Sugar ~ A Deadly Addiction
"Treat sugar like an illicit drug, a kind of legal form of heroin, a dark force to be avoided, and a substance whose use leads to physical ruin." ~ Dr. Frank Lipman
Nutritional bandits gum up our body signals, confuse our internal conversation, create a toxic overload in the body, and rob us of our health when consumed regularly. Today we take a look at Nutritional Bandit #4: Sugar.
Sugar has been branded more addictive than heroin. It is slowly killing us and is found in:
sodas
pastries
candies
cookies and all baked goods
syrups
jellies and jams
many condiments
baby food and more
While pure maple syrup and raw honey are considered to be healthier choices when it comes to sweeteners, refined sugar (raw, brown, natural, sucanat, and white sugar) are all stripped of most nutritional benefits and add nothing but calories to your body. In addition, they leach minerals and nutrients from our bodies, and turn into unhealthy fat when digested. (It’s also important to note that most processed foods contain added sugar and/or break down into sugar in the body as well.)
ALL forms of “sugar” are highly addictive, offering a false energy lift that lets you down even lower than you started. They also cause the body to become highly acidic - which is the basis for all disease (Read about The Importance of Acid/Alkaline Balance).
Common health problems are diabetes, hypoglycemia, high cholesterol and heart disease, obesity, inflammation, nearsightedness, eczema and dermatitis, digestive problems, bacterial and yeast infections, tooth decay, nervous system disorders, mental illness, and cancer. It promotes the storage of fat, depletes the body of calcium and B vitamins, over-stimulates the hormonal glands, the pancreas and the adrenals, and depresses the immune system.
SUGAR AND YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
With the Covid-19 virus affecting all of our lives right now, it’s especially important to keep our immune system strong and functioning optimally. Most people are aware that eating sugar has negative consequences to our health, leading to things like obesity and diabetes. However, most haven’t made the connection that it also has an effect on our immune system. A big impact at that – immune function decreases for up to 5 hours after sugar is consumed!
Now I confess that I love a good treat now and then. The key, however, is to have it be an occasional thing for a special occastion, rather than a daily habit. Otherwise, a piece of seasonal fruit or a medjool date do the trick for me when I crave something sweet.