Sugar Blog Archives...
I have started reading the book Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. I am an advocate of cutting down or eliminating sugar, corn syrup and white flour from the diet. The author talks about the 44 symptoms she experienced from overdosing on sugars. Many of the items on the list obviously overlap with other ailments. Interestingly, so many problems that we have with our health can be traced back to our Standard American Diet (SAD). Following are some of the symptoms the author experienced from eating too many sugars and white flour on a regular basis:
And the list goes on. If you experience some of the above symptoms, it might be worthwhile to eliminate sugars and white flour from your diet for a time to see if you see any improvement in your health. The trick is to substitute healthy foods for the sugars. If you are just eating more fried foods or other unhealthy foods, you are not going to improve your situation. Remember to look for sugars in your food that aren't so obvious - glucose, dextrose, sucrose etc.
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I was reading further in the book Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C., and there were many statistics given as to how our consumption of sugars has increased. The statistics were wrapped up by stating that in the past 200 years, our sugar consumption has increased by 1,500 percent.
In a survey conducted by Dr. Block that ere published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, he determined that we are taking in too many nutrient lacking foods, which leads to being both obese and undernourished. Our bodies are starving for nutrients, so we eat more to satisfy that need. Unfortunately, according the the list below, overall, we aren't making the right choices. Dr. Block's top ten list of foods normally consumed is listed in order of popularity:
On average, Americans are consuming about a cup of sugar a day. If you think about your daily intake of sugar, it may not appear that you are ingesting very much. Once we begin to look for hidden sugars in such things as salad dressings and most processed foods, it begins to add up quickly.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I find diabetes and all of the issues that it can cause, mind boggling. I found some clear information in the book You are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith about how insulin in our system can affect weight gain. When we ingest too many sugars and other processed foods that break down quickly into sugars, our body has to send out more and more insulin to try and break down these sugars. As this continues to happen over time, we build up a tolerance to all of the insulin in our systems. When this happens, we no longer convert the excess glucose that is produced into the glycogen that our body needs, and it turns into fat. This creates a vicious cycle, which actually causes us to crave more sugar. Dr. McKeith has a glucose tolerance self-check, that can help you determine if you have difficulties regulating insulin and glucose in the body. If you recognize three or more of the symptoms, you may want to evaluate your sugar consumption and how your body processes glucose:
What can you exhibit three or more of the above symptoms? First of all, evaluate your sugar and processed food consumption. The sugar consumption can also stress out the adrenals. There are some supplements that can help your body better process sugars (such as alpha lipoic acid and chromium), but it really takes a change of diet to make a long term change. Cravings for sugar can also be caused by yeasts and funguses in the system. Once again, there is not one simple solution, and I don't believe that the above symptoms relate only to sugar consumption. The important factor is to work on getting in the balance in the system by removing toxins and giving our bodies the fuel that it needs to work at its optimum level.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started a new book called "The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains and Harming our Children" by Carol Simontacchi. This subject hits home for me because I have taught high school kids with emotional and behavioral issues for twenty years. I would have to say that the mental health issues of students over twenty years has probably increased at least tenfold. Many kids aren't receiving the nutrients that their bodies need, so they have to deal with ADD, depression, anxiety,and numerous other mental health issues. Many kids decide to self medicate, which leads to issues with drugs (legal and illegal) and alcohol. These same issues, of course, affect adults. Following is a list of statistics from the book "The Crazy Makers" to demonstrate how our diets have changed:
* From 1986-1996, sugar intake has grown by 20 percent now accounting for over 20 percent of teenagers' calories. Rancid processed fats account for another 50 percent of all calories consumed by teenagers. (I would guess that these numbers are even higher - I wonder if that sugar number includes corn syrup. Our kids live on fast food which uses superheated vegetable oil to cook the majority of foods)
* ...more than one-third of all meals are eaten away from home, with the vast majority of these meals are taken at fast-food restaurants. Sales in restaurants and bars have nearly tripled just since 1980...
* Consumption of fresh produce has plummeted, with fresh apples down 75 percent, fresh cabbage down 65 percent, fresh potatoes down 74 percent, and fresh melons down 50 percent. The average American eats less than two servings of both fruits and vegetables per day, with a quarter of servings in the form of greasy, nutrient-dead french fries.
* Consumption of processed fruits has increased 913 percent, processed vegetables are up 306 percent, and processed fats and oils are up 139 percent. Just between 1960 and 1981, soft drink consumption increased 182 percent, food color consumption increased 1,006 percent, and corn syrup is up 291 percent.
The statistics above are from at least ten years ago, and I don't think we have improved on them! Unfortunately, with the problems with the economy, many are moving to a more processed diet rather than a healthier diet. If we want to make a difference in the health and well being of our children and ourselves, we need to begin to move away from a diet that is over processed and full of chemicals that our bodies don't know how to process! If you get a chance this weekend, read a few labels on foods in your cupboard and fridge. You may be surprised at how many times you see different forms of sugars and fake sugars show up (corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, aspartame, dextrose, sucrose, truvia, nutrisweet, and many more!).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many people are making an effort to eliminate sugars from their diets in order to lose weight, fight fatigue and to improve their health. Why is it so difficult to eliminate sugars from our diets? Sugar is addictive - our bodies will crave sugars for the quick bursts of energy that it provides - as our bodies begin to crash from the sugar buzz, we crave more sugars in order to keep our energy up. This also applies to simple carbs like white flour and alcohol. How can we make the transition easier? There is not one answer for everyone, but below are some tips that may be worth trying to see if they work for you:
* Try L-glutamine. This is an amino acid that can eliminate cravings for sugar and alcohol. If you are having an intense craving, you can open the capsule and put it under your tongue.
* Add healthy fats and proteins to your meals to help with cravings.
* If you ingest a lot of sugars, your body is most likely acidic. Eat more greens - add a whole food supplement that contains sea vegetables to make your system more alkaline (chlorella in supplements does not agree with everyone). Take a bath with epsom salts (will help make body more alkaline and will replace magnesium in the system), baking soda and organic coconut oil. This will detox your system as you move towards alkalinity. Start with a small amount of the above items in the bath, and add more as you see how your body reacts. You will probably be tired and thristy after this bath (use hot water in the bath and shower afterward).
* Dry body brush- buy a natural fiber body brush, and before you bathe or shower, dry brush your body - brush toward your heart. This helps your skin remove up to 25% more toxins. You can read more about this on line.
* Drink water with fresh lemon, cayenne pepper, and a small amount of grade B pure maple sugar (I know, this sounds counterproductive, but you will move away from adding the maple sugar as time goes on). This can help remove cravings - I sip on this throughout the day in between meals (without the maple syrup). Start small with the cayenne and add more as your taste adjusts.
* If you continue to have cravings and energy ups and downs - you probably have some imbalances in your system - possibly with your pancreas, blood sugar sensitivities, magnesium and more.
* Monitor your diet - if you are eating too much salt in your diet, you may be balancing the sodium in your system by eating sugars.
* Move toward a whole food diet with minimal chemicals and preservatives.
* If you need a sugar substitute, try stevia (not Truvia), agave syrup, and small amounts of grade B pure maple sugar.
* Exercise and get out in nature.
* Drink more water.
* Find something that you are passionate about and spend time doing that instead of watching TV. Think about something that you love to do - when you are involved with that activity, are you thinking about eating sugar? Hopefully not - but if so, you definitely need to eliminate sugar from your body.
When you make it through the initial detox from sugar (hopefully after 3-5 days), your system should begin to work better giving you more energy and less brain fog.
If you have decided to eliminate sugars from your diet - way to go! This will also help your system if you have any yeast overgrowth issues. Here is a list of some of the names different forms of sugar are hidden under on food labels: Dextrose, glucose, lactose, sucrose (words ending in -ose), beet sugar, corn sugar, corn syrup, and the list goes on. Back to yeasts - In the book "The Diet Cure", Julia Ross gives five things that are essential to controlling yeast overgrowth in your system (you can find symptoms of yeast overgrowth on my web site on the yeast diet page):
To strengthen the immune system, Julia Ross recommends getting plenty of dry heat and sunlight (yeasts thrive in damp and cold spaces), avoid toxins which can weaken the immune system (including processed foods), exercise, relax, drink plenty of fluids. I know that I go back to discussing yeasts quite often. In Minnesota, I think that the majority of people have struggled with yeast issues at one time or another. If you experience numerous health issues, many times, something as simple as an overgrowth of yeast can be to blame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to one of my favorite topics - sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I found an interesting statistic in the book "The Sugar Fix, The High-Fructose Fallout that is Making You Fat and Sick" by Richard Johnson, MD. He states that "...by one estimate, the worldwide incidence of diabetes will rise by 46 percent between 2000 and 2010." This statistic is reinforced by a study that followed 90,000 female nurses which found that women who consumed one or more beverages that contained high fructose corn syrup had an 83 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. From the studies that I have done, it is apparent that in the last 100 years, there has been a huge increase in ailments such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and autoimmune diseases (there are numerous autoimmune diseases that didn't even exist 100 years ago). Do I think sugars are the only cause of these afflictions? No - but I do believe that the standard American diet contributes to the problem. Our bodies are starving for nutrients that will support us. Our symptoms and illnesses are trying to tell us something that we are not paying attention to. When we are sick, our bodies are not in need of a drug, we are in need of a nutrient that can assist our body in getting well. Another contributor to the increase of ailments can be attributed to all of the chemical exposures are bodies are put through. If we make our bodies work harder by loading them with sugars instead of nutrients and then make them try to process all of the chemicals that we are exposed to, it is no wonder our bodies are breaking down at an alarming rate. Another new category that is being diagnosed by doctors is called "metabolic syndrome". This syndrome (syndromes tend to be something with unknown origin - this one may be easier to figure out) has five signs indicating its presence: Abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (the good kind), high blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose levels. Hmmmm - yep, high fructose corn syrup plays a part in this imbalance. If you haven't already, take an inventory of your refrigerator and pantry and see how many items contain corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup or fructose. Better yet, choose ten products randomly and see what you come up with. Is it no wonder we are in the midst of a national health breakdown? We can't continue to feed our bodies products it cannot easily break down or use. We are taxing our systems.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Todays topic from the book "The Sugar Fix - The High-Fructose fallout that is Making You Fat and Sick" by Richard J. Johnson, is uric acid. As with so many other diet related items, uric acid levels have increased in the last 100 years. According to Johnson, "A high-fructose diet creates persistently elevated uric acid, which can have a serious impact on your wasitline. Simply stated, the higher your uric acid, the more likely you are to become overweight or obese." Uric acid has also been found to contribute to the set of symptoms known as metabolic syndrome. People may be familiar with uric acid because of its contribution to the arthritic condition of gout. Interestingly, gout generally begins with pain in the big toe. It can spread to other joints, which become sensitive to any pressure. Rich foods, sugars, beer and other forms of alcohol tend to be the major contributors to gout. Alcohol causes the production of uric acid in the system, and it also inhibits the kidney's ability to eliminate the uric acid. Beer tends to be the the biggest offender because of its ability to convert to uric acid. There also appears to be a strong correlation of high blood pressure and high uric acid levels in the body. What can be done? Once again, trying to eliminate sugars, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and alcohol from the diet may help lower uric acid levels in the system. For people who gain weight in the abdomen, lowering uric acid levels may assist with weight loss and the health issues that go along with carrying extra weight. If you suspect that you may have too much uric acid in your system, try this test this weekend- avoid all sugars and alcohols, drink lots of water and eat foods that are alkaline and full of nutrients like vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds and small amounts of fruit. On Monday morning, you may wake up with more energy and fewer achy joints (especially in that big toe!)
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Based on where we are located in relation to the equator, we aren't supposed to be able to get enough vitamin D from the sun until about May, but getting out in the sunshine sure seems to make a difference in mood, even at this time of the year. I keep going back to the book "The Sugar Fix" by Richard L. Johnson, M.D. His main premise is that fructose (sugars, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) are at the core of many malladies and illnesses people suffer from. Dr. Johnson states that "...fructose is unique in tis ability to trigger the following metabolic changes that cause weight gain, damage the cardiovascular system, and set the state for diabetes.
* Metabolizing fructose forces cells to burn up adenosine triphosphate, the energy "currency," too quickly (ATP in the system helps the body produce energy)
* Fructose causes uric acid to rise (see March 13's blog)
* Fructose contributes to insulin resistance and leptin resistance.
* Fructose causes inflammation and oxidative stress
I found it very interesting that the author believes that it is not glucose that stresses our system, but fructose that causes insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The author believes that following the glycemic index will not solve our health and diet issues, rather, we need to eliminate fructose from our diet. Fructose, of course, is found in fruits. I believe that the fructose in fruits are a different issue. When you eat fruit, you are getting vitamins, minerals and enzymes that assist in the breakdown of the sugars in the fruit. Dr. Johnson does give recommendations as to how to incorporate fruits into the diet. I will go into some of the diet ideas that are stated in this book tomorrow.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Last day on the book "The Sugar Fix" by Richard J. Johnson, M.D. The main premise of his diet is to decrease or eliminate fructose and other sugars from the diet. Our bodies are so overloaded with these empty calories, which is causing our systems to be overworked and undernourished. He gives an extensive list of items that you can have, but I will give you some ideas of the shorter list - the items to avoid.
The author does not eliminate artificial sweeteners and diet drinks. I disagree with this. I see too many clients that have issues with artificial sweeteners. He also states that corn syrup does not always contain fructose, but he recommends eliminating it from the diet (I wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation!). Some ingredients to watch for on food labels are beet sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, granulated sugar, sucrose, syrup and more. Be careful with some common items, such as ketchup and beer (which contains purines). There is a second phase to this diet that reintroduces some fructose. I think of this as more of a lifestyle change. If you can eliminate unnecessary sources of sugars (especially corn syrup), it will have long term positive effects on your health and ability to maintain a healthy weight. I think that this is first step toward a healthier lifestyle. Eliminating sugars will force your diet toward whole foods rather than processed foods that are lacking in nutrients. This is a health plan that the whole family can benefit from.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yesterday I focused on artificial sweeteners - and I am going to add to that info today. I read an article about Splenda from Dr. Mercola (go to www.mercola.com for health and wellness information). An article from the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health found the following negative results in a study of animals ingesting Splenda - also know as sucralose:
* A 50 percent reduction of friendly bacteria in the intestines
* Increased the pH level in the intestines
* Contributed to increased body weight
* Decreased effectiveness of medications
Dr. Mercola responded to this study by stating that Splenda is not sugar, but actually chlorinated artifiical sweetener. He also stated that even ten years ago, there were studies that were finding that artificial sweeteners were found to stimulate appetite, increase carb cravings, and actually stimulate fat storage leading to weight gain. I am in agreement with Dr. Mercola when he comments that he is not a fan of sugar at all, but would hands down recommend sugar over artifical sweeteners. As a final comment, ...ingesting artificial sweeteners...according to Dr. Mercola, "is like putting a pesticide in your body. And this is at levels of intake erroneously approved by the Food and Drug Administration."
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Today's topic is one that I have talked about endlessly - fructose, high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. Anyone that has worked with me knows that this tops my list of items to eliminate, or at least reduce, in the diet. I am reading a book called The 6 Week Cure by Mary Dan and Michael Eades. According to the authors, Fructose is the substance routinely used to make laboratory animals obsese and diabetic in order to study these disorders. It is deadly because of how it is metabolized by the body. It bypasses the normal regulatory points in the pathways that metabolize glucose, and as a result it is quickly turned to fat and stored in the liver and abdomen. This is very telling if we look at the incidence of childhood obesity, obesity in general, and disorders such as metabolic syndrome and blood sugar issues. The authors also state that sugar and high fructose corn syrup make up about a fourth of our diets - and maybe even more of our childrens'. Something as common as ketchup rivals desserts for the amount of sugars it contains. The 6 Week Cure looks at how to reduce fat around the middle, and it is highly recommended to eliminate this sugar if you are trying to lose weight. I really try to avoid beverages that contain corn syrup, due to the fact that is it goes quickly into the system and the body struggles with assimilating it. If you haven't checked labels for high fructose corn syrup, fructose and corn syrup, the amount that is found in foods (even potato chips) will surprise you.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I have been hearing from a lot of people that they are experiencing sugar cravings. At this time of the year, that can be a big concern because there is so much sugar that is readily available. There are numerous reasons that sugar cravings can increase. One reason may be having too much salt in the diet (either adding salt to food or eating foods that have a lot of sodium already added). Our bodies try to keep a balance between the natural sodium and potassium levels, so if we eat too much salt, our bodies look for the opposite in sugary foods to balance the levels in our systems. This may be why we crave dessert after eating a regular salty meal. Another reason that we may crave sugar is due to a deficiency in either chromium (a mineral) or glutamine (an amino acid). Both of these can be easily supplemented if that is the case. Many people with blood sugar issues may be lacking in chromium. Lastly, sugar cravings can be caused by having parasites or molds/yeasts/fungus in the system. These little buggers thrive on sugar, so when they need more, you crave it. No matter what the reason for your sugar cravings, once you begin to eliminate sugar from your diet, the taste buds will adjust so that sugary foods don't taste as good. If you struggle with sugar cravings, it is worth figuring out what may be the cause of them because it will benefit your overall health.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Beat Sugar Addiction Now! by Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.
I chose to blog about sugar this week because it is a topic that has been getting a lot of press recently. Dr. Oz did a show about the worst food for you - this food is sugar. This includes sugar in all of its forms...high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, corn sugar, cane sugar and so on. Many people that I speak with talk about sugar cravings. This isn't surprising. So many of the foods that we eat have hidden sugars in them. According to Dr. Teitelbaum, "...now more than one-third of the calories we consume come from sugar and white flour added during food processing. Our bodies simply were not designed to handle this massive load." The effects of this is that you get a quick sugar energy rush, but then there is a quick let down from the sugar which gives a craving for more sugar to get the energy back up again. Another statistic that the author notes is that "...our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has risen 250 percent in the past fifteen years - and our rate of diabetes has increased approximately 45 percent during the same time period." You can find a log of information in my blog archives about corn syrup. Dr. Teitelbaum gives the following list of chronic medical problems that are associated with excess sugar in our diets which include:
* Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia
* Pain of many kinds
* Decreased immune function
* Chronic sinusitis
* Irritable bowel syndrome and spasitic colon
* Autoimmune disease
* Cancer
* Metabolic syndrome with high cholesterol and hypertension
* Heart Disease
* Hormonal problems
* Schizophrenia
* Candid and yeast infections
* ADHD
The author states that this as the short list. Many people try to avoid sugar by substituting artificial sweeteners. There are numerous side effects that are caused by these sweeteners, also. You may be thinking that there is no way that you consume a third of your calories as sugar. It is interesting to keep track for a day or two. You can check the sugar grams on labels of foods. To put it into perspective, there are generally about four or more grams of sugar in a teaspoon of sugar, depending on the granularity of the sugar. Each can of soda contains approximately ten teaspoons of sugar. One gram of sugar equals about four calories. There are definitely natural sugars in fruits and other produce, but unless you have a health issue with these foods (candida, for example), I wouldn't worry about counting the sugar in natural produce. Sugars in fruit are mixed with fiber and other nutrients, and don't cause the havoc in our systems that other sugars do.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I blogged last week about some of the symptoms and illnesses that are related to sugar intake. Yesterday, I heard an author talking about the obesity epidemic on television. He stated that the average person takes in 186 grams of sugar a day, when in reality, to stay healthy and lose weight, we should be taking in 15 grams of sugar. The author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now talks about four main reasons that we become addicted to sugar. First of all, when we experience fatigue, we reach for sugar and caffeine to try and boost our energy. The author recommends improving nutrition, sleep and exercise as an alternative to upping our sugar intake. Second on the list for sugar addiction is adrenal exhaustion. The adrenals are affected by stress in our life, and become even more taxed when we try to boost our energy with sugar and caffeine creating a difficult cycle to get out of. Thirdly, if you experience chronic sinus and intestinal issues, yeast/candida overgrowth may be the culprit (I would add parasites to this, also). When we have an overgrowth of candida or parasites in our systems, we crave more sugars. These microbials like sugar, thus we crave more sugars to enable them to continue to survive. Finally, we may have sugar cravings due to changes in hormones for mena nd women throughout the month. These hormonal changes can also lead to some depressive symptoms, which leads us once again to sugar to try and raise our mood and energy. A couple of other areas that can cause people to crave sugar is a deficiency in chromium (which helps to balance insulin levels in the system) or glutamine (an amino acid). This book contains some simple checklists that can help you determine which of the above four are an issue for you. Many times, it is a combination of all four areas. When our bodies are out of balance, it tends to influence all areas of our systems. One thing that I do not agree with, is the option of using artificial sweeteners to substitute for regular sugar intake. Many people experience side effects such as headaches, bloating, and more when they ingest artificial sweeteners.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
If you had the opportunity to count up your sugar grams in a day, you probably have a pretty good idea about all of the hidden sugars that are found in foods. The author recommends cutting out sugar to get over a sugar addiction - hmmm - that is easier said than done! He does say to first get rid of the big stuff, the obvious high sugar foods, including fast food, processed food, sodas, ketchup, etc. Ideally, we would try to cut out sugar while we work on the underlying reasons for having the addiction. Many people that have candida or adrenal concerns crave sugars constantly. Finding alternatives to sugar can sometimes be helpful. Stevia is an herb that can be used as a sweetener in small amounts. Sugar beets on a salad adds a sweet quality to foods. Of course, fruit is a good alternative if it meets your diet needs. Drinking more water and getting enough sleep can also assist with cutting down on the cravings. My recommendations would be to eliminate sugars over time. First and foremost, cut out foods with corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and corn sugar. If you are able to do this, half the battle is won. Your diet will already include more whole foods and less processed options. Instead of eating ice cream, freeze your own organic yogurt for a sweet treat. There are also frozen fruit bars that are made of only fruit (or you can make your own). Bury some high quality dark chocolate. Because it is more expensive, it is easier to eat a small amount at a time to help beat cravings. Cutting back on sugar isn't easy, but it is one of the best things that we can do for our health.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
I am jumping around on topics with this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has health concerns or wants to lose weight. I found a section in this book under food addictions that focuses on liquid calories. It is easy to ingest calories all day long through pop, fruit juices, and energy drinks (plus adding corn syrup and sugars). According to Dr. Hyman, "liquid sugar calories are the most addictive 'food' in our diet". When you look at the statistics that Dr. Hyman gives, it is easy to see how these sweetened beverages add to our health and weight concerns. Here are the reasons that Dr. Hyman gives us as to why sugar-sweetened drinks are so bad for us:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
I like Dr. Hyman as an author, and I recommend all of books. His latest book focuses on something that he calls "diabesity". This is a growing issue of diabetes and obesity in our society, which can lead to numerous health concerns. The first area that he focuses on is nutrition. Almost any plan for health that I look at starts with nutrition. Three particular nutrients that many of us are deficient in (and that he has quizzes to determine if you are in his book) are magnesium, fatty acids (fish oil - omega 3's) and vitamin D. These are actually relatively easy to determine, and can make a huge difference if you supplement appropriately. When he discusses nutrition, he points out how much our diets have changed in the past 30-50 years. People today consume an average of a "half a pound of sugar per person per year". This amount of sugar is detrimental to our health. One 20 ounce beverage can have as much as 17 teaspoons of sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to the author. What I find even more alarming, is that "in the last 3- years, the sugar calories we consume from HFCS have increased from 0 percent to 66 percent." These are empty calories found in most processed foods and beverages. Dr. Hyman gives the following reasons why we need to eliminate HFCS from our diets:
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Ultrametabolism by Mark Hyman, M.D.
I talk about sugar a lot - mostly because we are inundated with sugar in the majority of processed foods that we eat. According to Dr. Hyman, the average person eats about 180 pounds of sugar a year - which comes out to about a half pound per person per day. Yikes! If you look at the ingredient list on many foods, it won't look like there is a lot of sugar in the product - This is because the sugar is hidden under names such as corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, fructose and more. Dr. Hyman recommends looking at the sugar grams on the ingredient list on the following products: Breakfast cereals, salad dressings, luncheon meats (also watch for nitrates), canned fruits, bread, peanut butter, crackers, soups, yogurt, relish, chewing gum, jellies and jams, and frozen desserts. These are a few products that we don't necessarily expect a large amount of sugar, but it is hidden there none the less. If you want to cut back on sugar consumption, I do not recommend switching to artificial sweeteners - there are numerous health concerns that are caused by these products. I first recommend avoiding or eliminating corn syrup, corn sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. This one change can make a huge difference in sugar consumption.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I have started reading the book Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. I am an advocate of cutting down or eliminating sugar, corn syrup and white flour from the diet. The author talks about the 44 symptoms she experienced from overdosing on sugars. Many of the items on the list obviously overlap with other ailments. Interestingly, so many problems that we have with our health can be traced back to our Standard American Diet (SAD). Following are some of the symptoms the author experienced from eating too many sugars and white flour on a regular basis:
- Mood swings
- Drowsiness
- Overwhelming fatigue or being overly wired
- Waking up exhausted
- Insomnia
- Craving for sweets
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Heart palpitations
- Forgetfulness
- Aching eye sockets
- Digestive problems
And the list goes on. If you experience some of the above symptoms, it might be worthwhile to eliminate sugars and white flour from your diet for a time to see if you see any improvement in your health. The trick is to substitute healthy foods for the sugars. If you are just eating more fried foods or other unhealthy foods, you are not going to improve your situation. Remember to look for sugars in your food that aren't so obvious - glucose, dextrose, sucrose etc.
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I was reading further in the book Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C., and there were many statistics given as to how our consumption of sugars has increased. The statistics were wrapped up by stating that in the past 200 years, our sugar consumption has increased by 1,500 percent.
In a survey conducted by Dr. Block that ere published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, he determined that we are taking in too many nutrient lacking foods, which leads to being both obese and undernourished. Our bodies are starving for nutrients, so we eat more to satisfy that need. Unfortunately, according the the list below, overall, we aren't making the right choices. Dr. Block's top ten list of foods normally consumed is listed in order of popularity:
- Regular soft drinks
- Cakes, sweet rolls, donuts, pastries
- Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, meat loaf
- Pizza
- Potato chips, corn chips, popcorn
- Rice
- Rolls, buns, English muffins, bagels
- Cheese or cheese spread
- Beer
- French fries, fried potatoes
On average, Americans are consuming about a cup of sugar a day. If you think about your daily intake of sugar, it may not appear that you are ingesting very much. Once we begin to look for hidden sugars in such things as salad dressings and most processed foods, it begins to add up quickly.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I find diabetes and all of the issues that it can cause, mind boggling. I found some clear information in the book You are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith about how insulin in our system can affect weight gain. When we ingest too many sugars and other processed foods that break down quickly into sugars, our body has to send out more and more insulin to try and break down these sugars. As this continues to happen over time, we build up a tolerance to all of the insulin in our systems. When this happens, we no longer convert the excess glucose that is produced into the glycogen that our body needs, and it turns into fat. This creates a vicious cycle, which actually causes us to crave more sugar. Dr. McKeith has a glucose tolerance self-check, that can help you determine if you have difficulties regulating insulin and glucose in the body. If you recognize three or more of the symptoms, you may want to evaluate your sugar consumption and how your body processes glucose:
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Excessive consumption of caffeine, chocolate or cigarettes
- Excessive sweating
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme difficulty in getting out of bed
- Falling asleep in the middle of the day/feeling really drowsy
- Inability to get going without a caffeine/nicotine fix
- Irritability without frequent meals
- Need for more than eight hours' sleep a night
What can you exhibit three or more of the above symptoms? First of all, evaluate your sugar and processed food consumption. The sugar consumption can also stress out the adrenals. There are some supplements that can help your body better process sugars (such as alpha lipoic acid and chromium), but it really takes a change of diet to make a long term change. Cravings for sugar can also be caused by yeasts and funguses in the system. Once again, there is not one simple solution, and I don't believe that the above symptoms relate only to sugar consumption. The important factor is to work on getting in the balance in the system by removing toxins and giving our bodies the fuel that it needs to work at its optimum level.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started a new book called "The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains and Harming our Children" by Carol Simontacchi. This subject hits home for me because I have taught high school kids with emotional and behavioral issues for twenty years. I would have to say that the mental health issues of students over twenty years has probably increased at least tenfold. Many kids aren't receiving the nutrients that their bodies need, so they have to deal with ADD, depression, anxiety,and numerous other mental health issues. Many kids decide to self medicate, which leads to issues with drugs (legal and illegal) and alcohol. These same issues, of course, affect adults. Following is a list of statistics from the book "The Crazy Makers" to demonstrate how our diets have changed:
* From 1986-1996, sugar intake has grown by 20 percent now accounting for over 20 percent of teenagers' calories. Rancid processed fats account for another 50 percent of all calories consumed by teenagers. (I would guess that these numbers are even higher - I wonder if that sugar number includes corn syrup. Our kids live on fast food which uses superheated vegetable oil to cook the majority of foods)
* ...more than one-third of all meals are eaten away from home, with the vast majority of these meals are taken at fast-food restaurants. Sales in restaurants and bars have nearly tripled just since 1980...
* Consumption of fresh produce has plummeted, with fresh apples down 75 percent, fresh cabbage down 65 percent, fresh potatoes down 74 percent, and fresh melons down 50 percent. The average American eats less than two servings of both fruits and vegetables per day, with a quarter of servings in the form of greasy, nutrient-dead french fries.
* Consumption of processed fruits has increased 913 percent, processed vegetables are up 306 percent, and processed fats and oils are up 139 percent. Just between 1960 and 1981, soft drink consumption increased 182 percent, food color consumption increased 1,006 percent, and corn syrup is up 291 percent.
The statistics above are from at least ten years ago, and I don't think we have improved on them! Unfortunately, with the problems with the economy, many are moving to a more processed diet rather than a healthier diet. If we want to make a difference in the health and well being of our children and ourselves, we need to begin to move away from a diet that is over processed and full of chemicals that our bodies don't know how to process! If you get a chance this weekend, read a few labels on foods in your cupboard and fridge. You may be surprised at how many times you see different forms of sugars and fake sugars show up (corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, aspartame, dextrose, sucrose, truvia, nutrisweet, and many more!).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many people are making an effort to eliminate sugars from their diets in order to lose weight, fight fatigue and to improve their health. Why is it so difficult to eliminate sugars from our diets? Sugar is addictive - our bodies will crave sugars for the quick bursts of energy that it provides - as our bodies begin to crash from the sugar buzz, we crave more sugars in order to keep our energy up. This also applies to simple carbs like white flour and alcohol. How can we make the transition easier? There is not one answer for everyone, but below are some tips that may be worth trying to see if they work for you:
* Try L-glutamine. This is an amino acid that can eliminate cravings for sugar and alcohol. If you are having an intense craving, you can open the capsule and put it under your tongue.
* Add healthy fats and proteins to your meals to help with cravings.
* If you ingest a lot of sugars, your body is most likely acidic. Eat more greens - add a whole food supplement that contains sea vegetables to make your system more alkaline (chlorella in supplements does not agree with everyone). Take a bath with epsom salts (will help make body more alkaline and will replace magnesium in the system), baking soda and organic coconut oil. This will detox your system as you move towards alkalinity. Start with a small amount of the above items in the bath, and add more as you see how your body reacts. You will probably be tired and thristy after this bath (use hot water in the bath and shower afterward).
* Dry body brush- buy a natural fiber body brush, and before you bathe or shower, dry brush your body - brush toward your heart. This helps your skin remove up to 25% more toxins. You can read more about this on line.
* Drink water with fresh lemon, cayenne pepper, and a small amount of grade B pure maple sugar (I know, this sounds counterproductive, but you will move away from adding the maple sugar as time goes on). This can help remove cravings - I sip on this throughout the day in between meals (without the maple syrup). Start small with the cayenne and add more as your taste adjusts.
* If you continue to have cravings and energy ups and downs - you probably have some imbalances in your system - possibly with your pancreas, blood sugar sensitivities, magnesium and more.
* Monitor your diet - if you are eating too much salt in your diet, you may be balancing the sodium in your system by eating sugars.
* Move toward a whole food diet with minimal chemicals and preservatives.
* If you need a sugar substitute, try stevia (not Truvia), agave syrup, and small amounts of grade B pure maple sugar.
* Exercise and get out in nature.
* Drink more water.
* Find something that you are passionate about and spend time doing that instead of watching TV. Think about something that you love to do - when you are involved with that activity, are you thinking about eating sugar? Hopefully not - but if so, you definitely need to eliminate sugar from your body.
When you make it through the initial detox from sugar (hopefully after 3-5 days), your system should begin to work better giving you more energy and less brain fog.
If you have decided to eliminate sugars from your diet - way to go! This will also help your system if you have any yeast overgrowth issues. Here is a list of some of the names different forms of sugar are hidden under on food labels: Dextrose, glucose, lactose, sucrose (words ending in -ose), beet sugar, corn sugar, corn syrup, and the list goes on. Back to yeasts - In the book "The Diet Cure", Julia Ross gives five things that are essential to controlling yeast overgrowth in your system (you can find symptoms of yeast overgrowth on my web site on the yeast diet page):
- Eliminate parasites first (I totally agree and I follow this protocol with my clients)
- Use supplements to gradually eliminate reduce the yeast population in the system (I like homeopathics to deal with yeast safely)
- Starve the yeasts by eating fewer carbohydrates (and raising protein and good fats)
- Strengthen the immune system
- Rebuild the health of the intestinal tract (there are most likely some issues with bacteria and leaky gut issues)
To strengthen the immune system, Julia Ross recommends getting plenty of dry heat and sunlight (yeasts thrive in damp and cold spaces), avoid toxins which can weaken the immune system (including processed foods), exercise, relax, drink plenty of fluids. I know that I go back to discussing yeasts quite often. In Minnesota, I think that the majority of people have struggled with yeast issues at one time or another. If you experience numerous health issues, many times, something as simple as an overgrowth of yeast can be to blame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to one of my favorite topics - sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I found an interesting statistic in the book "The Sugar Fix, The High-Fructose Fallout that is Making You Fat and Sick" by Richard Johnson, MD. He states that "...by one estimate, the worldwide incidence of diabetes will rise by 46 percent between 2000 and 2010." This statistic is reinforced by a study that followed 90,000 female nurses which found that women who consumed one or more beverages that contained high fructose corn syrup had an 83 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. From the studies that I have done, it is apparent that in the last 100 years, there has been a huge increase in ailments such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and autoimmune diseases (there are numerous autoimmune diseases that didn't even exist 100 years ago). Do I think sugars are the only cause of these afflictions? No - but I do believe that the standard American diet contributes to the problem. Our bodies are starving for nutrients that will support us. Our symptoms and illnesses are trying to tell us something that we are not paying attention to. When we are sick, our bodies are not in need of a drug, we are in need of a nutrient that can assist our body in getting well. Another contributor to the increase of ailments can be attributed to all of the chemical exposures are bodies are put through. If we make our bodies work harder by loading them with sugars instead of nutrients and then make them try to process all of the chemicals that we are exposed to, it is no wonder our bodies are breaking down at an alarming rate. Another new category that is being diagnosed by doctors is called "metabolic syndrome". This syndrome (syndromes tend to be something with unknown origin - this one may be easier to figure out) has five signs indicating its presence: Abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (the good kind), high blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose levels. Hmmmm - yep, high fructose corn syrup plays a part in this imbalance. If you haven't already, take an inventory of your refrigerator and pantry and see how many items contain corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup or fructose. Better yet, choose ten products randomly and see what you come up with. Is it no wonder we are in the midst of a national health breakdown? We can't continue to feed our bodies products it cannot easily break down or use. We are taxing our systems.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Todays topic from the book "The Sugar Fix - The High-Fructose fallout that is Making You Fat and Sick" by Richard J. Johnson, is uric acid. As with so many other diet related items, uric acid levels have increased in the last 100 years. According to Johnson, "A high-fructose diet creates persistently elevated uric acid, which can have a serious impact on your wasitline. Simply stated, the higher your uric acid, the more likely you are to become overweight or obese." Uric acid has also been found to contribute to the set of symptoms known as metabolic syndrome. People may be familiar with uric acid because of its contribution to the arthritic condition of gout. Interestingly, gout generally begins with pain in the big toe. It can spread to other joints, which become sensitive to any pressure. Rich foods, sugars, beer and other forms of alcohol tend to be the major contributors to gout. Alcohol causes the production of uric acid in the system, and it also inhibits the kidney's ability to eliminate the uric acid. Beer tends to be the the biggest offender because of its ability to convert to uric acid. There also appears to be a strong correlation of high blood pressure and high uric acid levels in the body. What can be done? Once again, trying to eliminate sugars, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and alcohol from the diet may help lower uric acid levels in the system. For people who gain weight in the abdomen, lowering uric acid levels may assist with weight loss and the health issues that go along with carrying extra weight. If you suspect that you may have too much uric acid in your system, try this test this weekend- avoid all sugars and alcohols, drink lots of water and eat foods that are alkaline and full of nutrients like vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds and small amounts of fruit. On Monday morning, you may wake up with more energy and fewer achy joints (especially in that big toe!)
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Based on where we are located in relation to the equator, we aren't supposed to be able to get enough vitamin D from the sun until about May, but getting out in the sunshine sure seems to make a difference in mood, even at this time of the year. I keep going back to the book "The Sugar Fix" by Richard L. Johnson, M.D. His main premise is that fructose (sugars, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) are at the core of many malladies and illnesses people suffer from. Dr. Johnson states that "...fructose is unique in tis ability to trigger the following metabolic changes that cause weight gain, damage the cardiovascular system, and set the state for diabetes.
* Metabolizing fructose forces cells to burn up adenosine triphosphate, the energy "currency," too quickly (ATP in the system helps the body produce energy)
* Fructose causes uric acid to rise (see March 13's blog)
* Fructose contributes to insulin resistance and leptin resistance.
* Fructose causes inflammation and oxidative stress
I found it very interesting that the author believes that it is not glucose that stresses our system, but fructose that causes insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The author believes that following the glycemic index will not solve our health and diet issues, rather, we need to eliminate fructose from our diet. Fructose, of course, is found in fruits. I believe that the fructose in fruits are a different issue. When you eat fruit, you are getting vitamins, minerals and enzymes that assist in the breakdown of the sugars in the fruit. Dr. Johnson does give recommendations as to how to incorporate fruits into the diet. I will go into some of the diet ideas that are stated in this book tomorrow.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Last day on the book "The Sugar Fix" by Richard J. Johnson, M.D. The main premise of his diet is to decrease or eliminate fructose and other sugars from the diet. Our bodies are so overloaded with these empty calories, which is causing our systems to be overworked and undernourished. He gives an extensive list of items that you can have, but I will give you some ideas of the shorter list - the items to avoid.
- Candy, cookies, cakes, pies, and other baked goods
- Fruit juices
- Honey
- Soda and other soft drinks, including sports drinks
The author does not eliminate artificial sweeteners and diet drinks. I disagree with this. I see too many clients that have issues with artificial sweeteners. He also states that corn syrup does not always contain fructose, but he recommends eliminating it from the diet (I wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation!). Some ingredients to watch for on food labels are beet sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, granulated sugar, sucrose, syrup and more. Be careful with some common items, such as ketchup and beer (which contains purines). There is a second phase to this diet that reintroduces some fructose. I think of this as more of a lifestyle change. If you can eliminate unnecessary sources of sugars (especially corn syrup), it will have long term positive effects on your health and ability to maintain a healthy weight. I think that this is first step toward a healthier lifestyle. Eliminating sugars will force your diet toward whole foods rather than processed foods that are lacking in nutrients. This is a health plan that the whole family can benefit from.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yesterday I focused on artificial sweeteners - and I am going to add to that info today. I read an article about Splenda from Dr. Mercola (go to www.mercola.com for health and wellness information). An article from the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health found the following negative results in a study of animals ingesting Splenda - also know as sucralose:
* A 50 percent reduction of friendly bacteria in the intestines
* Increased the pH level in the intestines
* Contributed to increased body weight
* Decreased effectiveness of medications
Dr. Mercola responded to this study by stating that Splenda is not sugar, but actually chlorinated artifiical sweetener. He also stated that even ten years ago, there were studies that were finding that artificial sweeteners were found to stimulate appetite, increase carb cravings, and actually stimulate fat storage leading to weight gain. I am in agreement with Dr. Mercola when he comments that he is not a fan of sugar at all, but would hands down recommend sugar over artifical sweeteners. As a final comment, ...ingesting artificial sweeteners...according to Dr. Mercola, "is like putting a pesticide in your body. And this is at levels of intake erroneously approved by the Food and Drug Administration."
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Today's topic is one that I have talked about endlessly - fructose, high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. Anyone that has worked with me knows that this tops my list of items to eliminate, or at least reduce, in the diet. I am reading a book called The 6 Week Cure by Mary Dan and Michael Eades. According to the authors, Fructose is the substance routinely used to make laboratory animals obsese and diabetic in order to study these disorders. It is deadly because of how it is metabolized by the body. It bypasses the normal regulatory points in the pathways that metabolize glucose, and as a result it is quickly turned to fat and stored in the liver and abdomen. This is very telling if we look at the incidence of childhood obesity, obesity in general, and disorders such as metabolic syndrome and blood sugar issues. The authors also state that sugar and high fructose corn syrup make up about a fourth of our diets - and maybe even more of our childrens'. Something as common as ketchup rivals desserts for the amount of sugars it contains. The 6 Week Cure looks at how to reduce fat around the middle, and it is highly recommended to eliminate this sugar if you are trying to lose weight. I really try to avoid beverages that contain corn syrup, due to the fact that is it goes quickly into the system and the body struggles with assimilating it. If you haven't checked labels for high fructose corn syrup, fructose and corn syrup, the amount that is found in foods (even potato chips) will surprise you.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I have been hearing from a lot of people that they are experiencing sugar cravings. At this time of the year, that can be a big concern because there is so much sugar that is readily available. There are numerous reasons that sugar cravings can increase. One reason may be having too much salt in the diet (either adding salt to food or eating foods that have a lot of sodium already added). Our bodies try to keep a balance between the natural sodium and potassium levels, so if we eat too much salt, our bodies look for the opposite in sugary foods to balance the levels in our systems. This may be why we crave dessert after eating a regular salty meal. Another reason that we may crave sugar is due to a deficiency in either chromium (a mineral) or glutamine (an amino acid). Both of these can be easily supplemented if that is the case. Many people with blood sugar issues may be lacking in chromium. Lastly, sugar cravings can be caused by having parasites or molds/yeasts/fungus in the system. These little buggers thrive on sugar, so when they need more, you crave it. No matter what the reason for your sugar cravings, once you begin to eliminate sugar from your diet, the taste buds will adjust so that sugary foods don't taste as good. If you struggle with sugar cravings, it is worth figuring out what may be the cause of them because it will benefit your overall health.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Beat Sugar Addiction Now! by Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.
I chose to blog about sugar this week because it is a topic that has been getting a lot of press recently. Dr. Oz did a show about the worst food for you - this food is sugar. This includes sugar in all of its forms...high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, corn sugar, cane sugar and so on. Many people that I speak with talk about sugar cravings. This isn't surprising. So many of the foods that we eat have hidden sugars in them. According to Dr. Teitelbaum, "...now more than one-third of the calories we consume come from sugar and white flour added during food processing. Our bodies simply were not designed to handle this massive load." The effects of this is that you get a quick sugar energy rush, but then there is a quick let down from the sugar which gives a craving for more sugar to get the energy back up again. Another statistic that the author notes is that "...our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has risen 250 percent in the past fifteen years - and our rate of diabetes has increased approximately 45 percent during the same time period." You can find a log of information in my blog archives about corn syrup. Dr. Teitelbaum gives the following list of chronic medical problems that are associated with excess sugar in our diets which include:
* Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia
* Pain of many kinds
* Decreased immune function
* Chronic sinusitis
* Irritable bowel syndrome and spasitic colon
* Autoimmune disease
* Cancer
* Metabolic syndrome with high cholesterol and hypertension
* Heart Disease
* Hormonal problems
* Schizophrenia
* Candid and yeast infections
* ADHD
The author states that this as the short list. Many people try to avoid sugar by substituting artificial sweeteners. There are numerous side effects that are caused by these sweeteners, also. You may be thinking that there is no way that you consume a third of your calories as sugar. It is interesting to keep track for a day or two. You can check the sugar grams on labels of foods. To put it into perspective, there are generally about four or more grams of sugar in a teaspoon of sugar, depending on the granularity of the sugar. Each can of soda contains approximately ten teaspoons of sugar. One gram of sugar equals about four calories. There are definitely natural sugars in fruits and other produce, but unless you have a health issue with these foods (candida, for example), I wouldn't worry about counting the sugar in natural produce. Sugars in fruit are mixed with fiber and other nutrients, and don't cause the havoc in our systems that other sugars do.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I blogged last week about some of the symptoms and illnesses that are related to sugar intake. Yesterday, I heard an author talking about the obesity epidemic on television. He stated that the average person takes in 186 grams of sugar a day, when in reality, to stay healthy and lose weight, we should be taking in 15 grams of sugar. The author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now talks about four main reasons that we become addicted to sugar. First of all, when we experience fatigue, we reach for sugar and caffeine to try and boost our energy. The author recommends improving nutrition, sleep and exercise as an alternative to upping our sugar intake. Second on the list for sugar addiction is adrenal exhaustion. The adrenals are affected by stress in our life, and become even more taxed when we try to boost our energy with sugar and caffeine creating a difficult cycle to get out of. Thirdly, if you experience chronic sinus and intestinal issues, yeast/candida overgrowth may be the culprit (I would add parasites to this, also). When we have an overgrowth of candida or parasites in our systems, we crave more sugars. These microbials like sugar, thus we crave more sugars to enable them to continue to survive. Finally, we may have sugar cravings due to changes in hormones for mena nd women throughout the month. These hormonal changes can also lead to some depressive symptoms, which leads us once again to sugar to try and raise our mood and energy. A couple of other areas that can cause people to crave sugar is a deficiency in chromium (which helps to balance insulin levels in the system) or glutamine (an amino acid). This book contains some simple checklists that can help you determine which of the above four are an issue for you. Many times, it is a combination of all four areas. When our bodies are out of balance, it tends to influence all areas of our systems. One thing that I do not agree with, is the option of using artificial sweeteners to substitute for regular sugar intake. Many people experience side effects such as headaches, bloating, and more when they ingest artificial sweeteners.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
If you had the opportunity to count up your sugar grams in a day, you probably have a pretty good idea about all of the hidden sugars that are found in foods. The author recommends cutting out sugar to get over a sugar addiction - hmmm - that is easier said than done! He does say to first get rid of the big stuff, the obvious high sugar foods, including fast food, processed food, sodas, ketchup, etc. Ideally, we would try to cut out sugar while we work on the underlying reasons for having the addiction. Many people that have candida or adrenal concerns crave sugars constantly. Finding alternatives to sugar can sometimes be helpful. Stevia is an herb that can be used as a sweetener in small amounts. Sugar beets on a salad adds a sweet quality to foods. Of course, fruit is a good alternative if it meets your diet needs. Drinking more water and getting enough sleep can also assist with cutting down on the cravings. My recommendations would be to eliminate sugars over time. First and foremost, cut out foods with corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and corn sugar. If you are able to do this, half the battle is won. Your diet will already include more whole foods and less processed options. Instead of eating ice cream, freeze your own organic yogurt for a sweet treat. There are also frozen fruit bars that are made of only fruit (or you can make your own). Bury some high quality dark chocolate. Because it is more expensive, it is easier to eat a small amount at a time to help beat cravings. Cutting back on sugar isn't easy, but it is one of the best things that we can do for our health.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
I am jumping around on topics with this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has health concerns or wants to lose weight. I found a section in this book under food addictions that focuses on liquid calories. It is easy to ingest calories all day long through pop, fruit juices, and energy drinks (plus adding corn syrup and sugars). According to Dr. Hyman, "liquid sugar calories are the most addictive 'food' in our diet". When you look at the statistics that Dr. Hyman gives, it is easy to see how these sweetened beverages add to our health and weight concerns. Here are the reasons that Dr. Hyman gives us as to why sugar-sweetened drinks are so bad for us:
- If you drink your calories in sweetened beverages, you don't reduce your solid calories to compensate.
- From 1977 to 2002, consumption of calories in sugar-sweetened beverages doubled and is the main source of added sugar calories to our diet.
- During that time period, obesity rates doubled in children ages two to eleven and tripled in adolescents from ages twelve to nineteen.
- More than 90 percent of American children and teenagers drink sodas every day.
- The average consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is 175 calories a day.
- Each can of soda consumed by children per day increases their risk of being overweight by 60 percent.
- In the Nurses' Health Study of 91,249 women, those who had one sugar-sweetened soft drink had an 82 percent higher risk of having diabetes over 4 years.
- When you drink your calories, you don't feel full, so you end up eating more overall.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
I like Dr. Hyman as an author, and I recommend all of books. His latest book focuses on something that he calls "diabesity". This is a growing issue of diabetes and obesity in our society, which can lead to numerous health concerns. The first area that he focuses on is nutrition. Almost any plan for health that I look at starts with nutrition. Three particular nutrients that many of us are deficient in (and that he has quizzes to determine if you are in his book) are magnesium, fatty acids (fish oil - omega 3's) and vitamin D. These are actually relatively easy to determine, and can make a huge difference if you supplement appropriately. When he discusses nutrition, he points out how much our diets have changed in the past 30-50 years. People today consume an average of a "half a pound of sugar per person per year". This amount of sugar is detrimental to our health. One 20 ounce beverage can have as much as 17 teaspoons of sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to the author. What I find even more alarming, is that "in the last 3- years, the sugar calories we consume from HFCS have increased from 0 percent to 66 percent." These are empty calories found in most processed foods and beverages. Dr. Hyman gives the following reasons why we need to eliminate HFCS from our diets:
- HFCS and cane sugar are not biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body.
- HFCS contains contaminants such as mercury that are not regulated or measured by the FDA.
- Independent medical and nutrition experts do not support the use of HFCS in our diet, despite assertions of the corn industry.
- HFCS is almost always a marker of poor-quality, nutrient-poor, disease-creating industrial food products or "food-like substances." This is such an important point. If you look at the ingredient list of many of our processed foods - even ones that claim to be natural, it is easy to see that there are very few ingredients that resemble food. Now the term "corn sugar" is being used interchangeably with HFCS.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Ultrametabolism by Mark Hyman, M.D.
I talk about sugar a lot - mostly because we are inundated with sugar in the majority of processed foods that we eat. According to Dr. Hyman, the average person eats about 180 pounds of sugar a year - which comes out to about a half pound per person per day. Yikes! If you look at the ingredient list on many foods, it won't look like there is a lot of sugar in the product - This is because the sugar is hidden under names such as corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, fructose and more. Dr. Hyman recommends looking at the sugar grams on the ingredient list on the following products: Breakfast cereals, salad dressings, luncheon meats (also watch for nitrates), canned fruits, bread, peanut butter, crackers, soups, yogurt, relish, chewing gum, jellies and jams, and frozen desserts. These are a few products that we don't necessarily expect a large amount of sugar, but it is hidden there none the less. If you want to cut back on sugar consumption, I do not recommend switching to artificial sweeteners - there are numerous health concerns that are caused by these products. I first recommend avoiding or eliminating corn syrup, corn sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. This one change can make a huge difference in sugar consumption.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
