The more and more I study and read about nutrition the more and more I get impassioned around one particular subject.
SUGAR!
Now I know what you are thinking. I don’t need to read anymore, I only have it in moderation.
But the reality is that if you are consuming the white or brown stuff or any of its even more distorted friends—enter high fructose corn syrup, soda and artificial sweeteners—you are literally on drugs.
According to Mark Hyman a Functional Medicine Dr. sugar hijacks your brain, is 8x more addictive than cocaine, and is creating what is known as 'diabesity'—as 1 in 3 North Americans are projected to have diabetes by 2050 and already today 40% of children are considered overweight.
Pamela Peeke a holistic minded medical doctor adds that when we are high on sugar the prefrontal cortex of the brain—also known as our body’s CEO—becomes impaired and damaged.
As with other drugs the brain is overwhelmed with excessive stimulation, so in response to this threat it begins to reduce dopamine receptor sites.
Now we need more white stuff to feel good and the vicious cycle begins to take root.
White stuff is key as white sugar is not the only culprit. White bread products, danishes, muffins, cupcakes, doughnuts, brownies, and all their processed comrades are extremely dangerous.
According to David Perlmutter, MD, and author of Grain Brain these types of foods increase your chances of dementia by 90%.
Is anyone out there listening?
But again you say, ‘I am being moderate’. Really?
Do you sniff glue in moderation? Do you drink acid in moderation? Do you hit your big toe with a hammer in moderation?
Its time to break up with sugar for good! But don’t get rid of the sweet stuff.
Use whole fruits (be mindful of juice, as it can create havoc for appetite modulation), maple, honey, stevia, dates, and a new star in the market Coconut Sugar—very low on the Glycemic Index.
Even with these less processed sugars make sure you consume them with plenty of fiber and fat/protein to ensure their absorption into the blood stream is slowed down.
Are you on drugs? Is this the life you always envisioned for yourself?
What will it take for you to stand up and say ENOUGH is ENOUGH?