Healthy Living
Thursday, December 3, 2009
User Post: Sugar: 8 Shocking facts
user
In case you haven't
heard, sugar is quite the bad boy for a healthy diet. Part of
the reason for this is because the more sugar you consume, the more
you
crave
it. And while sugar is an ingredient that is
definitely worth indulging in once in awhile, over indulging can
cause many health problems, both in the short term and the long
term.
Why, however, has it become such a problem? In a recent
teleconference that we held, expert Allison
Reyna enlightened us on some very interesting factoids
about the sweet white stuff and why it has become such a topic of
concern in recent years:
- Today's Consumption: Today, an average
American consumes 2-3 pounds of sugar each
week. While at the end of the 19th century
(1887-1890), the average American consumed only 5 lbs.
per year.
- A Continual Rise: Over the
last 20 years, sugar consumption in the U.S. has increased 26
pounds to 135 lbs. of sugar per person per year.
- Hidden Culprits: Sugar consumption includes
highly refined sugars that are incorporated into many of the foods
we eat (bread, peanut butter, condiments, sauces, etc.). Some
of these are better known as sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn
sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup.
- 4 Classes: 4 classes of simple sugars
(Sucrose, fructose, honey, and malts) are deemed
"harmful" to optimal health when long-term consumption is
over 15% of carbohydrate calories ingested.
Hint...complex carbohydrates (veggies, beans, legumes, whole
grains) are the way to keep this number below 15%.
- Health Issues: Simple sugars have been
documented to contribute to and/or aggravate health problems,
including: asthma, mood disorders, mental illness, nervous
disorders, diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, hypertension, and
arthritis.
- Insulin Impacts: Sugar raises insulin levels,
inhibiting the release of growth hormones which depresses the
immune system. Further, too much insulin promotes the storage
of fat, so that when you eat foods that are high in sugar,
you're enabling rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride
levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular
disease.
- Degenerative Disease: Sugar has no real
nutritional value (minerals, vitamins and fiber) and as a result, has a
deteriorating effect on the endocrine system, causing sugar
consumption to be one of the 3 major causes of degenerative
disease.
- Cancer Culprits: Turns out that cancer's
preferred fuel is none other than glucose. Controlling one's
blood-glucose levels through diet, exercise, supplements,
meditation and prescription drugs - when necessary - can be
extremely important to a cancer treatment program.
So next time you think of having a lump of sugar in your coffee,
remember, a long time ago, people found a way to drink their coffee
without the sweet taste of sugar.
Do you avoid sugar? How much do you think you consume in a
day, week or year?
Related Topics:
Source: www.nancyappleton.com
Related: wellness, sugar substitutes, sugar, nutrition, healthy living, health, diet, aging, addictions
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Posted by Mark Fri May 8, 2009 5:25pm PDT
A long time ago, people found a way to drink their coffee without the sweetness of sugar.... and they're all dead. You're gonna die. Enjoy yourself, because a hundred years from now, who's gonna care.
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Posted by john Sun May 10, 2009 6:37pm PDT
This is so bunch of bull,Sugar is in almost everyhting we ever eat,and Its been eaten By Islanders for thousands of years with nil effects.Its part of all foods,and fats metabolize TOO slowly for what the brain needs to function well.I consume it regularly,and I feel fine,play tennis,run,walk,bike ride,etc.low blood pressure too.
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Posted by FAM Thu May 14, 2009 9:09am PDT
Freedom from Food Addiction (namely flour and sugar)
The program is an organization called Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA). FA is a Twelve Step recovery program offering a solution for anyone suffering from any form of food addiction including overeating, bulimia, under-eating, or food obsession.
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous has over 350 meetings throughout the United States in large and small cities such as Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Charlotte, Grand Rapids, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Austin, and Washington, D.C. Internationally, FA currently has groups in England, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.
If you would like more information about FA, please visit our website at www.foodaddicts.org. Also, you may contact our World Service Office at fa@foodaddicts.org, or call us at (781) 932-6300.
Sincerely,
Public Information Committee
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous
400 W. Cummings Park #1700
Woburn, MA 01801
Try Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous. FA is a Twelve Step recovery program for anyone suffering from any form of food addiction: overeating, bulimia, under-eating, or food obsession.
www.foodaddicts.org
fa@foodaddicts.org
(781) 932-6300
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Posted by Di Fri May 15, 2009 5:42pm PDT
I weaned myself off sugar in my coffee - down from 2 teaspoons to none -- a quarter of a teaspoon at a time. Now I can SMELL when there's any sugar in coffee and can't stand the taste!
I also try to eat more raw veggies than fruit when the munchies hit. Substituting 12-grain bread for white (I actually can't eat white any more - there's no flavour!), making my own meals rather than buying pre-packaged (cause there seems to be sugar in almost everything), etc. But I still indulge in some ice cream every once in a while - natural vanilla bean is sooo amazing. And my friends all look at me strange when I scrape the icing off of cake. All these little changes, done over a period of time, til I found the alternatives that I like, really helped to cut down on the sugar consumption.
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Posted by Dianne Sat May 16, 2009 6:07am PDT
Girl, coca cola is my thing I am having a battle to get it out of my system. This week I went well for three days then Thursday and Friday I had one each day. I don't know some day I just feel for this thing.It is a war.
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Posted by Jett Thu May 21, 2009 1:15pm PDT
I couldn't guess how much sugar I have in a day. I don't have any in my coffee. Lately I've been drinking root beer at night, so I definitely get it from that and from any candy I take from the candy bowl at work. Also it's in my Fiber One granola bars. But I'd say on a normal day without the root beer and without the Fiber One bar or candy from the bowl, I do really well. I eat healthy peanut butter without added sugar, I have fruit, nuts, and yogurt for snacks. I'll have to see how much sugar is in my yogurt. But this will make me think more about how much sugar I'm consuming. You're right, it seems to be in everything, doesn't it.
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Posted by Jett Fri May 22, 2009 8:41am PDT
I looked up the sugar content in my Silk yogurt: The second ingredient in the list is organic evaporated cane juice. In the nutrition table, there are 21 grams of sugar listed. So, not quite the healthy snack I imagined, but if that's the only refined sugar I'm getting in my day, I'll let it slide. :)
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Posted by Kelly Wed May 27, 2009 5:39am PDT
I gave up white sugar because of borderline Diabetes. It took the fear of daily insulin to get me off of it. I had what felt like the flu for a few days as my body went through withdrawl. After a few months my bloodwork came back normal. I sneak a cookie now and then but it isn't worth getting Diabetes over at 46! I also lost 10 pounds which is a bonus.
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