Quote of the Month
“Some of the largest companies are now using brain scans to study how we react neurologically to certain foods, especially to sugar. They’ve discovered that the brain lights up for sugar the same way it does for cocaine.” 

         – Michael Moss, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us

 

Sugar is so yummy and sweet. Sugar tastes great with just about anything. The problem is, it is in just about everything. If you haven’t noticed, check out the ingredient listings on some of the food products you buy. Sugar includes any of the following: fructose, lactose, galactose, sucrose, glucose, dextrose (or anything ending in ‘ose’), dextrin, juice, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, sugar, maple syrup, malitol and I’m sure I’ve missed some.

 

Here are 30 issues associated with sugar consumption:

• Sugar causes food ALLERGIES.
• ONE teaspoon sugar can suppress the IMMUNE system for 6 hours.
• Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance.
• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
• Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
• Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
• Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
• Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
• Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
• Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
• High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
• Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
• Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
• Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
• Sugar can contribute to ECZEMA in children.
• Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
• Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
• Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
• Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
• Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Sugar can cause hypertension.
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
• Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
• Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon
• Quite the list……   (Taken from “Lick the Sugar Habit” by Nancy Appleton)

 

1. Regular refined white sugar acts more like a drug than a food because the minerals the body requires to digest sugar (Chromium, Manganese, Cobalt, Copper, Zinc and Magnesium) have been removed. As a result the body must use its own reserves of these minerals to process it resulting in depletion.
2. Researchers have also found that the rate of Calcium excretion increases with sugar consumption. Take this fact a little further; if excretion increases, then our bodies must then take Calcium from our bones in order to bring the body’s blood calcium levels back in balance. Taking a calcium supplement is not the answer – eliminate the cause.
3. Enzymes require minerals in order to digest foods. Because sugar creates an imbalance in mineral levels, digestion can malfunction, leading to food allergies. The body will also be less able to break down proteins (into amino acids -> which are essential building blocks of hormones (eg. Thyroid, insulin).
4. Because the thyroid plays a part in regulating blood sugar levels, it can become exhausted resulting in a slow metabolism (eg. low blood pressure, constipation).
5. Sugar also has a negative effect on the immune system. In recent studies, they found that the amount of bacteria destroyed by the immune system decreases. In other words, the immune system becomes sleepy (peaking at 2 hours after digestion). 
6. Candida, an organism in our intestinal tract, also overgrows due to sugar. By secreting its’ own weaker form of estrogen it blocks our own causing deficiency.

Sugar Substitutes

Watch for any ‘sugar free’ claims. It usually means it contains aspartame. Did you know it kills ants and breaks down in our body forming formaldehyde – a cancer causing item? Other risky sugar substitutes include Sweet n Low, Nutrasweet, Equal or Splenda/sucralose (a mix of chlorine and sugar). In fact did you know that many of these substitutes stimulate certain brain cells to death – literally!

 

Also watch out for dark chocolate. Many of these are just ‘compound chocolates’ made of vegetable fats, sugar and some cocoa without much of any healthy ‘dark’ chocolate at all.

 

• Stevia – an herb 30 times sweeter than sugar which won’t affect blood sugar; you only need very little
• Brown Rice Syrup – not quite as sweet as sugar; has only a small effect on blood sugar
• Coconut Sugar/Nectar – low glycemic, can use as a direct substitute for sugar and maple syrup
• Maple syrup – still a natural Canadian product
• Raw honey – unpasteurized, it still contains all of its’ beneficial properties – sorry Billy Bee
• Sucanat – Cane sugar in its natural form, with all nutrients still intact. It’s brown in color and much better for you than traditional brown sugar
• Date Sugar – Made from dehydrated dates. Can be substituted directly for sugar.
• Monk Fruit – high in fiber. Can also be substituted directly for sugar.

• Some medications contain sugar. Under Trade Secret legislation, they only need to label them as inert ingredients
• Many meats are injected with sugar to add flavour and colour
• Corn flakes are one of the worst cereal items in the Glycemic Index
• Some salt contains sugar as an ingredient
• To learn more read “Lick the Sugar Habit” and “Excitotoxins” or “Sweet Deception” by Dr. Mercola