In the last couple of weeks we had covered topic of Protein [Part 1 & Part 2]: sources of protein, vegan protein, muscle building and protein, our needs for it; we talked about Fat [Part 1 & Part 2]: whether we need fat, how much and what kind, and if it is important to our health. Today I want to start a conversation about Sugar.
Does Sugar have a place in our diet? What are good and bad sources of sugar? I will answer these questions and more.
Truth About Sugar {Part 1}
I find this issue [SUGAR] is so dear to many. My husband is a recovering sugar addict. I know it sounds funny, and, although it might not be something he would like to hear me say, as much as he would want to sugar coat it (no pun intended) and call it “having a sweet tooth”, the truth is, in the past, and at times even now, if there were sweets in the house he would forego all other foods just to get his sugar fix. Thankfully living a high raw diet and a desire for better health is helping him to overcome his weakness, but he still has his times of struggle.
I know that he is not alone in this world feeling this way. I have many other sugar addicts in the family. One of my sisters-in-law self proclaimed that she cannot live a healthier life because she does not have the self-will to part with sweets. She admits that it is her downfall.
I certainly can give you more stories, but why should I bore you? ;) I am certain you can tell me a few of your own.
You might be curious if I personally had to battle sugar “demons” in my life. I am happy to report that I have been blessed my whole life not to have acquired a “sweet tooth”. Sure I do have occasional taste for sweets, but they are easily met with a handful of dates, raw cookies, or simple things such as fruit.
HISTORY
Our sugar consumption, as a society in total, has been drastically altered in the last century. Americans in the US consume close to, and at times more than, 156 lbs of sugar per year per person [Source: USDA]. That’s ¼-½ lbs of sugar per DAY! Most of it comes from refined sources, in forms of table sugar, baked foods, packaged foods, sodas, sports drinks, etc.
As little as 100 years ago, it is estimated that Americans ate around one pound of sugar a year!
WHAT IS SUGAR?
Sugars are the simplest forms of carbohydrates.
Let’s visit Wikipedia for a deeper explanation on the subject. Shall we?
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), and in many other sources. Excessive consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and tooth decay.
Scientifically, sugar refers to any monosaccharide or disaccharide. Monosaccharides (also called "simple sugars"), such as glucose, store chemical energy, which biological cells convert to other types of energy.
Glucose (a type of sugar found in human blood plasma) has the molecular formula C6 H12 O6.
Now that you are starting to feel more enlightened, let’s dig deeper and make you feel even more educated.
As I mentioned—sugars are simple carbohydrates. Carbohydrates serve as energy stores, fuels, and metabolic intermediates. Certain carbohydrates, ribose and deoxyribose sugars form part of the structural framework of RNA and DNA. Polysaccharides are structural elements in the cell walls of bacteria and plants. Carbohydrates are linked to many proteins and lipids, where they play key roles in mediating interactions among and between cells and other elements in the cellular environment. [So, next time someone tells you that carbs are bad for you, go ahead and show off your newly acquired knowledge and put them to shame! There is a huge difference between bad and good carbs… but that’s the reason we are having this conversation in the first place. :)]
Carbohydrates are simple organic compounds. The basic carbohydrate units are called monosaccharides, such as glucose, galactose, and fructose.
Now we have come full circle and established that sugars are simple carbs, and simple carbs are sugars.
Some carbohydrates are known as inoline or fruit-oligo-saccharides, which occur in certain foods like asparagus, leeks, onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, and other roots and bulbs. They help feed our healthy bacteria in the gut. They are crucial for our health.
When the bacteria are being fed by those carbohydrates, they become healthier and prevent the increase of bad bacteria in our gastric intestinal tract. They change our cholesterol level for the better; they inhibit various bad bacteria and viruses, and help to restore our gut flora, if we are ever subjected to go through antibiotic therapy. They also produce vitamins such as B vitamin, Folic Acid, and others.
Sugar [the right kind] serves several purposes in our bodies. One that everyone is well acquainted with is the fact that sugars provide us with energy. Sugar is a fuel that burns easily. It creates the energy factor that is known as ATP. ATP [adenosine triphosphate ] is the major 'currency' of energy in the body. It is not energy itself, but rather temporarily stores energy. ATP is the activated carrier which gives organisms energy.
Sugar is actually incorporated into our physical structure and acts as storage for energy in the future.
[Now that you are becoming more educated on the topic of sugar don’t bolt out the door and head to the nearest store to buy a pint of Häagen-Dazs or German chocolate cake {my hubby's former mistress ;)} or any other favorite dessert. Be careful! This is not the kind of sugar I am talking about here.]
WARNING: refined/processed sugars do not serve any purpose in our bodies! People who eat too much sugar, especially white sugar (i.e. my sister-in-law and, formerly, my dearest husband), as well as refined carbohydrates, such as white flour that is so common in baked goods, tend to create increased acidity in their tissues, which leads towards an anaerobic [ineffective] metabolism. Excessive intake of such sugars and refined carbohydrates leads to changes in our blood, making our blood platelets stick together and make the blood viscosity higher, which contributes to cardiovascular risk and diseases.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SUGAR
Overconsumption of bad sugars (i.e. refined/processed) is dangerous!
The body easily converts excess sugar into fat. Any time we have extra sugar in the body, the body absorbs it into the cells or the liver, where it gets converted into fat.
Sugar level fluctuations affect our mood, behavior, memory and focus, among many other important functions. It is of imperative to realize what foods and eating behaviors can cause sugar roller-coasters and avoid them. We need a constant supply of energy to maintain a healthy body. We need to ensure that our blood sugar level is always stable.
STABLE SUGARS?
Naturally occurring [unrefined/unprocessed] sugars are stable. Plants are made up of carbohydrates, which our body breaks down to extract right amounts of sugars. The sugars inside plants are not isolated, and are surrounded by wonderful things such as fiber. Our body has to work harder to extract such sugars, which takes time for sugar to be released into our blood stream, thus preventing spikes. Refines sugars go directly into our blood stream and cause us to have sugar.
If we eat unprocessed foods, they will supply us with a proper dosage of sugar, also providing us with mental clarity and physical alertness. It is when we part from what God intended for our food that we get ourselves into huge trouble.
WHY IS PROCESSED SUGAR BAD FOR ME?
Nowadays most people would agree that white (processed) sugar is bad for them. However, they are fooled to believe that somehow sugar that is darker in color is not as bad and feel at peace consuming it instead.
The truth?
Both evaporated cane juice and white cane sugar have been heavily processed to remove the molasses content. During this processing the vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, and trace elements that make molasses nutritious are stripped away, leaving one of the purest chemicals ever manufactured.
Following processing, evaporated cane juice is 99.5% sucrose, and white sugar is 99.9% sucrose. Turbinado sugar, considered the least processed of any of the forms of sugar, is 99% sucrose.
Whether sugar is eaten in the form of white sugar, evaporated cane juice, turbinado, or any of the other names for it, its effect on the body is the same. When eaten in large amounts, or eaten without fat or protein [the kinds we talked about in previous posts], each of them will produce the same sort of insulin spike, weight gain, immune system suppression, and increased chance for diabetes. [source NaturalNews.com].
All sugar is processed from the sugar cane or sugar beet plant, and the two types of plants are used interchangeably. High quality brown sugar is made by cutting short the refinement process and leaving a bit of molasses in the sugar for taste and color. Lower quality brown sugar sold in conventional grocery stores is usually made from processed white sugar with the addition of caramel for coloring. Some brown sugar is even made by processing white sugar through animal bone charcoal to add color.
The big difference between evaporated cane juice and granulated sugar is the price, which runs about $8-$10 dollars a pound for evaporated cane juice compared to about $1-$3 dollars a pound for white sugar. If manufacturers are willing to spend the extra money to put the words evaporated cane juice on their labels, it means they know the public is seriously trying to avoid eating sugar and needs to be tricked into eating it anyway [source NaturalNews.com].
Well, that is it for today. I can already see your grey matter churning, trying to remember half of what you just read. We don't want to overload it and see smoke coming out of your ears, do we?! :)
Next time we will cover:
- How important is Glycemic Index?
- Stress and Sugar
- Why do Sweets make us feel good?
- What else can influence blood Sugar and increase Cortisol level?
- What about Sweeteners?
- Where do I get my Sugar?
So stay tuned.
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