Hi there!
Recently, I sent you an email about dodging the notorious winter crud. And, wow, did I receive a flood of questions! Many asked, "Why the crusade against sugar, Dr. Julie?"
Let me draw you a vivid analogy.
Remember Pac-Man? The little yellow chomper moving around the screen, gobbling up dots? (Isn't it wild how we spent hours entranced by that game?)
Well, think of that as a mini-simulation of your immune system.
White Blood cells act like our friendly Pac-Man, navigating through our bodies to consume harmful dots or invaders. Here, the white dots symbolize bacteria or other foreign threats. Just like Pac-Man devours those dots, our white blood cells "eat" these unwelcome intruders.
But, What role does sugar play?
When you consume sugar, you're essentially putting your Pac-Men (white blood cells) on a temporary hiatus. They can't "eat" these invaders for up to a whopping 5 hours!
Crazy, right?
One massive reason for the flu season's arrival? Our collective sweet tooth goes into overdrive. From Halloween's onset, Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas celebrations, New Year's toasts, right up to Valentine's chocolates, our sugar intake escalates. And it's not just on the holiday itself. The days leading up are filled with pumpkin lattes, sweet rolls, cookies, cocktails, and grandma's infamous sugary treats.
While you, my health-conscious tribe, might steer clear of sugar-laden meals, many out there are unwittingly weakening their body's defense system regularly. It's a relentless onslaught.
The takeaway? Consuming sugar = sidelining your Pac-Men, making you vulnerable to those sneaky “Ghosts.” (A bit of Halloween humor for you! 👻)
I trust this offers clarity on the importance of curbing sugar, especially during this season.
Keep a lookout for my upcoming email, where I'll share another HUGE factor that plays in the "flu season" and how to stay ahead.
Stay sweet (minus the sugar 😊),
Dr. Julie
Thanks for all the great info!