Sugar is something most people like. It is consumed by most humans, in most parts of the world.
Sugar is produced in 121 Countries and global production exceeds 120 Million tons a year. Approximately 70% is produced from sugar cane, a very tall grass with big stems which is largely grown in the tropical countries. The remaining 30% is produced from sugar beet, a root crop resembling a large parsnip grown mostly in the temperate zones of the north.
In India I learned how sugar cane is processed into refined sugar and how that process changes the sugar molecular structure.
After sugar is extracted from sugar cane it then goes through a process of heating, melting and evaporation. Sugar is refined by pouring the sugar syrup over char filters; the impurities in the sugar that make it have color stick to the char filter and what comes out on the other side is the clear sugar syrup that turns into white refined sugar.
White refined sugar is an industrially processed chemical not found in nature.
Why should I eat less refined processed sugar?
400 years ago the only sugar available to man came naturally from earth, like honey and fruits. These kinds of whole foods containing natural sugar also contained complex carbohydrates which convert to energy relatively slowly. Refined sugar is a poisonous drug. The dictionary provides a definition of poison: “To exert a harmful influence on, or to pervert.” Dr Martin classifies refined sugar as poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and nutrients. The body cannot effectively utilize this refined starch. When we eat sugar pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system, and in the red blood cells. These metabolites interfere with the respiration of the cells. They can’t get sufficient oxygen to survive and function normally. In time some of the cells die which interferes with the functioning of the part of the body and is the beginning of degenerative disease.
Daily intake of sugar produces a continuously over acid condition and as a consequence minerals are then required from body tissues such as bones and teeth in order to compensate the acidic environment and rectify the imbalance. This is when decay and weakening begin. Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body.
Why does processed refined sugar make me gain weight?
In the liver, excess sugar is stored in the form of glucose (glycogen). Since the liver’s capacity is limited, a regular intake of refined sugar soon makes the liver expand. When the liver is filled to the max capacity, the excess glycogen is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These fatty acids are then taken to every part of the body and stored as fat, usually in the most inactive areas like the belly, bottom, breasts and thighs.
There is a difference of physical appearance between people who eat refined processed sugar and people who don't...
Sugar could be one of the most addictive substances, and is added to nearly 90% of processed and packaged food items. Sugar is in our soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, and in almost all processed foods from tomato sauce, vegemite, bread, cheese and toothpaste. And now most infant formula has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one if taking formula.
It is obviously something we like, need and want for the make up of the human body.
I read this conversation on Saint Loius Sucre...
Why do I like sugar so much?
Our sense of taste comprises four basic components known as ‘fundamental tastes’: sweet, salty, bitter and acid. From the earliest age, babies demonstrate a particular predilection for sweet milk, with which they associate the notion of pleasure. This predilection, which varies from person to person and depending on a subject’s social and cultural background, is reinforced by sugar’s sweetening effect, which imparts a sweet taste to many foods, thus heightening their taste. Indeed, for a long time, sugar was considered as a spice.
What is sugar from a nutritional point of view?
Sugar, also known as sucrose, is a member of the glucides family. Together with lipids and amino-acids, it constitutes one of the three groups of nutrients that are vital to the human body. Glucides supply the energy required for the operation of the body. Simple glucides (glucose, fructose, lactose) contained in fruits have a characteristically sweet taste, unlike complex glucides (e.g. starch).
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| Elisha Yarrington! |
'Read these SIMPLE dot points about sugar, and what it does to YOU. Even if you only remember one of them, you may think twice next time you eat processed packaged food.. Remember knowledge is power.. Ignorance is bliss, we are evolving and growing into more intelligent, conscious being's so be OPEN to information that comes to you.. Read it. Analyze it. and Do your own research!
1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
3. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.
5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.
6. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.
7. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulceration colitis.
8. Sugar can cause premature aging. In fact, the single most important factor that accelerates aging is insulin, which is triggered by sugar.
Read the full list here (it goes to 30 points) in blog day322:
http://theearthdiet.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-322_27.html
The Earth Diet is sugar free :)
There is no reason why you can't enjoy delicious, scrumptious, divine, lush desserts that are SWEET! Here are some of my favourite desserts on The Earth Diet that are sugar free... (and also dairy free & soy free!)
All recipes on The Earth Diet are sugar free! :) www.TheEarthDiet.org for free recipes :)
What other affects does sugar have on the body?
When the areas of the belly, bottom, breasts and thighs are filled with fat, fatty acids are then distributed among active organs like the heart, liver ad kidneys. These organs begin to slow down and finally these tissues degenerate and turn to fat. The entire body is then affected by their reduced ability and so high blood pressure results as a consequence. The autonomic nervous system is then affected as processed sugar is a powerful stimulator of the sympathetic branch of the nervous system. The circulatory and lymphatic system is also invaded and then the quality of the red blood cells begin to change.
When the areas of the belly, bottom, breasts and thighs are filled with fat, fatty acids are then distributed among active organs like the heart, liver ad kidneys. These organs begin to slow down and finally these tissues degenerate and turn to fat. The entire body is then affected by their reduced ability and so high blood pressure results as a consequence. The autonomic nervous system is then affected as processed sugar is a powerful stimulator of the sympathetic branch of the nervous system. The circulatory and lymphatic system is also invaded and then the quality of the red blood cells begin to change.
When you ingest processed sugars the body responds by releasing insulin, a hormone that reduces blood sugar levels and commonly results in a blood sugar crash, or hypoglycemic state. The body must then respond to this immediately as if not the brain will run out of blood sugar to operate on and you’ll go into a coma. This emergency situation results in the release of powerful stress hormones, one of which is cortisol. In the midst of all this, most people respond to the hypoglycemic, or low-blood sugar state by drinking coffee, soda or something sweet. The body craves sweet. This starts the entire process all over again :-/ After a while your body becomes insensitive to insulin. This is the first step towards diabetes. And also an accumulation of fat around the midsection.
The constant hormonal roller coaster also overworks the adrenal glands and they finally become exhausted by producing excessive cortisol. When the hormonal system becomes unbalance like this pathological conditions soon manifest like degenerative disease, allergies, obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, behavioral problems, kidney disease, liver disease, bone loss, tooth decay, colon cancer, diseases of malnutrition and more.
Why can I eat so much sugar and not feel full and just keep eating?
When you ingest sugar your taste buds know ‘sweet stuff has arrived’ and to the brain means ‘nutrition has arrived’. When the sugar reaches the small intestine the receptors find no nutrition sending a message to the brain ‘We’ve been tricked there’s no nutrition here’. The appestat (the part of your brain that that triggers satiety) sends the message to keep eating because we need nutrition to help process all of this fake food and run your body. Sugars and artificial sweetners have been found by researchers to be neurotoxins that can damage the brain and nervous system.
Some foods don’t say ‘sugar’ on the label, but I know it is there because it is so artificially sweet… why is this?
Food manufacturers are aware of increased awareness of the affects of sugar and so sometimes disguise the use of sugar in the food. Instead of saying ‘sugar’ they list the ingredients as sucrose, glucose, arabinose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, galactose, arabinose, ribose, xylose, deoxyribose, lactose, trehalose or cane sugar. Anything with ‘ose’ at the end indicates sugar use.
Should I drink fruit juices?
Only if they are freshly squeezed or you make them yourself. Much of the marketing hype around fruit juices is that they are healthy, when actually they are laden with sugar which is needed to preserve the juice.
Only if they are freshly squeezed or you make them yourself. Much of the marketing hype around fruit juices is that they are healthy, when actually they are laden with sugar which is needed to preserve the juice.
If you want to learn about the damage caused by sugary food check out the video below with Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology who explores that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.
Day 23 on The Earth Diet was the day I gave up sugar! Blog link here:
http://theearthdiet.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-23.html
How long can you go without sugar?
One of the endless possibilities inside The Earth Diet is replacing processed and refined sugars, to sugars that are provided whole & naturally by the earth - like sugar cane! Have you ever sucked the sweetness out of one of those things - it's like beautiful crisp sweetness mmm :) And pineapple, and honey, cherries, nectarines, apples, sweet sweet lichees, peaches, ooh grapes, oranges, SWEET potatoes, and mandarins or clementines as some say, water melon and this list could go on and on and there are fruits I am sure I haven't even heard of yet!
The Earth Diet replaces processed sugars with sweets that the earth provides naturally :) The healthiest sugar alternatives are:
1. Honey is great for immune function. If honey has been pasteurized or filtered it is not ‘food’ just a by-product so make sure it is unprocessed and unfiltered. You won’t be able to see through it and it will have chunks of bees wax. Avoid cooking with honey as it is not heat stable and can create toxins when heated to high for to long.
2. Dates - a sweet simple snack! Blend them with walnuts in a food processor and roll them into balls! :)
3. Maple Syrup - extracted from the Maple Tree
4. Agave - extracted from the Agave cactus (also makes Tequila!)
5. Fruit! Eat a piece of fruit when you have a craving for sugar...suddenly that impulse to go for processed sugars, lollies/candy, chocolate etc won't be as strong!
6. Stevia is a herb and about 100 sweeter than sugar. Stevia is also known to balance blood sugar levels and is a great alternative for sweetner in tea and coffee.
If you want to challenge yourself to go without sugar for 9 or 21 days (!!!) here is a link to some of The Earth Diet programs http://www.theearthdiet.org/take-the-earth-diet-challenge.html
And if you want a more personal program designed custom for you and what you need here is the link:
A bit of classic sugar sugar for the ears... ;) haha lol!
Thanks to the requests from,
Denise Smith Maddox, Tinai Livi-Nia Sing, Migani Fitness Trainer, Ruth Tolbert, Tammy Caughill, Sherri Dahl and Amanda Catalfo for making this blog happen! ;)
With love, Liana :)
Resources include only highly respected health professionals that all have the same intention for global human health rather than for profit. These people included Paul Chek, Dr Martin, The Safe Shopper’s Bible, Harvard Medical School, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kevin Trudeau and findings that I have come to find true and authentic since I began The Earth Diet lifestyle. –Liana Werner-Gray
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