argh!) and nausea. Eliminating sugar gradually will lessen the withdrawal symptoms. I typically have a lot of energy and find it difficult to sit down and rest. Without the sugar my moods seemed to even out. I wasn’t so cranky and anxious. I didn’t even know I was anxious before when I ate sugar.
Share with me if you have tried to quit sugar.
How did you feel?
Did you experience the withdrawal period?
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Sarah Clark empowers couples to discover how lifestyle and diet can dramatically impact their chances of conceiving. She was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 28 and had both her kids with donor eggs. Not until years later did she discover that the root cause of her infertility was a food intolerance. Ready to gaze into your baby’s eyes….but struggling. Download 10 step Checklist here
Reference
1 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028202032478
2 http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html
