SUGAR -- IS IT TRULY EVIL?

We all know we've become a nation of obese Americans.  In addition, our obese epidemic has lead to a dramatic rise in type-2 diabetes and promises to continue as more and more people today are being told they are pre-diabetic.

If I had to pick one single item that should get the most blame for both maladies it would be sugar.  No surprise you say?  Maybe not, but the new book, Sugar Nation, gives a range of sweeping evidence and builds an undeniable case of just how evil this food additive has become.

Around the beginning of the 20th century, the average person consumed five pounds of sugar a year.  Now the number is an overwhelming 160 pounds!  In its origins sugar was a very expensive luxury.  It has changed from the extravagant to the omnipresent.  Sugar is in most processed foods.  The invention of high fructose syrup (made from genetically modified foods, see below) has made sweetening our foods inexpensive and ubiquitous.

The author, Jeff O'Connell, explains his odyssey of watching his father die with an amputated leg to his own diagnosis of being pre-diabetic.  He supports many reasons why the American Diabetes Association, a supposed advocate for diabetics, instead works on behalf of their chief source of funds, the drug companies.  The market for diabetes drugs is around $12.5 billion a year.  In light of this, he contends the ADA only gives lip service to how important behavioral changes can be in controlling the disease. 

As a society we over focus on fat in our diet while ignoring the excessive consumption of carbohydrates - breads, crackers, bagels, pizza, doughnuts, pretzels, cookies, chips, cereal, and pasta to list a few.  If ever there was a need for a low-carb diet, he argues, those who suffer from this ailment would truly benefit.  Almost all those boxed, packaged and processed low-fat food/meals contain excessive amounts of carbs including sugar.  They do this for two reasons: 1) taste and 2) an attempt to satisfy hunger.  In a natural situation, fat is the premier component to suppress the hunger signal.  Eliminate fat and getting full gets difficult and doesn't last.

According to this book, we can substantially beat the diabetes epidemic.  We can do it naturally and without drugs.  In fact, with proper diet and lifestyle, odds are most people would never get the disease in the first place.

Sugar Nation is available for purchase at CWSS.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS:
WORTH THE RISK?

Aspartame/Equal, canola and vegetable oils, corn syrup, corn starch, soy milk and tofu are all part of everyday foods processed with GMO's or Genetically Modified Organisms also referred to as Genetically Modified Food.

Although food manufacturers are not required to label foods containing GMOs, today an estimated 60 percent of the processed food on our grocery store shelves contain GMOs, mostly from soy and corn.  About half all sugar products come from genetically modified sugar beets.

GMOs are used in crop plants, primarily corn and soybeans, to produce a larger crop by altering the plant's genetic make-up.  This genetic engineering is beneficial for farmers because by inserting a gene from a pesticide into the crop, the altered plants become resistant to insects, requiring less pesticide spray on the plants and increasing the crop size.

Good for farmers and food manufacturers, but what about its effect on humans?  It is still undetermined and manufacturers like Monsanto maintain genetically modified crops are safe, but they oppose labeling foods that contain GMOs.  Several animal studies have indicated serious health risks possibly associated with GMOs, including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging and changes in major organs and in the gastrointestinal system, according to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.

Bottom Line:  Until more conclusive studies can confirm the safety of genetically modified foods, beware of processed foods containing corn, soy and sugar that without labeling, may likely contain GMOs.  One more reason to eliminate processed foods and sugar from your diet.  You'll be healthier and will lose those added pounds caused by most packaged products on your grocery shelf.

ANNOUCEMENT

We are pleased to announce Chris Chodos, Certified Health Counselor will have office hours at CityWide

Mondays 7am- 12pm
Tuesdays 2-6pm

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"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."