Lately I've been getting a lot of questions about sugar,
so I'll cover them in today's email.
Q: Is sugar bad for you?
A: It depends on what kind of sugar you're talking about.
Sugar in its natural state (glucose) is the most vital
food for humans because that's what our bodies burn for
energy. Without it, we'd die.
Refined (processed) sugar, on the other hand, is poison to
your body. It's death on a teaspoon. The list of diseases
and problems it causes is so long it would take an entire
textbook to discuss them all. Just one way it attacks your
body is by raising insulin levels in the blood, which then
causes high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high
cholesterol and obesity, to name a few.
Q: What's the best form of sugar for the body?
A: Fructose (fruit sugar) from FRESH (not canned, cooked
or jarred) fruit. Fresh fruit requires little or no
digestion and is quickly and effortlessly turned into
glucose in the liver. Voila'--instant healthy natural
energy!
Your body can also change starchy carbohydrates (breads,
potatoes, grains, pasta) and proteins (meats, fish, tofu,
nuts) into glucose if needed, too. It's just more
difficult and takes more energy.
Q: What are the different names for processed sugar? How
can we spot it in the foods we buy?
A: Great question! Here are the common names for refined
sugars that you'll see on food labels:
Sucrose
Fructose (this is PROCESSED fruit sugar, which is poison
and different from the good, natural sugar found in fresh
fruit mentioned above)
Dextrose
Turbinado
Corn syrup
High fructose corn syrup
Raw sugar
Brown sugar
Molasses
Minimize dramatically your intake of foods that have these
sugars, or avoid them altogether if possible! Eating them
a lot will just about guarantee that you'll be sick and/or
overweight.
Q: What sweeteners are best to use in hot drinks and
cooking?
A: Raw honey and maple syrup. Also, health food stores
and some grocery stores carry granulated maple sugar and
granulated date sugar, neither of which is put through the
refining process like white sugar.
And don't try to save a few calories by using calorie-free
sweeteners like Nutra-Sweet, Equal, Splenda or Sweet and
Low. They are as bad or worse a poison for you than sugar.
Here are a few little known fun facts about sugar:
* Raw sugar is no healthier than white sugar. It's just a
different color because it's missing one of the many
refining steps that are used to make white sugar. Same
goes for turbinado.
* Brown sugar is just white sugar with some molasses
thrown in for color.
* Products that boast about being low fat or fat free are
typically loaded with high fructose corn syrup instead.
To your health,
Sherry
PS: The guide "How To End Stomach Pain Forever Even If
Your MD Says, 'No Way!'" teaches you how to eat fruit pain-
free and get all the benefit from the health-loving
fructose it has.
- http://www.greattastenopain.com/great.asp
