Today's Tip: Sugar

Couple of questions to ponder...

Why is it that 1/3 of adults worldwide have high blood pressure, when in 1900 only 5% had high blood pressure?

Why did 153 millions people have diabetes in 1980, and now we're up to 347 million?

Why are more Americans obese?

SUGAR, it is believed by experts, is not only one one of the culprits...but the major culprit.

Richard Johnson, a nephrologist (a medical doctor who specializes in kidney care and treating diseases of the kidneys) at the University of Colorado Denver agrees with the American Heart Association that sugar provides calories with no nutritional benefit.  But he takes it a step farther: Excessive sugar isn't just empty calories; it's toxic. Endocrinologist Robert Lustig of the University of California agrees, "Sugar is a poison by itself when consumed at high doses."

This sums it up: Americans are fat because they eat too much and exercise to olittle.  But they eat too much and exercise too little because they're addicted to sugar, which not only makes them fatter but, after the initial sugar rush, also saps their energy, beaching them on the couch.  Johnson says, "The reason you are watching TV is not because TV is so good but because you have no energy to exercise, because you're eating too much sugar!"

I do think people would be amazed at how well their bodies can and would function on less sugar.  The challenge is, it is extrememly difficult to avoid sugar, which is one reason for the spike in consumption.  Many manufacturers have removed the fat from products but then add sugar to make them taste good...such as fat-free baked goods which often conain large quantities of sugar.  I talked to a former client today who said she cut out almost all sugar and after a day or two hasn't really missed it.  The biggest benefit?  If she doesn't have pancakes for breakfast, she's not craving sugar the rest of the day like she usually does when she has pancakes for breakfast!  And losing 5 pounds over 2 weeks was another bonus.

What to do?  Read your labels.  Cook with less sugar.  And don't just replace sugar with a sugar substitute such as Splenda - that's just putting artificial junk in your body.  Some good rules of thumb:
- Use less of the real thing
- Use natural honey - a little!
- Use Truvia® or other stevia-based product

Most importantly?  Teach your kids the power of good decisions.  In the late 1800s cereal was packaged as a whole-grain health food...but began to evolve in the 1920s into sugar-coated flakes, pops, and puffs. Kids are in love with the sweet poison that is endangering their lives...teach them the power of healthy eating!

One final note:  you hear a lot these days about avoiding high-fructose corn syrup.  True, HFCS is cheaper and usually sweeter than sugar made from cane or beets.  Is there any biological difference? Not enough to fuss about...everyone would be better off just eating less of either one.

For the full article, see National Geographic Magazine, August 2013