It's Halloween soon, which makes it as a personal fitness trainer makes it as good a time as any to say a few words about sugar. Now, I'm not some killjoy who is going to tell you that you can't have a single one of your kid's pieces of candy corn, but if you haven't heard, there is an obesity epidemic in this country, and sugar is a major culprit.

Sugar is a carbohydrate that digests very quickly after it is ingested. After downing a few pixie sticks, your blood sugar spikes dramatically (which gives you that "sugar buzz"). Too keep your blood chemistry stable, your body releases insulin. The sugar goes to your muscles, and all the extra sugar gets stored as fat. Which, if you are looking to lose fat, would probably be a setback in your personal training progress. Sugar also causes tooth decay, vitamin deficiencies, makes your immune system perform poorly, and it might even be addictive for some people. In its processed form, sugar, for the most part, is bad stuff.

This is not to say that no fit person should ever eat sugar under any circumstances. Certain trainers (particularly body builders) might even benefit from consuming some sugar after a workout. You see, after workout, your muscles need energy to start the repair and building up process. Fast burning carbs, like those found in sugar, can give them that energy. But don't take this as an invitation to include two chocolate bars to your after workout meal. Like everything else in a good personal training program, eating sugar has to be done with caution and intelligence, and it's preferable if it comes form a healthy source, like fruit. Check with your personal trainer to see if a little sugar might help your reach your fitness goals.

Have a safe, fun, and healthy Halloween everyone, from your Orange County Personal Trainer