Sugar Can be Harmful

High fructose corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, maltose, galactose…these are all names for sugar or sugar variants.

According to the USDA, Americans eat more than 100 pounds of sugar every year or 2 to 3 pounds per week! That is pretty astonishing.

Much of this sugar consumption is not so obvious. It is found in salad dressings, spaghetti sauces, yogurt, ketchup, mayonnaise or most processed foods. I even found sugar in a package of frozen vegetables! We are a nation of sugar addicts. Even baby formula contains sugar so the addiction begins pretty early. When reading the labels on food that you purchase, notice the order of the ingredients. The order shows the amount of that ingredient relative to the others. If sugar – or any of the various names of sugar are listed among the first three, you might want to continue searching for a healthier option.

Of course sugar is found in all of the obvious forms that we all know and love – cookies, ice cream, breads, pastries, soda pop, etc. In fact, I once met someone who told me that within a year, she had gained nearly 20 pounds. She had not really changed her eating habits very much but then she realized what had caused the dramatic weight gain. Coke! She was drinking Coke like water and was not really mindful of the high calorie content of all the soda pop that she was drinking. One 8 oz. can of Coke contains 105 calories and a 12 oz bottle contains 155 calories.

And for those who enjoy a 64 oz Big Gulp from 7-11, that is a whopping 840 calories of soda pop (if not diet).

Sugar in its natural form comes from sugar cane or beets but then goes through a refining process which converts it into the white crystal form that we consume. This refining process strips all vital nutrients and fiber, creating a “food” that has no nutritional value. This sugar is also known as simple sugar.

Sugar consumption depresses the immune system by raising the insulin level, which blocks the release of growth hormones. This is devastating to your health because we need a strong immune system to fight disease(s). Because refined or process sugar is lacking in nutrients and vitamins it must borrow what is needed from healthy cells to metabolize the incomplete food. This depleting of nutrients from other parts of the bodies can cause a breakdown or deterioration of vital body organs and tissues – such as calcium from the bones, which can lead to osteoporosis.

Sugar consumption is also believed have some of the following negative effects:

• Cause depression
• Speed up the aging process
• Cause tooth decay
• Cause kidney failure
• Contribute to diabetes
• Increase the amount of fat in the liver
• Lead to obesity

Based on my experience, when my diet has consisted of good carbs or complex carbs – those found naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables and grains, and I eliminated the carbs from processed foods, not only have I felt better, but I immediately begin losing excess weight. Try eliminating refined sugar from your diet for a two week period and see how much better you look and feel. You may experience headaches due to “sugar withdrawal,” but that will pass. You are breaking an addiction and that can be difficult initially, but the minor discomfort will be well worth it as you notice what a difference it makes!