Did you know that nutrients come in a team and that they are best metabolized by the human body when they are taken in as a team?Conversly, ingesting only a single part of a system, such as refined sugar ( where bulk, fiber, minerals, protein, vitamins have been left behind in the refining process) demands of the human organism, which is always striving for homeostasis, to compensate. The missing team nutrients must be drawn from other sources - foods in the same meal or nutrients stored in the body’s own tissues. Typically when we eat straight white sugar we loose B-Vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other nutrients directly from our own reserves.
The average American eats over 22 teaspoons of sugar a day which amounts to 130 pounds a year and has lead to 2/3 of American adults and 1/3 of American children to be overweight.
In addition “most sugar in the US is derived from genetically modified sugar beets and the high-fructose corn syrup that is ubiquitous in processed foods comes from GM corn” says a recent article on Sugar in the Green America magazine (http://www.greenamerica.org/pubs/greenamerican/)
The depletion and health hazards of eating refined sugar have been well documented in recent years. And now according to this recent article, more health problems are added. Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) have been linked to increased severity of allergic reactions, irritable bowls, organ damage and tumor growth and suppressed immune systems. (http://www.greenamerica.org/pubs/greenamerican/articles/AprilMay2012/)
People crave sugar from birth. We have been conditioned from early on to console and soothe ourselves with something sweet. In fact, Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California-San Francisco says, “our brain lights up for sugar in the same way it does for cocaine” and furthermore, “sugar is simply a toxin”.
There are many foods containing sugars and there is no need to eat whiter refined GMO sugar that ruins our health. Enough sugar can be obtained from a wholesome diet. And also there are so many healthy alternatives to make delicious deserts that do not rob your body of nutrients and which please the palate!
The psycho-social counterpart of the sugar induced sweet taste in our mouths is intimacy. It is often the lack of intimacy in our relationships that drive us to the candy store. Everybody needs friendship and connection and experiences how nourishing they can be.
Food is not love and ice cream will not make a relationship deeper or better. Find sweetness in the caring things you do for yourself and others. Cut out sugar and explore or fall in love in many ways!
~Claudia
What the sugar police don't talk to you about are all the other intimacy replacers and self-soothers that are equally or more deadly --like alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling, and a host of other maladies. Sugar is natural, cheap, and rarely breaks up families or costs you your home.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reacting. It sounds like there are some stories behind your comment. I appreciate it.
DeleteThe thing is that sugar is considered a food staple and therefore people are led to think it is harmless. People’s bodies and purses are exploited by not considering sugar an addictive drug/toxin/anti-nutrient. The health consequences are serious and can result in high medical bills. The stimulants you are listing are known as stimulants/drugs of which the effects have been described. Therefor the user is responsible when using. Refined, genetically modified Sugar and High Fructose Corn Sirup are added to countless products that the consumer would not even think of, unless they are educated. The article I am referring to does a very good job of describing the complexity of the problem.
I think the sugar problem is considerable and far reaching and should not be minimized.