Let’s Talk About Sugar, Baby

Let’s talk about you and me. Let’s talk about all the good things, and the bad things that may be. Let’s talk about sugar. (Thank you to those who get the reference).

Seriously, though, Americans consume on average 156 pounds of added sugar, per person, per year.That’s a lot of the white stuff. Sugar is in everything- I mean, EVERYTHING- we buy. It’s added to cereals, breads, rice at fast food restaurants, spaghetti sauce, ketchup… you name it. There’s a good reason it’s everywhere. It’s highly addictive. In numerous studies, over 90% of rats who were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between cocaine and sugar water, chose sugar. Those rats who were addicted to cocaine switched their preference to sugar. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine. Now THAT is saying something!

It should come as no surprise that sugar is in things like soda pop or fruit drinks. The actual amount, however, may surprise you. Even seemingly healthy breakfast choices like oatmeal can pack a sugar punch. Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Strawberries & Cream or Peaches & Cream contains 12 grams of sugar in just one packet. Or Kellogg’s Smart Start Strong Heart, Toasted Oat? In 1 1/4 cup you’ll be eating 17 grams of sugar!

One could argue that sheer addictiveness is not cause for alarm. My wife was ‘addicted’ to coffee, but she seems fine. I will admit I’m addicted to dark chocolate too. We all have our vices, right? But here are a few things you may not be thinking about when you enjoy your sweetened soup. Sugar is linked to:

• Suppressed immunity
• Weight gain
• Premature aging
• Various cancers — breast, ovary, prostate, rectum, etc.
• Diabetes
• Digestive problems, including chronic indigestion
• Fatigue and low energy
• Heart disease
• Hyperactivity and concentration problems
• Loss of muscle mass
• Nutritional deficiencies, including decreased ability to absorb calcium and magnesium
• Osteoporosis
• Tooth decay and gum disease
• Yeast infections

I have personally experienced several of these negative side effects to consuming refined sugar, and it opened my eyes. I wanted to learn more. I could tell that I was addicted to sugar, and I didn’t like it.

I grew up a Barkham, and we are known for having a dessert table equal in size to our Thanksgiving day meal spread. We have a wicked sweet tooth, and are excellent bakers. When I was a kid, I had zero self control when it came to sweets, and it caused me a great deal of mental anguish as I struggled, silently, to figure out how to deal with my insatiable cravings. I was a binge eater, often hoarding and hiding sweets from my brothers to make sure I would have enough. I was a sugar junkie.

It’s not like it’s easy to kick sugar. It felt like it was omnipresent in my life. I didn’t even realize how much I was consuming just in buying normal meals. Now that I am aware of how many of the foods I was eating contained added sugar, it’s no wonder I struggled for so many years.

For most of us, the solution starts with reading labels and doing homework. Ideally you would be making your own food so you really know what’s in it. But even prepackaged starter mixes can contain sugar as well.

Once you are ready to cut the addiction, be prepared to identify the symptoms of withdrawal:

• Fuzzy thinking or foggy mind
• Fatigue or sleepiness after meals
• Gas, bloating or extended stomach after meals
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Skin problems
• Allergy symptoms
• Mood swings

Kicking the habit can take more than willpower. Your body will trick you into thinking you are hungry, when all it’s really trying to get is another fix of dopamine. Sugar hits the pleasure center in our brains, and, just like lab rats, we want to keep going back and pressing that magic button over and over again. There are a few tips you can use when trying to cut out sugar:

• Be wary of ‘sugar-free’ foods. These often contain synthetic sweeteners like sucralose, saccharin and aspartame. Although these taste sweet, they don’t help curb a sweet tooth so they tend to send confusing messages to the brain, which can lead to over-eating. There are also lingering concerns about cancer risks for some artificial sweeteners too.
• Eat sour foods.  Sour foods, like apple cider vinegar, will naturally curb your cravings for sugar.
• Eat fermented foods and probiotic beverages. They are  full of beneficial bacteria, which drive out disease-causing bugs that increase our desire for sugar.
• Drink plenty of water. Your body may confuse thirst for hunger, and staying well hydrated will help to know when you are truly hungry.
• Eat nutrient dense foods. Learn what’s high on the ANDI index and fill your plate with these foods that pack a lot of what your body needs into fewer calories.

There are lots of places where sweetness belongs, but it’s important to keep it in its place. There are numerous alternatives to sugar out there, and each will have its own good and bad points. A few ideas to get you started:

• Maple Syrup is a great sweetener (my sweetener of choice), also packed with beneficial minerals! It’s a very simple process to make it- simply boil down tree sap- and minimal processing makes it a plus in my book. It can be expensive, especially if you rely solely on this for all your baking.
• Dates are a great way to get intense sweet for desserts. Puree the pasty fruits and thin it down as needed.
• Agave is another very sweet alternative, derived from plants.
• Honey is a product made by bees in order to keep their hive alive all winter long. Vegans do not consume honey because stealing it from the hive means that they are at risk of dying through the cold winter months.
• Stevia is an herb found in Central and South America that is up to 40 times sweeter than sugar but has zero calories and won’t cause a jump in your blood sugar. It’s granulated form makes it a nice substitute for recipes that depend on the crystalline structure for texture (like many brownies).
• Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, found in foods such as beets, berries, and corn. Sugar alcohols aren’t digested well by the body, that’s what keeps xylitol from raising blood sugar, but it’s also what can give you gas or stomach aches.

As with everything in life, moderation is key. I’ve re-trained my taste buds by cleansing my body of high sugar levels. Now that I eat much healthier, I don’t even like the taste of some of my favorite childhood junk foods. They are SO sweet, that’s pretty much all you taste! I rarely eat things with processed sugar in them anymore, and when I do, I can tell from the telltale withdrawal symptoms that come afterward. I am so glad the my days of sugar hangovers are long gone. Good luck in your own path to healthy!