What Does Sugar Do to the Brain?

 HEALTHY AGING
What Does Sugar Do to the Brain?
The Negative Impact of Sugar on the Body



The brain uses more energy than any other organ in the human body and glucose is its source of fuel. But what happens when the brain is exposed to the excessive amount of sugars in the standard American diet? In this case, more is definitely not better.

In the brain excess sugar impairs both our cognitive skills and our self-control (having a little sugar stimulates a craving for more). Sugar has drug-like effects in the reward center of the brain.


Scientists have proposed that sweet foods—along with salty and fatty foods—can produce addiction-like effects in the human brain, driving loss of self-control, overeating and subsequent weight gain.

In early humans, this stimulus helped lead them to calorie-rich foods, which aided survival when food was scare. But now this primitive drive contributes to our epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The behavioral and neurobiochemical characteristics of substance abuse and overeating are quite similar, and the idea of food addiction is gaining ground among scientists.

What Is Reward Response?
In humans, high-glycemic foods have been found to activate regions of the brain associated with the reward response and provoke more intense feelings of hunger compared to low-glycemic foods. Foods that cause a higher elevation in blood glucose produce a greater addictive drive in the brain.

Studies on brain activity have provided evidence supporting the idea that overeating alters our brain’s reward system, which then further drives overeating.

This same process is thought to underlie the tolerance associated with addiction. Over time, greater amounts of the substance are required to reach the same level of reward. Studies imply that overeating results in a diminished reward response and a progressively worsening addiction to low-nutrient foods rich in sugar, salt and fat.


What Is the Affect of Excess Sugar on the Body?
Throughout the body, excess sugar is harmful. Even a single instance of elevated glucose in the bloodstream can be harmful to the brain, resulting in slowed cognitive function and deficits in memory and attention.

Sugar also affects mood. In healthy young people, the ability to process emotion is compromised with elevated blood glucose, according to a recent brain imaging study. Another study found that type 2 diabetics increased feelings of sadness and anxiety during acute hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar).

What Is the Impact of Elevated Glucose?
Elevated blood glucose harms blood vessels. Blood vessel damage is the major cause of the vascular complications of diabetes, leading to other problems, such as damage to blood vessels in the brain and eyes causing retinopathy. Studies of long-term diabetics show progressive brain damage leading to deficits in learning, memory, motor speed, and other cognitive functions.

Frequent exposure to high glucose levels diminishes mental capacity, as higher HbA1c levels have been associated with a greater degree of brain shrinkage.

Even in those without diabetes, higher sugar consumption is associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function. These effects are thought to be due to a combination of hyperglycemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and elevated cholesterol.

Any sugar added in our food is dangerous. We can avoid these dangers by satisfying our sweet tooth with fresh fruit in place of refined sugars.  Other concentrated sweeteners, such as agave, honey, and maple syrup are equally dangerous. By eating fresh fruit we get the satisfying sweetness and the added bonus of the fruit’s fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals that curtail the surge of sugar in the bloodstream and block its negative effects.

How to Lose Weight in a Week

I usually don't recommend that dieters try to lose weight in a week. But lets face it - we all have special occasions when we need to lose weight in seven days and we'll do just about anything to slim down quickly. So if you're serious about a one-week weight loss plan, these are the two steps you can take to change your diet and your daily routine for quick weight loss.

2 Steps to Lose Weight in a Week
1. Change Your Diet to Lose Weight 


You don't have time to count calories, balance micronutrients and manage your energy balance.  Those are the steps you would take to make lasting changes to your body. Instead eliminate these three things from your diet for one week:

Baked goods. For seven days, don't eat any sweet or savory baked goods. That means you don't eat cake, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, bread, or bagels. You should also pass up salty baked snack foods like pretzels, baked chips or tortilla strips. Got a sweet tooth? Eat a single serving of fresh fruit. When you need something crunchy, grab some raw veggies.

Fried foods.  Fried foods are high in calories and high in salt. So don't eat any fish, poultry or meat that is breaded or fried.  No chicken nuggets, french fries, potato chips, battered or fried veggies.  Keep in mind that many frozen products (like frozen french fries) are fried before they are frozen, so those are on the banned list as well. Eat lean protein that is grilled without oil and free from sauces and spreads.

High calorie drinks. Sweetened beverages are full of calories.  Drink water this week and avoid all alcohol (wine, beer and cocktails), juice, sports drinks, sweetened teas, flavored coffee drinks, soda, and commercially flavored water (things like vitamin waters). You can make flavored water at home if you don't like plain water.

2. Increase Daily Movement for One Week

In seven days, you don't have time to put together a total weight loss workout program. And if you try to do hard core fat-burning workouts without any previous experience, you could injure yourself. So if you want to lose weight in a week, you'll increase your steps per day to burn more calories.

If you currently exercise, continue to do your normal workouts and add up to 10,000 steps per day.  If you don't exercise at all, add 10,000 steps to your daily routine. Want bonus points? See if you can increase the number to 15,000 or even 20,000 steps per day. Use an activity monitor or a downloadable app to measure your steps per day.

If you follow these two steps and don't make any other changes to your normal routine (don't eat more because you're walking more) you should be able to lose weight in a week. But keep in mind that unless you make permanent changes to your lifestyle, the weight loss is not likely to last.  If you're ready to lose weight for good, take just one hour to set up a solid plan for long term weight loss to get a better body that lasts.

6 Ways to Set Good Sleep Habits in Your Child

We all know that good sleep habits are important for children. But parents' busy work schedules, after-school activities and homework can all cut into family time on school nights, and can have a big impact on how much a child sleeps.

Given the fact that time together for so many households starts at around 6 or 7 o'clock or even later in the evening on a school night, it can be tough to set an early bedtime.


Try these tips to help your child develop good sleep habits and sleep well every night:

1. Stick to a routine. A good bedtime routine is essential when it comes to instilling good sleep habits in kids. A bath, pajamas, brushing teeth and a few pages from a book -- whatever your nighttime ritual is, be sure to stick to it consistently so that your child knows what to expect and can easily move through every routine efficiently each night.


2. Limit the electronic stimulants. Don’t let your child use the computer, check her phone, or watch TV at least an hour before bedtime. These electronic screen activities can be stimulating, and can interfere with falling and staying asleep.

3. Keep her room comfortable for sleeping. Make sure your child's room isn't too hot, too stuffy, or too bright. (If your child is afraid of the dark, choose a night light that will keep her room as dim as possible.) Bedrooms that are quiet, dark and cool are optimal for a good night’s rest.

4. Set aside extra time for catching up. If your grade-schooler has younger or older siblings, be sure you give each child individual time with each parent. (To save time, you can switch off with your partner and alternate dad and mom time on each night.)

5. Curb the sneaky caffeine. You wouldn’t let your grade-schooler down a cup of coffee before bed. But caffeine can also lurk in foods and drinks you may not suspect such as chocolate, bottled tea, and even some non-cola sodas.

Watch for foods that contain caffeine and if your child asks for dessert, stick to healthy fruit when it's close to bedtime.

6. Watch your child instead of the clock. How much your child needs to sleep can vary depending on his individual needs. Some kids may do just fine on 8 hours of sleep while others need a solid 10 or more. Look for signs of sleep deprivation such as hyperactivity, crankiness and memory or concentration problems. If you see these signs, get your child to bed early, take steps to banish fights over bedtime, and be consistent about bedtime routines every night.

Top Depression Symptoms

The following are the nine symptoms which are used in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to diagnose Major Depressive Disorder.

1  Depressed Mood


Echo/Cultura/Getty Images
A person with a depressed mood may report feeling "sad" or "empty" or may cry frequently.  Having a depressed mood is one of the two core symptoms which is used to diagnose depression.  A person must have at least one of these two core symptoms in order to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.

Beyond Sadness

2  Decreased Interest or Pleasure

The second core symptom of depression is a decreased interest or pleasure in things that were once enjoyed.  A person exhibiting this symptom will show markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, daily activities.

In addition to having at least one of the core depression symptoms, a person would need to have at least five other depression symptoms from this list in order to meet the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.

What Is Anhedonia?

3  Weight Changes

Significant changes in weight when not attempting to gain or lose (a gain or loss of 5% or more in a month) may be indicative of depression. In children, this may also present as a failure to make expected weight gains.

Weight Gain and Antidepressants

4  Sleep Disturbances

Either insomnia or sleeping too much may be a symptom of depression.

Tips to Beat Insomnia
5  Psychomotor Agitation or Retardation

The person may be observed to be either agitated and restless or physically slowed down in their speech and movements.

What Is Agitated Depression?
6  Fatigue

Deep fatigue or a loss of energy is a symptom of depression.

Light Therapy May Help Fatigue
7  Feelings of Worthlessness or Guilt

A depressed person may feel that they have no value or they may feel inappropriately guilty about things they have no control over.

Teen Self-Esteem and Risky Sexual Behavior
8  "Brain Fog"

A depressed person may have a diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions.

Stop Procrastination--Now!
9  Thoughts of Death

A depressed person may have frequent thoughts of death and suicide although they may or may not have an actual plan for carrying it out.

Whom to Call If You're Feeling Suicidal
How to Help Someone Who Is Feeling Suicidal
Teen Suicide Fact Sheet

5 Top-Level Tips to Help You Hit Your Goals

Here are my five top-level tips to help you get there from here.

1. Be the Boss
I know very few people who would spot some random article of clothing left lying around and put it on.  People like the clothes they like and tend to choose them carefully.

Amazingly, people routinely see food on display, and simply eat it with no thought about what it is, why it’s there, who put it there, whether or not it’s something they really want to eat, or even if they are at all hungry. We joke about this and call it the “See Food Diet”—I see food, and I eat it.

Approach food at least as thoughtfully as clothes, jewelry, or antiperspirant. Choose what’s right for you, and try not to let other people’s random choices influence you. To exert greater control over your choices, do what I do and load up an insulated snack pack with some wholesome snack choices—fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, hummus, etc.—you keep handy all the time.


Actively control the foods you choose to put in your body.

2. Simplify
There are a lot of competing claims about the best foods to eat for health or weight control, but the truth is simple and your choices should be, too.

Whenever possible, eat minimally processed plant foods. One good rule of thumb is that the very best foods of all have an ingredient list just one word long: blueberries or carrots, for example. The more of your diet you construct out of simple, wholesome choices, the better your weight and health will be.

3. Trade Up Your Choices
This relates closely to the previous point, but extends the approach to all packaged foods. In general, the shorter the ingredient list the better. There are better options in almost every food category, from bread to breakfast cereal, salad dressing to pasta sauce.

One of the many established virtues of better food is that it helps us fill up on fewer calories. If you need help making better choices, I recommend checking out information from NuVal (a resource that scores food based on nutritional value) and Turn the Tide Foundation, an organization I founded to empower people to achieve sustainable weight control and live healthier lives.

4. Call in the Cavalry
I think one of the mistakes The Biggest Loser participants make is losing weight in front of a national audience, rather than on their own. We all know that in unity, there is strength—but the strongest unity comes from the people we love.

Involve your whole family in an effort to eat better—not just to lose weight, but to find health. There isn’t a better gift we can give the people we care about, or that they can give us, than better odds at a long, vital life. You can help one another get there by making the journey together.

5. Move It to Lose It, and Gain Even More
Exercise is rarely the best way to lose weight, but it is an important element in weight maintenance and crucial to good health. Besides, by giving your body the motion for which it is adapted, you simply start feeling better—and that provides energy and motivation you can translate into better food choices. It’s a virtuous circle you can set in motion by setting yourself in motion every chance you get

7 Natural Constipation Remedies

What is Constipation?

Constipation is one of the most common digestive complaints in the United States. The normal frequency of bowel movements varies widely from person to person, from once or more a day to three times a week. In general, however, you are likely constipated if you pass a hard, dry stool less than three times a week.

Constipation can also make you feel bloated and uncomfortable and you may find yourself straining during bowel movements.

Although constipation can affect anyone, it is more common in women and in people over age 65. It also tends to occur during pregnancy, after childbirth or surgery, with certain medications such as opioid pain relievers, and in some conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

Natural Constipation Remedies:

A number of studies show that certain foods and remedies may offer some benefits. If you're experiencing symptoms of constipation or are considering using alternative medicine, talk to your doctor first. Keep in mind that remedies should not be used as a substitute for standard care in the treatment of any health condition.

1) Fiber

A diet low in fiber may play a role in constipation. Insoluble fiber, which passes through the body almost unchanged, gives stools bulk and a soft texture, making them easier to pass. Foods that are high in insoluble fiber include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Try wheat bran, brown rice, or whole grain bread.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in the intestines. Prunes and figs can be added to breakfast or eaten as a snack.

Another option is to sprinkle one teaspoon of ground flaxseeds over any meal. They can be found in packages at the health food store or some grocery stores.

They have a mild, nutty taste. Learn about more eating to relieve constipation inFoods for Constipation.

Fiber supplements are also available, the most popular being psyllium supplements such as Metamucil. Guar gum and acacia fiber are also popular. Add fiber to your diet gradually to avoid bloating and gas. Also, be sure to drink enough water otherwise fiber can have the opposite effect and be constipating.

2) Fluids

Making sure you drink enough fluids such as water may help some people with constipation. Fluids make bowel movements softer and easier to pass.

Watch your consumption of alcoholic beverages and caffeinated beverages such as coffee and cola drinks, which can be dehydrating.

3) Stimulant Laxatives

Many herbal laxatives and "dieter's teas" are stimulant laxatives, or anthranoid laxatives. They include herbs such as:

• Cascara sagrada
• Rhubarb
• Aloe
• Senna
• Senna Tea
• Buckthorn

Some of these herbs, such as senna, are approved as over-the-counter treatments for constipation. Although they are meant to be short-term treatments, in reality, people may become dependent on them and use them for weeks, months, or even years at a time in order to have a daily bowel movement.

It's important to talk with your primary care provider before taking them. They should not be used for longer than a week unless under medical supervision. Prolonged use may cause the bowels to lose the ability to move on their own, and has been linked to chronic diarrhea, potassium depletion leading to muscle weakness and irregular heart rhythms, and kidney or liver impairment.

4) Biofeedback

Biofeedback therapy may help people with constipation resulting from pelvic floor dysfunction, a condition in which the pelvic floor muscles do not function properly. It occur as a result of conditions such as obesity, an enlarged prostate, or after childbirth.

Biofeedback therapists teach how to better coordinate muscles used for defecation. Approximately 70% of people have improved symptoms after biofeedback training.

Although biofeedback has only been explored as a treatment for this type of constipation relatively recently, results are promising.

For example, one study compared biofeedback (one session a week for five weeks) to laxatives (polyethylene glycol 14.6 to 29.2 grams per day) plus education in people with chronic, severe pelvic floor dysfunction. All participants had previously tried fiber supplements plus enemas.or suppositories but hadn't responded.

After six months, biofeedback sessions were more effective than tha laxative, with 43 of 54 (80%) of the biofeedback patients versus 12 of 55 (22%) laxative-treated patients reporting major improvements. Benefits appeared to last at least two years.

MORE: Biofeedback.

5) Probiotics

Probiotics, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, are live microbial organisms that are naturally present in the digestive tract. Some of the ways they are thought to promote health include suppressing the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, improving immune function, enhancing the protective barrier of the digestive tract, and helping to produce vitamin K.

There is some preliminary evidence that probiotic supplements may improve constipation. For example, one study looked at the effect of a probiotic beveragecontaining a strain of beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus casei Shirota (65 milliliters a day) or a placebo in people with chronic constipation. The probiotic drink resulted in significant improvement in severity of constipation and stool consistency.

Another study examined the effectiveness of another strain of probiotics on constipation in children and found no effect. Eighty four children between two and 16 years of age with constipation took lactulose (a laxative) plus a probiotic supplement containing lactobacillus GG or lactulose alone. After 12 and 24 weeks, lactobacillus was not more effective than lactulose alone at treating constipation.

Find out more about using acidophilus and other probiotics.

6) Acupressure

Acupressure is a traditional healing practice that involves the application of finger pressure to specific acupuncture points on the body.

A point that is often recommended by acupuncturists for constipation is Large Intestine 4. Although it hasn't been studied for constipation, it is a simple home remedy that may work for some people. The point is at the highest spot of the muscle between the thumb and index finger when they are brought close together. Caution: this point is typically avoided during pregnancy.

With your thumb or middle finger at a 90 degree angle to the skin, apply gradually increasing pressure. Hold for three minutes. The pressure should not be painful or uncomfortable.

Learn more about Acupressure.

7) Magnesium

A deficiency of the mineral magnesium may contribute to constipation. Magnesium is found naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains and in supplements.

Magnesium is needed for normal muscle function, including intestinal muscles. One recent study examined the intake of magnesium with constipation in 3835 women. Low magnesium intake was associated with constipation.