Last week we talked about how the modern day processing of grains leads to flour that is highly combustible in our digestive system 
and leads to a spike in blood sugar and can even contribute to excess fat in the blood. The grains themselves aren’t the problem – it’s the way that they are processed that makes them unhealthy. The same is true for SUGARS. Sugar in and of itself is a good thing. Why would we have such a preference for a taste if it wasn’t something that our body needs and can use?
Simple sugars, fructose in fruit and sucrose in table sugar and honey, are the simplest source from nutrition for your body to get an instant burst of energy. Sugar requires very little in terms of digestive effort to convert to glucose, which feeds the brain and powers muscles. Sugar is easily accessible energy, and from an evolutionary perspective, is an incredibly important resource for the body.
Just as with FLOUR, the issue today is more about how SUGAR is processed and used by food manufacturers. Corn Syrup is made by boiling cornstarch with acid under pressure, creating cheap, plentiful sweetener. A newer process added additional enzymes to the process , creating high-fructose corn syrup which is as sweet as sugar, but with 42% more fructose content. This high level of fructose consumption is not good for our bodies. It can cause liver damage and there is increasing evidence that high intake of fructose elevates levels of circulating fats in the blood, which increases heart disease.
Start reading labels and you will notice that high-fructose corn syrup is in A LOT of foods. It hides in breads, granola bars, peanut butter, soda and tomato sauce. The great news is that there are brands of all of these foods available that do not use it! Seek them out, especially if you have children – there is so much evidence that the spike in fructose consumption in our culture is a major culprit in the spike in ADD, ADHD and other childhood brain/behavior functions.
Here’s the great news: sweet things that are natural – sugars in fruits and plants – are really good and good for you. It’s amazing how delicious a strawberry can be when you’ve broken the cycle of eating processed food.
Fruits and vegetables provide amazing micro-nutrients and phytochemicals that simply can not be replaced by any vitamin. There are literally tens of thousands of these tiny little nutrients in each serving. And the sugary sweetness of a super-ripe melon, berry or fruit is a guiltless, delicious treat.
The goal is to find food that satisfies your taste AND the nutritional needs of your body, without compromising your health. Eliminate high-fructose corn syrup from your and your family’s diet. It is an unnecessary evil.
And enjoy sugar. The kind that comes from sources close to the earth. Real sugar on your oatmeal in the morning is a great way to jumpstart your energy for the day and a piece of fruit will get you through the natural drop in energy we all experience in the early afternoon. Learn to use sugar in the way that nature intended, instead of thinking of it as something to avoid. Remember the goal – have most of what you eat come from what grows from the ground, runs on legs or swims in the sea! Now go eat something sweet!!!
