How much sugar does the average Canadian consume annually?
10 pounds? 25 pounds? Try 88 pounds. That’s the equivalent of eating just under 40,000 jelly beans a year or about 109 jelly beans per day. Can you stomach that?
Bulk Candy: Photography curtesy of Pixabay.
Bursting my own bubble of ignorance.
While eating a bowl of frozen greek yogurt on a bland Tuesday evening, I found myself scrolling through documentaries on my laptop. I started watching a documentary on sugar consumption. Nutritionists blathered on as I realized that my snack contained more than 60 grams of sugar. That’s two and a half times the recommended daily sugar allowance! This was my second bowl!
Chocolate Ice Cream: Photography curtesy of Arinaja and Pixabay.
But why should we care?
As many of us may know, Type 2 Diabetes, or the body’s inability to regulate sugar levels in the bloodstream, can result from poor lifestyle choices like high fat and high sugar diets or be passed on to us through family genetics. Other poor lifestyle choices can include having a diet that lacks fibre, failing to exercise properly, and maintaining an unhealthy body weight.
But if you are like me, then the fear of “potentially” developing Type 2 Diabetes isn’t a strong enough motivator to make us disregard our love for sugary treats. Maybe instead of having two bowls, I’ll just have one next time?
That’s the justification I used until I read a paper written by Dr.
But what’s cognitive decline?
Cognitive decline, otherwise known as cognitive impairment, is often linked with early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Symptoms include memory loss, personality or mood changes, withdrawal from social interactions, and an increase in poor decision making. Essentially, cognitive decline means that the brain has started to or is breaking down and degrading.
Now this made me stop.
My dietary choices could increase the likelihood of me forgetting the names and faces of my loved ones. No bowl of greek frozen yogurt was worth that! I don’t care how smooth and delicious it was!
What’s the solution?
Reducing sugar intake and exercising more have been proven to increase cognitive function. So, yes, ditching the sugar is a good first step, as many people already know. Sugar intake, though, is only a piece of the puzzle.
Neuroscientist, Lisa Genova, pointed out if you’re already exhibiting signs of cognitive decline it’s too late for prevention. You can’t “unmelt” the ice cream. But, you can slow down the rate of cognitive decline.
Challenging ourselves to learn new things and increasing the amount of time we give our brains to recuperate by sleeping more were among Genova’s top recommendations for slowing the rate of cognitive decline.
Who needs sugar when our memories are sweeter?
Video curtesy of TED Talks.
Maddy Haines
