A Little Sugar

During a recent conversation, I was made aware of our lack of understanding about sugar that left my head spinning.  The person I was speaking to had dental decay and was concerned about the amount of money it was going to cost for all the repairs.  I asked him if he knew what was causing his problem?  After a short pause, he came up with not coming to the dentist for a while, then added probably that he drinks coffee.  Hmmm…

Why do you think coffee is causing your problem? I probed.  He explained that all he put in his coffee was “a little” sugar.  That was the only thing he could think of that had sugar in it. I asked how much was “a little.”  “Only a packet and a half in a medium sized cup,” he explained. He followed up with the fact he only had about two of those a day. Interesting, I thought.  Wow, that’s a lot of cavities for only “a little” sugar. 

A bit later, he told me his girlfriend has started drinking green tea, and he had been doing the same. Apparently, it helps him to replace the Coke he usually drinks while he’s a work.  WHAT??  Oh, you drink Coke?  “Oh, yes. It’s by go to drink.”  Okay, clearly there is a missing informational gap here.  It’s not a diet Coke he’s drinking either.  Full fledged sugar!  I asked him if he knew how much sugar was in those Cokes? He had no idea.  Then he followed up with the question: “Does Gatorade and Powerade have sugar too, because I drink those too?”

There is so much to learn from conversations with the ability to just stop talking and listen.  Over the course of this conversation, this person was able to better understand the cause of his problem without my having to go into a long triad of science and disease.  I simply asked questions, paused, and inquired a bit more.  Too often, we think of sugar as something WE’VE added, not what food manufactures have already put into their products.  The accumulation of sugar in our system causes disease.  Research after research has confirmed this to be the case.  One study in particular, was completed in 2009 (11 years ago) that demonstrates the role of sugar on the oral cavity even in the absence of daily oral hygiene.  This study showed that what we eat directly effects our dental health, and we know our mouth is not a separate entity from our body.  Reading this study gave me an even better understanding of how the role of sugar plays in our overall health.  By changing the foods we eat, our body will adapt to either health or disease. We get to choose.

 If we were given a jar of the amount of sugar we consume on a given day, we would look at it and say, “No way do I eat that much sugar.”  But when it’s added to other ingredients, it’s easy to lose track.  Sugar is addicting and what’s worse, is the powers in charge continue to minimize the destructive effects it has on our body.  Most people can identify diabetes as a disease affected by sugar consumption, but so is cancer, autoimmune disorders, IBS, eczema, heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the list goes on.  While it’s true that people are living longer due to prescription medications, that quality of life is questionable.  

Today, why not challenge yourself to avoid eating sugar?  I suggest first, you document the amount of sugar you consume in a week.  Document what is happening during that moment when you reach for sugar.  What emotion or feeling do you have?  The next week, try to avoid added sugars all together.  It will be necessary to prepare your kitchen with fresh vegetables, proteins and healthy fat to help with the cravings.  It takes a mindset to do something so profound, however, I promise it will be worth it. I will warn you though that the withdrawal effects are not easy, but by day five, you will feel so much better. You will have more energy and a clearer mind. Sleeping improves along with mood. Let me know if you are up for the challenge.

Health Bite: Take a sugar detox to live better, longer.

My Sugar Addiction

I think I’ve been addicted to sugar all my life.  When I was little, I would sneak cookies from the cookie jar, and would frequently ask my dad to buy me a candy bar at the store check out.  When I was old enough, I started baking cookies, brownies, and cakes.  Not sure how all of this sugar stuff started, but I’ve been feeding my cravings for years.  There wasn’t a reason for me to stop the habit initially, even though I knew it wasn’t considered healthy.  For most of my life, I’ve been able to maintain my weight, did not have problems with my teeth, and have been healthy…according to my doctor.  It wasn’t until my spouse was diagnosed with cancer that I started looking into health, particularly, food.

The more I learned about systemic disease and cancer, I was convinced that sugar is a primary culprit in disease.  What I found frustrating is that my husband’s doctors did not really touch on foods to eat or avoid.  When I asked about sugars, one oncologist told me that cancer will feed on anything and that it’s not necessary to avoid sugars.  On the other hand, when a patient has a PET scan (an image to help diagnose cancer), the patient drinks sugar water prior to the scan.  Why? Because the sugar water goes directly to the cancer cells or tumor.  If cancer doesn’t consume sugar, why use sugar water?

So why stop consuming sugar?  Here a just a few reasons:

• Sugar has no nutritional value and is only adding empty calories, and empty calories mean you are hungry more often.
• Loose weight, because consuming empty calories and eating more often leads to weight gain.
• Have more energy, because instead of the highs and lows of the sugar rush, you will have sustained energy.

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According to the Web MD, between 2001-2004, Americans consumed an average of 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, amounting to a 355 calories.

It’s not easy.  So what’s the first step?  Decide you are going to cut out sugars.  You can decide how far you want to go.  Will you give up added simple sugars or will you give up starchy pastas and potatoes too?  You decide.  See now you feel is a few days.  First, though, set yourself up for success.  Remove temptation from your eyes and brain.  If you have cookies or soda in the house, get rid of it.  This may not be so easy, so be prepared.

1. Stock your pantry and refrigerator with alternatives to sugars.
2. Prepare snacks ahead of time:  celery and no-sugar added peanut butter, nuts like almonds or cashews, fruit like apples, grapes, etc. (you will enjoy fruit more once you give up the table sugars) and enjoy a fruit smoothie, hummus and veggies, and chips and salsa
3. Have meals ready to go when you get home from work or school.
4. Convince a friend or family member to do the challenge with you.
5. Keep a food journal so you can see your progress.  I like My Fitness Pal
6. Weigh yourself in the beginning of the challenge and then again in two weeks.

It’s exciting to see what progress is being made.  When you start to feel better, you'll want to continue.  Remember, moderation is key.  It's okay to have some sugar once in a while.  Just know that sugar is a treat NOT a food.

Health-bite: Feel better without sugar.