Facts About Sugar 
and Best Sugar Substitutes

Facts about sugar will help you cut back your sugar consumption and find better sugar substitutes. At a time where one third of our children will become diabetics it is essential to learn how to reduce sugar.

Most people know some facts about sugar and that sugar is in everything, although they seem at a loss as to what to do about it. Choosing to eat foods in the most natural state possible will allow you to easily reduce sugar intake. No matter what diseases you have, if you eat well 90% of them will go away. In my own journey against sugar cravings I completely eliminated white sugar from my diet and so can you! Dr. Ray Strand states in his excellent book Healthy For Life "The extreme rise and fall of one's blood sugar several times throughout the day and the resultant over stimulation of insulin, leads to what is undoubtedly the core of today's health care crisis - the metabolic syndrome

It is the underlying cause of high triglycerides, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and of course obesity." ¹

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, one soft drink per day increases your chances of becoming a diabetic by 83%. Even diet soft drinks cause diabetes and related diseases, as it is not just the sugar that causes problems, it is also the sugar substitutes.

More facts about sugar...in the U.S. each school gets $20,000 if they have vending machines selling soft drinks and candy. The greatest tragedy is that children are now having heart attacks and strokes. We focus on the symptoms rather than finding the cause, which is a diet of highly refined, processed food. If you find you often crave sugar here's a sure fire way to stop sugar cravings and handle sugar withdrawal. Why do we become addicted to sugar?

High fructose corn syrup 

High fructose corn syrup is now used in soft drinks and all sweetened foods. It replaces sugar as it is one third the price. People's taste buds become so accustomed to this very sweet taste that nothing else tastes sweet enough or pleasurable.

These compounds are highly addictive, acting like opioids or morphine. The receptors for sugar and morphine are very similar. They are the same receptors in the brain that Valium and alcohol hook up to, as well as endorphins, the chemicals you put out when you exercise.

Learning some simple facts about sugar will help you become aware that you are being played to become addicted to these products. 

Sugar depresses the immune system in many ways. Both vitamin C and refined sugar need a taxi to move through the body. When we eat a lot of refined sugar in a meal, sugar takes over and vitamin C can not be transported to where it is needed, so our immune system is weakened. 

Yeast, virus and cancer cells use sugar to multiply. 

Sugar blocks the absorption of serotonin and B complex, so depression is more likely in a diet high in sugar. I highly recommend the Book Potatoes Not Prozac: Solutions for Sugar Sensitivity by Kathleen DesMaisons. It is an excellent, easy to follow program to reduce sugar in your diet. It will help you lose weight, heal depression and stop cravings. Sugar also increases acidity in the body. In order to balance acidity, the body leaches calcium from the bones, magnesium from the nerves, potassium from the muscles and sodium from the digestive system. This leaves a body that is demineralized and highly prone to osteoporosis and other disease.

Low Glycemic Foods

Choosing low glycemic foods may be a good way to become aware of how to choose foods that are low in sugar. However there are a great number of factors that influence the glycemic levels of foods. The different manner in which a food is cooked, and for how long, will change its glycemic index. 

Eating foods at the same time will also affect glycemic index. A piece of cake eaten alone in the middle of the afternoon will spike your glycemic levels up. That same cake eaten with dinner will have less of an affect on your glycemic levels. 

Stevia Sweetener

Stevia is a natural sweetener that is plant based. It is one of the only sweeteners that does not raise glycmic levels. A little goes a long way as Stevia is about 300 times sweeter than sugar. 

Agave Nectar 

Even though agave nectar is said to be natural it can be highly processed depending on the brand. It is heated to 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

With these facts about sugar it is easy to see why it is essential to reduce sugar and processed foods in your diet. One important thing to do if you or your children crave sweets is to increase protein. Ensure you get adequate sources of good quality protein at every meal, such as eggs for breakfast, chicken or fish for lunch and dinner. 

Replace refined white carbohydrates, ie. anything with white flour, white bread, white pasta, white rice, with whole grain alternatives. Use brown rice, quinoa, barley, breads and pasta made with spelt or kamut. If necessary, eat high protein healthy snacks in between meals. 

Resources:
1. Strand, D. Ray, MD Healthy for Life, Developing healthy lifestyles that have a side effect of permanent fat loss (Rapid City, SD:Real Life Press 2005) 54.

How to Control Diabetes

by Ajay Sharma
(Dollard des Ormeaux, Quebec Canada)

I had a quadruple bypass surgery two years ago. I had blood test that showed border level diabetes. I take the following medication:
plavix
ramipiril (for blood pressure)and recently I had read that cholesterol medication increases diabetes. I do not take cholesterol medication now. But do take a supplement called Dr. Fuhrmans LDL protect.

What are your suggestions for controlling diabetes naturally?
Ajay Sharma

Sue-Anne’s Reply:
For diabetes, first and foremost is to ensure you are not overweight, to eat a healthy diet and to exercise. Following the right diet for your particular body type by doing a consultation with me or reading my ebook would be a good place to start.

A diet high in whole, fresh foods in the most natural state possible, lots and lots of vegetables, whole grains and good quality protein is key.Thik of eating everything that grows. Often diabetics overlook the importance of a healthy diet.

Eliminate all sugars, soft drinks, refined white foods, packaged, processed foods and junk food.
Ensure that you have adequate protein at every meal.

In doing a consultation I would check how your liver is doing, and if there is a possibility of candida albicans or parasites.

When taking medication or even a supplement to control cholesterol, taking a high quality CoQ10 supplement is necessary. Also, taking a high quality essential fatty acid is important as long as the liver is not fatty. Other supplements might include a high quality Complex B, CoQ10, Psyllium hulls, zinc, but of course each person’s needs are different and a consultation would be essential to determine your own personal needs.

On an emotional side, according to Louise Hay, diabetes can indicate a longing for what might have been. A great need to control. Deep sorrow, No sweetness left.

Positive affirmations: “This moment is filled with joy. I now choose to experience the sweetness of today.”