The Frightening Dangers of Sugar to Your Health!

[Rev. Dr. Christina Winsey]

Are you trying to eat healthy, but that good ‘ol sweet tooth (some call it the “pasta and bread tooth”) gets the better of you?

One thing is for sure, just knowing why sugar and refined carbohydrates are bad for you may not be enough to get you to stop eating them. Many people do things that are bad for them because they “feel so good going down.” In this blog I am going to discuss not just how sugar is harmful to your health and longevity, but also tell how what you can do about getting rid of sugar in your diet.

Make no mistake that white, refined sugar is an addictive substance, and white, refined flour products are similar to eating white sugar in that they break down much easier into simple sugars in the blood and therefore have the same affect of spiking blood sugar (hyperglycemia), only to be followed by a fall in blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Yes these are passing events that the body can handle to a certain extent, but as you age, something we’ve mentioned in a previous blog (insulin resistance) can set in. This makes it more and more difficult for your body to keep blood sugar levels in optimal range; causing more concern for adult-onset diabetes.

There is no where you can go that you won’t find sugar in the daily American diet. Nutritional pollution is everywhere, not just in terms of added sugar, but added fat, salt, msg, and other substances that our bodies were never meant to consume.

If you think you aren’t eating much sugar, here are some examples you may want to consider: Low-fat salad dressing may be laced with it; jarred spaghetti sauce is often loaded with it; ketchup, mayonaise, peanut butter, and so many other foods have tons of added sugar labeled with a variety of names. Don’t be fooled by “corn syrup,” “rice syrup,” “dextrose,” etc. “A rose by any other name is still a rose.”

(Click on the book and scroll down to see "Dr. Chris' Recommended Reading")

In the groundbreaking book Dr. A’s Habits of Health, Dr. Wayne Andersen notes that Americans now eat an average of 26 teaspoons of sugar per day-that’s some 135 pounds of sugar each year-an increase of 26 pounds per person in just the past 20 years.

Also in Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen notes how “food companies have a vested interest in creating products that keep the customers craving them. When scientific studies suggest that eating large quantities of sugar can form addictive patterns in the brain, it’s easy to understand how pushing cheap, sugary foods is a profitable enterprise.” What this means is the obesity and diabetes crises are alive and well. Sugar is adding pounds and cavities and rushing us along in the aging process like never before!

From “Lick the Sugar Habit” by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., here are just a few more reasons sugar is a killer:
1.Sugar can suppress the immune system; 2. Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance; 3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties and crankiness in children; 4. Sugar can produce acidic stomach; 5. Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children; 5. Sugar can lead to alcoholism; 6. Sugar can cause kidney damage; 7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection; 8. Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair. (Just a few of the many she lists).

Of particular controversy is high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. Drs. Roizen and Oz tell us that eating HFCS messes with leptin and ghrelin, the hormones in our bodies that control our appetite and signal our brains that we are full. You know that feeling that you are still hungry, even though you’ve just polished off 5 or 6 cookies laden with high fructose corn syrup? Or after that soda laden with it? That is the consequence of this affect HFCS has on our natural appetite control mechanisms. Finding your way back to experiencing a normal appetite and satiety – that’s the challenge.

Tell Me What to Do???

Well – so you have a whole bunch of information here about the why of sugar being bad for you, but not the what to do?

• Step one has to be one of breaking the sugar habit and getting the insulin pump essentially turned off in the body. There are specific ways to do this, and you will find in Dr. Andersen’s book “Habits of Health” http://www.theicandoctor.com/productsbooks.htm. Through consistent shifts in your daily habits you can actually “retrain your brain” to feel satisfied with normal portions of healthy, low glycemic foods. (Note: my favorite program for helping my patients kick sugar and get weight off safely and quickly is used at the Johns Hopkins Weight Loss Center and endorsed by the National Institute of Health. You can learn more about it here at www.TheICanDoctor-hp.tsfl.com.)

• Be a label “hawk!” Read them carefully. Note that the first four ingredients of an item are the primary ingredients in terms of amounts to be concerned with. However, this doesn’t mean if sugar is 5th, 6th or 7th that you should be paying attention. Note how many carbohydrate grams and simple sugars listed. This is important too. Your body is not meant to handle 50 carbohydrate grams of simple sugars in one felt bite, or even two or ten!

• Get yourself a paperback “dictionary” of the glycemic index of foods are listed in order of their presence in the food, so if the first couple of ingredients are sugar -especially HFCS- it’s not a healthy choice.

• Substitute other feel-good behaviors like physical activities for a sugar rush.

• Eat healthy foods mindfully, savoring each bite and enjoying the act of nourishing yourself.

• Get support! Going it alone is very difficult, especially when you live in a culture in which donuts, junk food and the like are readily available and even socially encouraged.

These are only a few suggestions. Information about another very helpful tool (Emotional Freedom Technique) is available free at http://www.theicandoctor.com/EFT.htm. Don’t forget to download my free report at www.TheICanDoctor.com.

Remember that I offer free consultations to my readers. You can learn more about the coaching support you can benefit from at www.TheICanDoctor.com and www.TheICanDoctor.com/freedomwellnesscenter.html. Learn about my favorite optimal health program at www.TheICanDoctor-hp.tsfl.com

To Your Health,

Dr. Chris

[Rev. Dr. Christina Winsey]

Thanks for your input, Debbie. The human body was truly meant to ingest fruits for sweet. But with the American diet we have to help people wean. We have to get the cravings and "sweet tooth" turned off to whatever extent possible. That isn't easy.

[Debbie Amon]

Great article. Reading lables is exhausting, and knowing what to look for is very confusing. I agree sugar is not good but what is worse is sugar substitutes. So I stay away from anything that says 'sugar free'.

James Bowen, M.D., a Physician, biochemist, and survivor of aspartame poisoning warns about a synthetic sweetener, Splenda. He says, the chemical sucralose, marketed as "Splenda", has replaced aspartame as the #1 artificial sweetener in foods and beverages. Aspartane has been forced out by increasing public awareness that it is both a neurotoxin and an underlying cause of chronic illness worldwide.

Dr. Brown reports that Splenda/sucralose is simply chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon. Chlorocarbons such as sucralose deliver chlorine directly into our cells through normal metabolization. This makes them effective insecticides and preservatives.

I don't think I want them in my body. I even stopped eating the popular brands of Yogurt, after I read the label.

[Rev. Dr. Christina Winsey]

Sonia - so nice to see you here. Glad you liked the article

[Rev. Dr. Christina Winsey]

Thanks, Marcy, for your input and endorsement. Hubba hubba on the fabulous body you uncovered through living healthy! YOU did the work! YOU got the results. Congratulations!

[Marcy Stern]

Hi Dr. Chris,

Thank you for being my coach! Since we met almost 2 yrs. ago when you became my health coach, I'm 'me' again.

See that bod? Thanks to your support and encouragement, I've been in great shape and have maintained the weight loss (over 40 lbs.) for over a year. I love the way you've explained things here. Today I live by 2 mantras = 1) Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels and 2) Eat Nothing White (except fish).

The American diet baffles me because finding food isn't that difficult. The problem is that people don't realize that food doesn't come frozen, or in cans, jars or boxes. So, what's so complicated about buying 'naked' food? I don't cook much, so I understand that putting time into food prep isn't fun for busy folks. However, what could take less time than grilling a piece of fish/meat and steaming some broccoli or tearing up some lettuce with veggies? I also eat out a LOT (but never fast food). By the way, most restaurants offer quite a few things I can eat that are HEALTHY. It's all about choices. I'm not talking about eating at the most expensive restaurants every night. For example, even at Chili's, Applebees and other chains with fixed menus (my least favorite types of restaurants), I am able to order steamed veggies, sweet potatoes and gardenburgers (no bread, butter or sauces). I carry my own olive oil. Most restaurants also have balsamic vinegar. I encourage people to pester their servers to ask the kitchen staff to make the food the way they want it!! They are usually willing to do so. In fact, I've seen some local restaurants change their menus & I see that my own recipes are now there!

Thank you for this great information!

Marcy

[Sonia Morissette]

Fabulous article and informaion. Thank you Christina.