Sugar is a Drug
Sugar is by far the most common food additive in the United States
“Make no mistake, sugar is DEFINITELY a drug. It is your number one enemy.
It is a man-made substance that was not designed by nature and was never meant to be consumed by humans… which is why it makes us so fat!
Processed sugar negatively affects your metabolism, your insulin response, even your mood. But just like any drug, once you break free from the hold of its addiction, it loses its power over you and you will be able to say “No” to eating sugar. The best way to release yourself from the sugar hold is to cut it completely out of your diet.
The processed sugars that she talks about are white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or any kind of sugar that came from a factory. (Not natural sugar found in fruit) Cutting sugar out of your diet means you’re going to have to read some labels!
Types of Sugar
| Agave Nectar | NOT Natural – Read More A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant, Agave Nectar is obtained by the extraction and purification of “sap” from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the monosaccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%) |
| Raw sugar | Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. |
| Refined Table Sugar | Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup | The reason high fructose corn syrup is so abundant in our processed food is simple-it’s cheaper than sugar. Because we highly subsidize corn and place tariffs on sugar imports, high fructose corn syrup is much less expensive. Fructose is processed in the liver. When too much fructose enters the liver at once, the liver can’t process fructose as a sugar. Instead, the liver turns excess fructose into fats-triglycerides. Fructose is linked to significant increases of both cholesterol and triglycerides. Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose and is made from starches like corn, wheat, and rice. |
| Glucose (AKA Dextrose) | The majority of the dextrose listed in food ingredient statements began as cornstarch. Food manufacturers may list dextrose produced from cornstarch as “corn sugar” in an ingredient statement. If the dextrose comes from another source like rice or wheat, the ingredient list would read “rice sugar” or “wheat sugar,” respectively. Dextrose is used in many baking products like cake mixes and frostings, snack foods like cookies, crackers and pretzels, and desserts like custards and sherbets. Dextrose is also used as a filler in the single-serve, table-top packets of the common artificial sweeteners. |
| Maltodextrin | Foods that have maltodextrin often say “Low Sugar” or “Complex Carbohydrate”, This sweetener should always be avoided! |
Artificial Sweeteners – Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative
They are approved for use in the U.S. All are chemically manufactured molecules molecules that do not exist in nature
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- acesulfame K
- aspartame
- neotame
- saccharin
- sucralose – (splenda)
All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it’s essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison).
When your READING YOUR LABELS
Look for words ending in “ose”
This is almost always a form of highly refined processed sugar devoid of any nutrition.
| Sucrose | what we commonly refer to as table sugar. It is made from highly processed sugar cane or sugar beets. The composition of sucrose is a combination of glucose and fructose, which separates during digestion. |
| Fructose | |
| Sucralose(Splenda) | is a non-caloric sweetener made from sugar. A sugar molecule is modified to replace a hydroxyl (water) group with a chloride (chlorine) group |
| Maltose | so known as malt sugar, it is produced from starch (barley, wheat, rice or other grains). It has been produced in China since 200 B.C. We use it in making beer and as an additive to some processed foods. |
| Lactose | is the sugar found naturally in milk. |
| Sugar Alcohols or Polyols | They occur naturally in plants, but are usually manufactured from sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugars because they are not completely absorbed by the body. They can ferment in the intestines and cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea. |
- Maltitol
- Maltitol syrup
- Sorbitol
- Mannitol
- Xylitol
- Lactitol
- Erythritol
- Isomalt
To learn even more on the subject read Sugars and Flours: How They Make Us Crazy, … by Joan Ifland