Ditch The Donuts: Sugar Is Sabotaging Your Health

Welcome to the WHOLISTIC LIVING PODCAST: Episode 28
Aligning Body, Mind, and Soul with Elena Bensonoff

Hello and welcome to the Wholistic Living Podcast. My name is Elena Bensonoff. This is the first episode of our new series: Be The Hero Of Your Health. The purpose of this series is to help empower you to take charge of your health, especially when it comes to the foods you nourish your body with.

I want to raise awareness of the negative effects of some popular foods and beverages that may be part of your diet. It’s so important to know how certain ingredients could be impacting your health and wellness. This series is curated to help you make informed decisions, eliminate confusion, and empower you to make healthy choices for life!

First up, we will explore some concerns about Dunkin’ Donuts. Then, we’ll dive into the dangers of added sugars including chronic conditions and sugar addiction. Finally, I’ll share 5 benefits of having healthy breakfast and some meal ideas that will give you an advantage in the morning rather than starting your day fighting a digestive battle against a current of unhealthy ingredients.

Overview of the Problem

If coffee and a donut from Dunkin' are part of your morning routine, you might be sacrificing your health for convenience. This popular donut chain uses highly processed and inflammatory ingredients in most of its drinks and baked goods.

Historically, donuts can be made with 7 simple ingredients: Yeast, milk, flour, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs. But did you know that donuts in big chain bakeries are loaded with added chemicals and preservatives?

Dunkin’ Donuts and most big-chain donuts are full of nutrient-poor, inflammatory ingredients including high fructose corn syrup, palm oil, soybean oil, artificial flavors, and artificial coloring. Consuming these ingredients puts you at a higher risk for disease and takes a massive toll on your health.

You may already be aware of the problems that consuming gluten can cause - but there are even more problematic ingredients in a Dunkin’ donut. There are 30+ ingredients even in the simple glazed donut from Dunkin’! The Apple Crumb Donut has 66! Their Glazed Jelly Stick packs 540 calories, 30g of fat, 37g sugar, and 430mg sodium. (1) So if you think, “it’s just one donut” - you may think differently by the end of this episode.

• Gluten combined with processed sugar leaves you feeling sluggish and foggy
• The more processed foods you eat the more you crave
• The combo of high fat/high carbohydrate content in foods like donuts causes a drug-like reaction in the brain, making you want more (2)
• Over time, excess sugar consumption takes a toll on your body. You can build up a tolerance to sugar, so you need more of it to feel the same effect in your brain’s reward center. As your sugar intake increases, so does your risk for related health issues
• Studies have shown that a diet high in added sugar is linked to (3):
• Inflammation
• Liver disease
• Obesity (increasing the risk of diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, and cancer)
• Insulin resistance (causing issues regulating blood sugar, diabetes, and high blood pressure)
• Leaky gut syndrome (allowing toxins the pass through the intestinal wall causing inflammation and autoimmune symptoms)
• Candida overgrowth (leading to brain fog, depression, muscle aches, numbness, skin issues, yeast infections, digestive upset, and hormonal imbalances)
• Eating foods that are poor in healthy fats, fiber, and protein causes your gut health and energy levels to suffer
• When you eat or drink things that throw off the balance of your microbiome (often gluten, dairy, and processed sugar are on this list!) – the inflammatory effects result in imbalances within your body and brain

Your body deserves better! It's time to ditch the donut habit and nourish your body. 

Solution

You can promote healing from the inside out with daily choices like the foods you eat. Show yourself some love by starting your day with a nourishing meal. Begin your day with a balanced breakfast of protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates. 

Here are 3 ideas for a better breakfast:

1. Baked egg in an avocado with a slice of sprouted grain toast

2. A dairy-free omelet filled with your favorite veggies and a handful of berries on the side

3. If you’re feeling nostalgic and want a special treat - try a cleaner homemade baked donut recipe like this one with better ingredients like: gluten-free flour, homemade applesauce, egg, and chicory root extract

1. Kickstart your morning and satisfy your hunger with balanced nutrition 
2. Keep sugar cravings at bay and avoid putting fuel on the fire of sugar addiction
3. Balance your blood sugar and avoid the energy crashes
4. Avoid unhealthy chemicals and ingredients that contribute to mystery symptoms
5. Save yourself a lot of work in trouble-shooting mystery symptoms by planning ahead and cooking at home

I hope this information will inspire you to ask questions and check ingredients before you dine out. I have a lot more wisdom to share with you in upcoming episodes so you can learn even more ways to support your body. There is ultimately more work to be done than cutting out a problematic donut to achieve body, mind, and soul balance.

My mission is to help as many people as possible access the powerful information and natural techniques that can awaken the healer within. I'd love to share all about that and more with you in my FREE Masterclass! Learn more about the daily habits that can significantly boost your long-term wellness!

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Thank you so much for listening.

Blessings,
Elena

References:

1. https://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dam/dd/pdf/nutrition.pdf
2. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/548168/science-has-good-explanation-why-you-cant-resist-doughnut
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21807932/

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