How To Live The Sweet Life With Less Inflammation

Do you want to make the most out of this sweet life? Concerned that the joy of sugar often gets lumped in with inflammation? Or… wondering why the heck our bodies get inflamed in the first place?? So much curiosity and so little time! 

The Skinny Fizz fam keeps it real, bringing you nutritional truth bombs in this blog.

Ok, so what is inflammation, and what does sugar have to do it? Why does evolution do us like this? 

Inflammation is how your body reacts when certain foreign agents enter it. Not in a “James Bond international spy” way, but in a “germs and toxins” way. Maybe via a bloody cut or an intoxicating cocktail. The immune system gets activated to protect you (thanks evolution). 

The first lines of defence are your inflammatory cells and your cytokines (sounds like a supervillain, but it’s a good thing. Cytokines stimulate more inflammatory cells to protect you). So it’s cute when inflammation is acute, because that’s just part of your healing process. 

On the flip side, chronic low-grade inflammation is NOT chill. It’s when your body inflames things when there’s no actual danger (waaay too dramatic for its own good). 

The good news is you can reduce your chances of chronic inflammation by building great habits. Sleep well, eat well, and exercise.

How does sugar come into play?

Too much refined sugar inflames the body. Excess sugar… Just too hot to handle sometimes! Processed sugars are acidic, whereas often fruit and veggies are alkaline. Sugar-jammed drinks can throw your pH levels off balance, which stresses out your immune system. Your body’s fight or flight system kicks into gear. 

Basically, if there’s too much sugar in your body, it will respond with unnecessary amounts of inflammation. It starts attacking itself, leading to joint damage, heart disease, diabetes and allergies. Not a good time. 

Sustain your athletic and mental performance.

Just like Mariah Carey at Christmas - there’s a perfect time & place for sugar. It’s not the bad guy. Your body needs sugar. It’s fuel that gives you energy! 

The first step to making smarter sugar choices is understanding the different types and their effects on your body. 

Sugars are carbohydrates and carbohydrates are energy. 

There are two types of carbs, simple and complex. Casually referred to as ‘fast’ or ‘slow’, referring to how long your body takes to digest and turn them into fuel.

• Simple Carbs/Sugars:

Simple sugars are simple for your body to digest. In other words, when you consume simple sugars - you receive short quick bursts of energy. Perfect for pre or mid-workout but not great for sustaining consistent energy levels.

Examples: honey, lollies, fruit, milk.

• Complex Carbs/Sugars:

Complex sugars are a slow-burning energy source. Triathletes might carb-load the night before a race to make sure they have a strong foundation of long-sustained energy levels (with quick hits of simple sugars on tap!)

Examples: wholegrain pasta, oats, vegetables, and legumes.

So it’s all about the way we get our glucose (aka sugars). Slowly and sustainably, or quick and dirty.

Just remember, we’re all human. There’s NO need to go too extreme on restricting your nutritional habits. Just having a variety of low-GI foods in your life is good enough! Balance is baller. 

So what’s the secret to having balanced eating habits?

There’s no secret. All you need is unprocessed, wholesome food. They come with fibres, vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats! Eat nutrient-rich meals, rather than just consuming empty calories with low nutritional value. Put things in your mouth that are worthwhile👄. And by that we mean - the right foods for fuel, so you have the energy to keep being awesome!

Does that mean goodbye forever to sugary foods?

Not at all! Moderation is better than strict unbalanced dieting. Balance is more sustainable for your well-being. Lick that raspberry gelato. Say yes to that tiramisu. Let that crème brûleé into your life. One of our founders loves savouring anything chocolate. Just make sure dessert is not your only destiny.

Our dream here at Skinny Fizz is to help Kiwis live healthier, happier lives.

So, if you’ve made it this far, we hope you feel better equipped to make smarter sugar choices, with more knowledge of how inflammation works. Because at the end of the day, it’s about understanding the benefits and consequences, so that you can take actions that align with your values and goals. 💪

Have a berry great time! Until next time. 😘

The Skinny Fizz fam x

Still curious? Check out a couple of our sources:

• Food and Inflammation, The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand
• Inflammation, Cleveland Clinic