Sweet Killer

[Morgain]

It's not news that sugar is a drug, and addictive, and a major killer as the main cause of obesity, but it's very welcome that someone is taking on the food industry about it -again

Dr. Robert Lustig's book is Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar.
He is a paediatrician, a kids doctor and has many years experience of fat kids in America.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/20/sugar-deadly-obesity-epidemic

In the 1970s there was John Yudkin's book "Pure, White and Deadly".
Yet it's now far worse than it was then. Almost all cereals are heavily sugared - shredded wheat and porridge are the only ones we can buy naked of sugar.
There is now the danger of corn syrup, FRUCTOSE - just as deadly as sugar.

Rats trained to expect electric shocks if they eat cheesecake will still rush to eat it.
Mammals seek sweetness for energy but in the wild activity burns it off. We don't.

This goes way beyond individual willpower into deeply laid instincts which the food industry is manipulating. They study the "bliss point" at which sugars/ corn syrup produce effects like cocaine in the brain.

In this generation young people are going to die long befiore their parents do because of bad food and cheap booze.
People haven't changed much. Willpower and stupidity is about the same as ever. But the food industry is a lot cleverer at manipulating us. Governments stay silent and take their money. Millions are dying of obesity related diseases, including kids.

Some key advice:

Don't buy fizzy drinks except as a very special treat - elsewhere I've seen this suggested as once a month.
Don't drink bought fruit juice - it has had the fibre removed making it too easy to digest its sugars.
(I know cordials are bad too but I love them so I will try to make them weaker.)

Home made cakes and desserts - use a third less sugar than recommended.
I've also seen recommendations to use a few drops of lemon juice to sharpen the taste. It trains us away from the sweeter taste levels.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/mar/16/sugar-and-food-industry-michael-moss?commentpage=1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/20/sugar-deadly-obesity-epidemic

 

[Jake Bunce]

I see so many people who don't care about their health. I believe part of the reason is because they have offloaded that responsibility onto their doctors. Why eat healthy when you can get a prescription from your drug dealer doctor once you become sick? There is no motivation. Imagine if we had no health care system. If you got sick you just died. I think that would change people's attitudes towards their health. I personally am terrified of doctors so I make it my business to be as healthy as I can be.

As for sugar... I find that green vegetable juice cures my sugar cravings. Do some research on adrenal fatigue. Love your adrenals.

 

[Jason]

There is now the danger of corn syrup, FRUCTOSE - just as deadly as sugar.

I've come to the conclusion that corn, period, has a lot to do with all the health issues people face today. It's in everything (seriously... cereal, condiments, toothpaste, aspirin, sodas, juices, oatmeal, beef, pork, chicken, alcohol ... even things like tires and paper towels). That's just not natural. Our digestive system was not designed to digest this stuff, either.

Luckily, I've never been big on sweets. I was that kid that barely put a dent in his Halloween candy, and had those giant chocolate Easter bunnies 10 months later. I can see why people crave it though, the human body is wired to, which is fine in moderation. It helps with the absorption of tryptophan which helps produce serotonin. That stuff that makes you feel good.

We can blame the Government for things like heavily subsidizing corn, or the food industry for being sneaky, but it all really boils down to a lack of motivation and responsibility, like Jake pointed out. At the end of the day, you choose what you put into your body. One good way to kick sugar cravings is to find and take part in activities that help boost serotonin production, such as exercising. Drink more water, really!

 

[Lee]

It's not news that sugar is a drug, and addictive, and a major killer as the main cause of obesity, but it's very welcome that someone is taking on the food industry about it -again

Dr. Robert Lustig's book is Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar.
He is a paediatrician, a kids doctor and has many years experience of fat kids in America.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/20/sugar-deadly-obesity-epidemic

In the 1970s there was John Yudkin's book "Pure, White and Deadly".
Yet it's now far worse than it was then. Almost all cereals are heavily sugared - shredded wheat and porridge are the only ones we can buy naked of sugar.
There is now the danger of corn syrup, FRUCTOSE - just as deadly as sugar.

Rats trained to expect electric shocks if they eat cheesecake will still rush to eat it.
Mammals seek sweetness for energy but in the wild activity burns it off. We don't.

This goes way beyond individual willpower into deeply laid instincts which the food industry is manipulating. They study the "bliss point" at which sugars/ corn syrup produce effects like cocaine in the brain.

In this generation young people are going to die long befiore their parents do because of bad food and cheap booze.
People haven't changed much. Willpower and stupidity is about the same as ever. But the food industry is a lot cleverer at manipulating us. Governments stay silent and take their money. Millions are dying of obesity related diseases, including kids.

Some key advice:

Don't buy fizzy drinks except as a very special treat - elsewhere I've seen this suggested as once a month.
Don't drink bought fruit juice - it has had the fibre removed making it too easy to digest its sugars.
(I know cordials are bad too but I love them so I will try to make them weaker.)

Home made cakes and desserts - use a third less sugar than recommended.
I've also seen recommendations to use a few drops of lemon juice to sharpen the taste. It trains us away from the sweeter taste levels.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/mar/16/sugar-and-food-industry-michael-moss?commentpage=1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/20/sugar-deadly-obesity-epidemic

Don't drink fruit juice? Does that include not from concentrate 100% fruit juice? Because I drink a **** load of that

 

[Alpha1]

Make no mistake: corn syrup is a chemical derived from corn. But there is little natural about it. Its insanely cheap and therefore many products have corn syrup over sugar. While sugar is very unhealthy, high fructose corn syrup takes unhealthy to a whole new level. I refuse to eat/drink anything with HFCS.

 

[Lee]

I usually only eat fresh ingrediants to be honest, things like fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. Very rare I eat something I haven't made myself. But sometimes I do get the odd take-away, which is probably loaded with all sorts of nasties.

For example, my shopping list for this week doesn't contain anything at all that isn't fresh. Quite often I even use local wholesalers to get my food, which in my part of the UK doesn't happen very often. But, I am from the North East of England, which was recently voted the obesety capital of the UK.

 

[Ingenious]

As for sugar... I find that green vegetable juice cures my sugar cravings.

I eat a lot of vegetables but haven't yet tried juicing them, I didn't actually think you could until I read this, looks interesting. Lots of noise on Google though for this, what do you have in yours or can you recommend any good sites for this?

 

[karll]

Well, now that stevia has been approved in foods both in the US and the EU, maybe this will reduce the amount of sugar and high fructose corn syrup consumed? Not sure about the economics of it though, if HFCS is still cheaper then it might not help so much.

 

[Brad L]

But it tastes so good

 

[Morgain]

But it tastes so good

It does it does - more the more addicted I am.
It was tough (violins n drums) but once I trained myself gradually downwards - now I find a lot of it sickly. A blessed relief.

 

[Jason]

Well, treating sugar as bad is a misguided approach (your body needs it to survive -- it'll start eating itself (e.g., muscle) if you don't manufacture enough glucose). It's not bad in moderation, like most things. People just forget the "in moderation" part. If you eat a lot of processed foods or desserts, you're getting way too much sugar in your diet.

I really wish children were introduced to basic health education in schools at an earlier age.

 

[Jake Bunce]

I eat a lot of vegetables but haven't yet tried juicing them, I didn't actually think you could until I read this, looks interesting. Lots of noise on Google though for this, what do you have in yours or can you recommend any good sites for this?

This is my juicer:

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8004-N...TF8&qid=1363915551&sr=8-1&keywords=omega+8004

Masticating juicers are best for leafy greens. I juice lots of stuff:

carrots
celery
cilantro
parsley
kale
jalepenos
garlic
etc

 

[Ingenious]

Thanks Jake.

Is there any reason why leafy greens are better juiced rather than blended? At the moment I steam a lot of vegetables so I eat the whole thing, though obviously steaming does remove/destroy some of the goodness. When I look at the juicers I see a lot of material - pulp - being discarded, whereas a blender would give you the whole lot.

Edit: Google is my friend, it does seem to be down to whether you want the fibre/roughage:

There is an age old debate in green-beverage-loving circles about the benefits of blending vs. juicing. Vitamix fanatics, among others, claim that keeping the fiber in juice intact helps one to avoid spikes in blood sugar, and thus makes the juice healthier. Juicing purists insist that the whole point of juicing is to remove fiber, and thus make the juice easier to digest—you get all of the vital nutrients without activating the digestive process.

 

[Jake Bunce]

Leafy greens have very little sugar to begin with, unlike fruits.

 

[0xym0r0n]

I think people should just live the way they want as long as it's not a constant trouble on the rest of society. I know obesity can be a trouble on society because of a number of things, but honestly I'm one of those people who no longer care about it? Sorta...

I've got a ton of family history for health risks. I figure one of these days one of them will get me no matter what I do (as it has to many of my family members). I enjoy what I want, when I can afford it. NO REGRETS *except maybe a few hangovers when I was able to drink*! I've actually never been super crazy about sugary foods and rarely eat it, as is. A ton of things are bad for us. We all might as well go back to growing our own food and hunting again. It'd make people appreciate life a bit more. Though there's numerous laws making life more difficult.

I'm lucky my own city (Boyle Heights area) has little to no issues with backyard chickens/poultry or gardens, but some cities have limitations on that. Not to mention every other house seems to own roosters and chickens, so no one would likely tell on each other...

I know a couple who even raises their own goats for the milk and meat. Some people consider it animal cruelty, but honestly where do they think food comes from? How was it done before all of this?

I try to be a bit self sufficient, but there's some things I don't have time to worry about.
Right now I grow my own veggies, some fruits, and I have quail. Eat quail and eggs.
Quail are very cheap and easy to cycle, great for an urban environment with not much space.

Oh yeah since I went kind OT... let me explain why...
I kinda think we should all start leaning towards taking more interest in what we eat, by being involved in it.
If you knew the process for corn syrup and actually DID IT, you might not ever want to drink another soda XD
If you had to make your own sugar, you might learn to do without it? lol

I'm not saying take the complete organic path in life, but maybe participate in what really goes on your table every once in a while ^___^

 

[Morgain]

Well, treating sugar as bad is a misguided approach (your body needs it to survive -- it'll start eating itself (e.g., muscle) if you don't manufacture enough glucose). It's not bad in moderation ...
I really wish children were introduced to basic health education in schools at an earlier age.

We get all the glucose we need from fruits, and some types of veg.
It's ADDED sugar which is poisonous.

I know if you listen to idiots who say 'just eat less' to lose weight, that results in the body consuming/ reducing muscle as well as fat. So you get weakened and less able to be active and exercise. Which causes weight gain! and the immune system weakens and you get sick. So don't ever eat less - eat different.

If children were introduced to basic health education in schools, and if our foods were labelled clearly what's in them, we wouldn't be buying so much junk. Big Food Corps would suffer a cut in their huge profits. That would never do.

 

[Digital Doctor]

No sugar for me.
In my new diet, I only eat raw eggs.

 

[Shelley]

No sugar for me.
In my new diet, I only eat raw eggs.

I call Bullsh-it. I bet your stuffing your face with a nice gateau.

 

[Jason]

We get all the glucose we need from fruits, and some types of veg.
It's ADDED sugar which is poisonous.

Indeed. A cup of grapes is all the sugar you need for an entire day; however, labeling added sugar as poisonous is misguided. You don't have to go from one extreme to the other. Eating in moderation is the key to eating healthy. Indulging in occasional sweets is okay if you balance out eating it with healthy foods and exercising -- it won't put your health at risk.

I know if you listen to idiots who say 'just eat less' to lose weight, that results in the body consuming/ reducing muscle as well as fat. So you get weakened and less able to be active and exercise. Which causes weight gain! and the immune system weakens and you get sick. So don't ever eat less - eat different.

The risk isn't so much a lack of nutrition or starvation, but toxins. When the body stops taking in food, it starts to eliminate toxins, which is why you feel weak, like you said. All that filth enters the bloodstream and colon. It stresses the body, and in some cases you can die of toxic shock. Gastrointestinal problems are more common and if that isn't enough, then crashing your metabolism might be. So when you actually do try to start an actual diet and exercise program, your metabolism can't ramp up quick enough and weight gain happens fast -- making you have to do extra preparation before you can start your program (a reason a lot of people feel defeated before they even begin).

If children were introduced to basic health education in schools, and if our foods were labelled clearly what's in them, we wouldn't be buying so much junk. Big Food Corps would suffer a cut in their huge profits. That would never do.

That's rather cynical, though. Trying to do something is better than doing nothing, IMO. A proper nutrition program early on in life would not only encourage us to buy less junk food, but rethink the way we eat entirely. More and more schools in our area have started doing this, and for the most part, it's been well received.


Going off on a tangent (not really related to what I quoted above), but to those who say life is too short and you should just enjoy what you can even if that means making unhealthy choices... I feel that's a cop out. I'm not going to sit here and judge anyone for the choices they make, but as a self-confessed health nut, I would say I'm able to enjoy life to the fullest because I'm in the best shape of my life. Start small (no pun intended) and with realistic goals. You don't have to go cold turkey, cutting off all sweets and junk food.

 

[Ingenious]

My juicer arrived today. Budget dictated that I went for a cheaper version rather than a masticating one.

I realise the thread is about avoiding sugar, but my primary aim is just to eat healthily in the first place, so I will be including fruit, before I become "hard core" with the greens later on.

My first juice was a random mix from the fridge and fruit bowl: Carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach (that's the veg part) plus apples, lemon and ginger (the make it taste sweeter part).

It looked like swamp water, smelled like swamp water, but OMFG it tasted amazing!!!! I'm hooked already! So thanks Morgain and Jake, you've got more vitamins in my body from one glass than I had in the whole of last year.