The Three Whites: Sugar (Part 1)

by | Jun 1, 2021 | Alternative Health Research, Ingredients, Lifestyle Habits, Sugar | 0 comments

What is white food?

White food generally refers to foods that are white in color as a result of processing and refining. Common examples are flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers, cereal, table salt, and simple sugars like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

3whitesNatural, unprocessed white foods, such as onions, cauliflower, turnips, white beans, and white potatoes don’t fall into the same category. Eaten raw they have many health benefits, but fried they lose their health benefits and can actually become harmful. The addition of animal products, such as butter, sour cream, or cheese will also negatively slant a healthy meal.

The difference between refined white foods and their healthier counterparts is that their vital nutrient content and natural fibers are processed, filtered, refined, concentrated, and stripped away. Nutrients are typically added back in as a marketing tool to make people believe they’re still healthy and necessary to our diets. Flour has niacin and calcium added to it and salt has iodine added. When we become more conscious of these facts and look at how Nature has produced these foods we can understand why it’s important to eat them the way Nature created them.

What actually happens during processing?

Let’s define each processing step so we can get a better idea of what’s going on.

Filtered – any substance, such as cloth, paper, porous porcelain, water, metal with holes, or a layer of charcoal or sand, through which liquid, gas, light, sound, or solids, such as food, is passed to remove suspended impurities or to recover specific solids.

Sugar, flour and salt are all filtered.

Refined – with impurities or unwanted elements having been removed by processing. Elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste. The psychology of separating from nature and being “civilized” has lead to a very extreme health situation that we can see reflected in first world countries, especially city dwellers, that are middle class and above. The most unhealthy people with the most illnesses and symptoms of disease are those living a busy city life separated from natural activities. We see diseases of affluence in those who have access to highly refined, processed, and heavily animal based foods.

Sugar, flour and salt are all refined.

Concentrated – (of a substance or solution) present in a high proportion relative to other substances; having had water or other diluting agents removed or reduced. Intense. Even though the concentration creates an intensity, the human body was not meant to receive inputs like this and can quickly adapt needing higher amounts in order to have the same effect as the first encounter.

Sugar, flour, and salt are all concentrated. Other examples are cocaine, heroin, and nicotine.

Stripped – to remove exterior coating, peel, or reduce to “essentials,” least possible.

Sugar, flour and salt undergo stripping. Fibers and nutrients are removed from grains and sugarcane while all substances except sodium and chloride are removed from salt.

Processed – a series of mechanical or chemical operations performed on (something) in order to change or preserve it.

Examples: Sugar, flour and salt undergo processing. All the steps above are considered processing and cause a change to the origin food source making it other than how it was naturally grown and provided as a food source.

Healthier Replacements:

  1. Sugar: less processed sugars such as coconut sugar, lucuma, yacon or unprocessed sugars such as berries, dates, and bananas.
  2. Flour: take the pulp leftover after making nut milk, dehydrate, and run it through the food processor to make a healthy flour substitute or make your own sprouted buckwheat or rye flour.
  3. Salt: use less processed salts such as Himalayan, Celtic, or Deep Sea salts or unprocessed salt sources such as Dulse, Wakame, or sea lettuce.

Why processed carbohydrates and salts are less satisfying

Refined carbs are less satisfying than unprocessed, in addition to being easy to overeat because the body absorbs processed salts, grains, and simple sugars relatively quickly. Increased blood sugar triggers a release of insulin and, in less than an hour or two after eating, hunger returns. Increased sodium chloride creates hypertension and contributes to hardening of the arteries. Further, most refined foods, sweetened beverages like sodas and high salt snacks like potato chips in particular, provide little nutritional value other than calories.

Less-processed carbohydrates and salt are higher in mineral content and tend to be more filling and satisfying than refined ones. Controlling portions, and ultimately your weight, is easier when you choose foods that are filling and satisfying. Processed carbohydrates and salt do not have the proper signaling chemistry to let your control centers know you are full, so you keep eating and soon the bag of potato chips or cookies is gone.

SUGAR

22 Teaspoons of Sugar a Day: The white food many of us find hardest to give up is sugar. On average, Americans eat or drink the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of sugar each day, mostly from soft drinks and candy, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). That’s as much sugar as in two cans of soda plus a candy bar (roughly 355 calories). Over time, those extra calories add up, causing weight gain and displacing other important nutrients from the diet.

Sugar, in any form, provides few nutrients other than calories. Studies are showing that eating sugar promotes cravings for more concentrated sugar containing foods, and, of course, it can lead to cavities. More significantly, the AHA has raised concerns about sugar’s role in obesity, diabetes, and ultimately heart health.

To begin taking charge of your sugar intake use the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels to find out the total carbohydrate, fiber, and sugar content of food products. Also, read the list of ingredients; look for foods that have sugar listed very far down in the list of ingredients. That means there is not as much as the ingredients listed above it. Better yet, make sure the ingredients do not include cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or fruit juices, which tend to be concentrated processed sugars not acting much differently in the body than high fructose corn syrup.

sugarTo keep your health in check, the AHA suggests limiting added sugar to 100 calories a day for women and 150 for men. Make your sweet calories work for you by choosing foods that also offer some nutritional goodness, like whole fruits, berries, and dates.

Increasingly, experts believe we can be truly addicted to sugar. French scientists in Bordeaux reported that in animal trials, rats chose sugar over cocaine (even when they were addicted to cocaine), and speculated that no mammals’ sweet receptors are naturally adapted to the high concentrations of sweet tastes on offer in modern times. Studies resulted in a paper published in 2007, showing that the intense stimulation of these receptors by our typical 21st-century sugar-rich diets generated a supra-normal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.

Sugar, whether added to food by you or the manufacturer, is the greatest threat to human health, bar none, they say. And unless we wise up and quit en masse, we don’t just risk personal obesity and disease, but national bankruptcy and collapse as the toll our ill health takes on our countries’ economy threatens to destabilize the modern world.

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76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

Contributed by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D
Author of the book Lick The Sugar Habit
www.mercola.com

In addition to throwing off the body’s homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. The following is a listing of some of sugar’s metabolic consequences from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.

  1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.1,2
  2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium. 3,4,5,6
  3. Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.7,8
  4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.9,10,11,12
  5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.13
  6. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.14,15,16,17,18,19,20
  7. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.21,22
  8. Sugar can weaken eyesight.23
  9. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.24,25,26,27,28
  10. Sugar can cause premature aging.29
  11. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.30
  12. Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.31,32,33
  13. Sugar contributes to obesity.34
  14. Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis.35,36,37
  15. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)38
  16. Sugar can cause gallstones.39
  17. Sugar can cause appendicitis.40
  18. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.41
  19. Sugar can cause varicose veins.42
  20. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.43
  21. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.44
  22. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.45,46,47
  23. Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.48
  24. Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.49
  25. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.50
  26. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar molecules attaching to and thereby damaging proteins in the body).51
  27. Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.52
  28. Sugar causes food allergies.53
  29. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.54
  30. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.55
  31. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.56,57
  32. Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.58
  33. Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.59,60
  34. Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.61
  35. Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.62,63
  36. Sugar can cause emphysema.64
  37. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.65
  38. Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.66
  39. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.67
  40. Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide and it can increase the amount of liver fat.68,69
  41. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.70,71
  42. Sugar can damage your pancreas.72
  43. Sugar can increase your body’s fluid retention.73
  44. Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.74
  45. Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.75
  46. Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.76
  47. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.77
  48. Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders.78,79
  49. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves which can alter your mind’s ability to think clearly.80
  50. Sugar can cause depression.81
  51. Sugar can increase your risk of gout.82
  52. Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.83
  53. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.84,85,86,87
  54. Sugar can lead to dizziness.88
  55. Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.89
  56. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.90
  57. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.91,92
  58. Sugar is an addictive substance.93
  59. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.94
  60. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.95
  61. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.96
  62. Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.97
  63. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.98
  64. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).99
  65. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.100
  66. Sugar can slow down the ability of your adrenal glands to function.101
  67. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.102
  68. I.V.s (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.103
  69. Sugar increases your risk of polio.104
  70. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.105
  71. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.106
  72. In intensive care units: Limiting sugar saves lives.107
  73. Sugar may induce cell death.108
  74. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.109
  75. Sugar dehydrates newborns.110
  76. Sugar can cause gum disease.111

References

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  2. Ringsdorf, W., Cheraskin, E. and Ramsay R. Sucrose, Neutrophilic Phagocytosis and Resistance to Disease, Dental Survey. 1976;52(12):46_48.
  3. Couzy, F., et al. “Nutritional Implications of the Interaction Minerals,” Progressive Food and Nutrition Science 17;1933:65-87
  4. Kozlovsky, A., et al. Effects of Diets High in Simple Sugars on Urinary Chromium Losses. Metabolism. June 1986;35:515_518.
  5. Fields, M.., et al. Effect of Copper Deficiency on Metabolism and Mortality in Rats Fed Sucrose or Starch Diets, Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1983;113:1335_1345.
  6. Lemann, J. Evidence that Glucose Ingestion Inhibits Net Renal Tubular Reabsorption of Calcium and Magnesium. Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1976 ;70:236_245.
  7. Goldman, J., et al. Behavioral Effects of Sucrose on Preschool Children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.1986;14(4):565_577.
  8. Jones, T. W., et al. Enhanced Adrenomedullary Response and Increased Susceptibility to Neuroglygopenia: Mechanisms Underlying the Adverse Effect of Sugar Ingestion in Children. Journal of Pediatrics. Feb 1995;126:171-7.
  9. Scanto, S. and Yudkin, J. The Effect of Dietary Sucrose on Blood Lipids, Serum Insulin, Platelet Adhesiveness and Body Weight in Human Volunteers, Postgraduate Medicine Journal. 1969;45:602_607.
  10. Albrink, M. and Ullrich I. H. Interaction of Dietary Sucrose and Fiber on Serum Lipids in Healthy Young Men Fed High Carbohydrate Diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1986;43:419-428. Pamplona, R., et al. Mechanisms of Glycation in Atherogenesis. Med Hypotheses. Mar 1993;40(3):174-81.
  11. Reiser, S. Effects of Dietary Sugars on Metabolic Risk Factors Associated with Heart Disease. Nutritional Health. 1985;203_216.
  12. Lewis, G. F. and Steiner, G. Acute Effects of Insulin in the Control of Vldl Production in Humans. Implications for The insulin-resistant State. Diabetes Care. 1996 Apr;19(4):390-3 R. Pamplona, M. .J., et al. Mechanisms of Glycation in Atherogenesis. Medical Hypotheses. 1990;40:174-181.
  13. Cerami, A., Vlassara, H., and Brownlee, M. “Glucose and Aging.” Scientific American. May 1987:90. Lee, A. T. and Cerami, A. The Role of Glycation in Aging. Annals of the New York Academy of Science; 663:63-67.
  14. Takahashi, E., Tohoku University School of Medicine, Wholistic Health Digest. October 1982:41:00
  15. Quillin, Patrick, Cancer’s Sweet Tooth, Nutrition Science News. Ap 2000 Rothkopf, M.. Nutrition. July/Aug 1990;6(4).
  16. Michaud, D. Dietary Sugar, Glycemic Load, and Pancreatic Cancer Risk in a Prospective Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. Sep 4, 2002 ;94(17):1293-300.
  17. Moerman, C. J., et al. Dietary Sugar Intake in the Etiology of Biliary Tract Cancer. International Journal of Epidemiology. Ap 1993.2(2):207-214.
  18. The Edell Health Letter. Sept 1991;7:1.
  19. De Stefani, E.”Dietary Sugar and Lung Cancer: a Case control Study in Uruguay.” Nutrition and Cancer. 1998;31(2):132_7.
  20. Cornee, J., et al. A Case-control Study of Gastric Cancer and Nutritional Factors in Marseille, France. European Journal of Epidemiology 11 (1995):55-65.
  21. Kelsay, J., et al. Diets High in Glucose or Sucrose and Young Women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1974;27:926_936. Thomas, B. J., et al. Relation of Habitual Diet to Fasting Plasma Insulin Concentration and the Insulin Response to Oral Glucose, Human Nutrition Clinical Nutrition. 1983; 36C(1):49_51.
  22. Dufty, William. Sugar Blues. (New York:Warner Books, 1975).
  23. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica. Mar 2002;48;25. Taub, H. Ed. Sugar Weakens Eyesight, VM NEWSLETTER;May 1986:06:00
  24. Dufty.
  25. Yudkin, J. Sweet and Dangerous.(New York:Bantam Books,1974) 129
  26. Cornee, J., et al. A Case-control Study of Gastric Cancer and Nutritional Factors in Marseille, France, European Journal of Epidemiology. 1995;11
  27. Persson P. G., Ahlbom, A., and Hellers, G. Epidemiology. 1992;3:47-52.
  28. Jones, T. W., et al. Enhanced Adrenomedullary Response and Increased Susceptibility to Neuroglygopenia: Mechanisms Underlying the Adverse Effect of Sugar Ingestion in Children. Journal of Pediatrics. Feb 1995;126:171-7.
  29. Lee, A. T.and Cerami A. The Role of Glycation in Aging. Annals of the New York Academy of Science.1992;663:63-70.
  30. Abrahamson, E. and Peget, A. Body, Mind and Sugar. (New York: Avon, 1977.}
  31. Glinsmann, W., Irausquin, H., and Youngmee, K. Evaluation of Health Aspects of Sugar Contained in Carbohydrate Sweeteners. F. D. A. Report of Sugars Task Force. 1986:39:00 Makinen K.K.,et al. A Descriptive Report of the Effects of a 16_month Xylitol Chewing_gum Programme Subsequent to a 40_month Sucrose Gum Programme. Caries Research. 1998; 32(2)107_12.
  32. Glinsmann, W., Irausquin, H., and K. Youngmee. Evaluation of Health Aspects of Sugar Contained in Carbohydrate Sweeteners. F. D. A. Report of Sugars Task Force.1986;39:36_38.
  33. Appleton, N. New York: Healthy Bones. Avery Penguin Putnam:1989.
  34. Keen, H., et al. Nutrient Intake, Adiposity, and Diabetes. British Medical Journal. 1989; 1:00 655_658
  35. Darlington, L., Ramsey, N. W. and Mansfield, J. R. Placebo Controlled, Blind Study of Dietary Manipulation Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lancet. Feb 1986;8475(1):236_238.
  36. Powers, L. Sensitivity: You React to What You Eat. Los Angeles Times. (Feb. 12, 1985). Cheng, J., et al. Preliminary Clinical Study on the Correlation Between Allergic Rhinitis and Food Factors. Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Ke Za Zhi Aug 2002;16(8):393-396.
  37. Erlander, S. The Cause and Cure of Multiple Sclerosis, The Disease to End Disease.” Mar 3, 1979;1(3):59_63.
  38. Crook, W. J. The Yeast Connection. (TN:Professional Books, 1984).
  39. Heaton, K. The Sweet Road to Gallstones. British Medical Journal. Apr 14, 1984; 288:00:00 1103_1104. Misciagna, G., et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999;69:120-126.
  40. Cleave, T. The Saccharine Disease. (New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, 1974).
  41. Ibid.
  42. Cleave, T. and Campbell, G. (Bristol, England:Diabetes, Coronary Thrombosis and the Saccharine Disease: John Wright and Sons, 1960).
  43. Behall, K. Influ ence of Estrogen Content of Oral Contraceptives and Consumption of Sucrose on Blood Parameters. Disease Abstracts International. 1982;431437.
  44. Tjäderhane, L. and Larmas, M. A High Sucrose Diet Decreases the Mechanical Strength of Bones in Growing Rats. Journal of Nutrition. 1998:128:1807_1810.
  45. Beck, Nielsen H., Pedersen O., and Schwartz S. Effects of Diet on the Cellular Insulin Binding and the Insulin Sensitivity in Young Healthy Subjects. Diabetes. 1978;15:289_296 .
  46. Sucrose Induces Diabetes in Cat. Federal Protocol. 1974;6(97). diabetes
  47. Reiser, S., et al. Effects of Sugars on Indices on Glucose Tolerance in Humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1986;43:151-159.
  48. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Aug 2000
  49. Hodges, R., and Rebello, T. Carbohydrates and Blood Pressure. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1983:98:838_841.
  50. Behar, D., et al. Sugar Challenge Testing with Children Considered Behaviorally Sugar Reactive. Nutritional Behavior. 1984;1:277_288.
  51. Furth, A. and Harding, J. Why Sugar Is Bad For You. New Scientist. Sep 23, 1989;44.
  52. Simmons, J. Is The Sand of Time Sugar? LONGEVITY. June 1990:00:00 49_53.
  53. Appleton, N. New York: LICK THE SUGAR HABIT. Avery Penguin Putnam:1988. allergies
  54. Cleave, T. The Saccharine Disease: (New Canaan Ct: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1974).131.
  55. Ibid. 132
  56. Pamplona, R., et al. Mechanisms of Glycation in Atherogenesis. Medical Hypotheses . 1990:00:00 174_181.
  57. Vaccaro O., Ruth, K. J. and Stamler J. Relationship of Postload Plasma Glucose to Mortality with 19 yr Follow up. Diabetes Care. Oct 15,1992;10:328_334. Tominaga, M., et al, Impaired Glucose Tolerance Is a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease, but Not Fasting Glucose. Diabetes Care. 1999:2(6):920-924.
  58. Lee, A. T. and Cerami, A. Modifications of Proteins and Nucleic Acids by Reducing Sugars: Possible Role in Aging. Handbook of the Biology of Aging. (New York: Academic Press, 1990.).
  59. Monnier, V. M. Nonenzymatic Glycosylation, the Maillard Reaction and the Aging Process. Journal of Gerontology 1990:45(4):105_110.
  60. Cerami, A., Vlassara, H., and Brownlee, M. Glucose and Aging. Scientific American. May 1987:00:00 90
  61. Dyer, D. G., et al. Accumulation of Maillard Reaction Products in Skin Collagen in Diabetes and Aging. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1993:93(6):421_22.
  62. Veromann, S.et al.”Dietary Sugar and Salt Represent Real Risk Factors for Cataract Development.” Ophthalmologica. 2003 Jul-Aug;217(4):302-307.
  63. Goulart, F. S. Are You Sugar Smart? American Fitness. March_April 1991:00:00 34_38. Milwakuee, WI
  64. Monnier, V. M. Nonenzymatic Glycosylation, the Maillard Reaction and the Aging Process. Journal of Gerontology. 1990:45(4):105_110.
  65. Ceriello, A. Oxidative Stress and Glycemic Regulation. Metabolism. Feb 2000;49(2 Suppl 1):27-29.
  66. Appleton, Nancy. New York; Lick the Sugar Habit. Avery Penguin Putnam, 1988 enzymes
  67. Hellenbrand, W. Diet and Parkinson’s Disease. A Possible Role for the Past Intake of Specific Nutrients. Results from a Self-administered Food-frequency Questionnaire in a Case-control Study. Neurology. Sep 1996;47(3):644-650.
  68. Goulart, F. S. Are You Sugar Smart? American Fitness. March_April 1991:00:00 34_38.
  69. Ibid.
  70. Yudkin, J., Kang, S. and Bruckdorfer, K. Effects of High Dietary Sugar. British Journal of Medicine. Nov 22, 1980;1396.
  71. Blacklock, N. J., Sucrose and Idiopathic Renal Stone. Nutrition and Health. 1987;5(1-2):9- Curhan, G., et al. Beverage Use and Risk for Kidney Stones in Women. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1998:28:534-340.
  72. Goulart, F. S. Are You Sugar Smart? American Fitness. March_April 1991:00:00 34_38. Milwakuee, WI,:
  73. Ibid. fluid retention
  74. Ibid. bowel movement
  75. Ibid. compromise the lining of the capillaries
  76. Nash, J. Health Contenders. Essence. Jan 1992; 23:00 79_81.
  77. Grand, E. Food Allergies and Migraine.Lancet. 1979:1:955_959.
  78. Schauss, A. Diet, Crime and Delinquency. (Berkley Ca; Parker House, 1981.)
  79. Molteni, R, et al. A High-fat, Refined Sugar Diet Reduces Hippocampal Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor, Neuronal Plasticity, and Learning. NeuroScience. 2002;112(4):803-814.
  80. Christensen, L. The Role of Caffeine and Sugar in Depression. Nutrition Report. Mar 1991;9(3):17-24.
  81. Ibid,44
  82. Yudkin, J. Sweet and Dangerous.(New York:Bantam Books,1974) 129
  83. Frey, J. Is There Sugar in the Alzheimer’s Disease? Annales De Biologie Clinique. 2001; 59 (3):253-257.
  84. Yudkin, J. Metabolic Changes Induced by Sugar in Relation to Coronary Heart Disease and Diabetes. Nutrition and Health. 1987;5(1-2):5-8.
  85. Yudkin, J and Eisa, O. Dietary Sucrose and Oestradiol Concentration in Young Men. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 1988:32(2):53-55.
  86. The Edell Health Letter. Sept 1991;7:1.
  87. Gardner, L. and Reiser, S. Effects of Dietary Carbohydrate on Fasting Levels of Human Growth Hormone and Cortisol. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 1982;169:36_40.
  88. Journal of Advanced Medicine. 1994;7(1):51-58.
  89. Ceriello, A. Oxidative Stress and Glycemic Regulation. Metabolism. Feb 2000;49(2 Suppl 1):27-29.
  90. Postgraduate Medicine.Sept 1969:45:602-07.
  91. Lenders, C. M. Gestational Age and Infant Size at Birth Are Associated with Dietary Intake among Pregnant Adolescents. Journal of Nutrition. Jun 1997;1113- 1117
  92. Ibid.
  93. Sugar, White Flour Withdrawal Produces Chemical Response. The Addiction Letter. Jul 1992:04:00 Colantuoni, C., et al. Evidence That Intermittent, Excessive Sugar Intake Causes Endogenous Opioid Dependence. Obes Res. Jun 2002 ;10(6):478-488. Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Society, Toronto, June 17, 2001 www.mercola.com/2001/jun/30/sugar.htm
  94. Ibid.
  95. Sunehag, A. L., et al. Gluconeogenesis in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Receiving Total Parenteral Nutrition Diabetes. 1999 ;48 7991_800.
  96. Christensen L., et al. Impact of A Dietary Change on Emotional Distress. Journal of Abnormal Psychology.1985;94(4):565_79.
  97. Nutrition Health Review. Fall 85 changes sugar into fat faster than fat
  98. Ludwig, D. S., et al. High Glycemic Index Foods, Overeating and Obesity. Pediatrics. March 1999;103(3):26-32.
  99. Pediatrics Research. 1995;38(4):539-542. Berdonces, J. L. Attention Deficit and Infantile Hyperactivity. Rev Enferm. Jan 2001;4(1)11-4
  100. Blacklock, N. J. Sucrose and Idiopathic Renal Stone. Nutrition Health. 1987;5(1 & 2):9-
  101. Lechin, F., et al. Effects of an Oral Glucose Load on Plasma Neurotransmitters in Humans. Neurophychobiology. 1992;26(1-2):4-11.
  102. Fields, M. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Aug 1998;17(4):317_321.
  103. Arieff, A. I. Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Francisco. San Jose Mercury; June 12/86. IVs of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
  104. Sandler, Benjamin P. Diet Prevents Polio. Milwakuee, WI,:The Lee Foundation for for Nutritional Research, 1951
  105. Murphy, Patricia. The Role of Sugar in Epileptic Seizures. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. May, 2001 Murphy Is Editor of Epilepsy Wellness Newsletter, 1462 West 5th Ave., Eugene, Oregon 97402
  106. Stern, N. & Tuck, M. Pathogenesis of Hypertension in Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Mellitus, a Fundamental and Clinical Test. 2nd Edition, (PhiladelphiA; A:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000)943-957.
  107. Christansen, D. Critical Care: Sugar Limit Saves Lives. Science News. June 30, 2001; 159:404.
  108. Donnini, D. et al. Glucose May Induce Cell Death through a Free Radical-mediated Mechanism.Biochem Biohhys Res Commun. Feb 15, 1996:219(2):412-417.
  109. Schoenthaler, S. The Los Angeles Probation Department Diet-Behavior Program: Am Empirical Analysis of Six Institutional Settings. Int J Biosocial Res 5(2):88-89.
  110. Gluconeogenesis in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Receiving Total Parenteral Nutrition. Diabetes. 1999 Apr;48(4):791-800.
  111. Glinsmann, W., et al. Evaluation of Health Aspects of Sugar Contained in Carbohydrate Sweeteners.” FDA Report of Sugars Task Force -1986 39 123 Yudkin, J. and Eisa, O. Dietary Sucrose and Oestradiol Concentration in Young Men. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 1988;32(2):53-5.

Are you addicted to sugar?

  1. Do you struggle to walk past a sugary treat without taking ‘just one’?
  2. Do you have routines around sugar consumption – for example, always having pudding, needing a piece of chocolate, or a bowl of ice cream to relax in front of the television?
  3. Are there times when you feel as if you cannot go on without a sugar hit?
  4. If you are forced to go without sugar for 24 hours, do you develop headaches and mood swings?

If you answered ‘yes’ to one of the questions above, you are addicted.

Case study: Richard Dehn, 59

“I did my degree in hotel management and catering, and I’ve run a corner shop for more than 30 years. I’ve always been aware of the dangers of sugar and I remember reading a book about it called Pure, White and Deadly by John Yudkin, about five years before I started working at the shop.

“I’ve got a very addictive nature and although I’ve managed to completely keep away from the other addictive and dangerous products we sell – alcohol and tobacco – for more than 20 years, I’ve always had a problem with sugar.addicted

I’m lucky enough to be married to a superb cook, Sue, who has always prepared meals from natural ingredients, so I don’t eat ready-meals and I’ve never taken sugar in my tea and coffee. It’s really the hidden, refined sugar in other products that has been my downfall.

“I think the main difficulty is that we work quite long hours, and it’s the easiest thing in the world for someone with a corner shop to go and have a Magnum or a handful – and I mean a handful – of chocolate Freddos or jelly babies, or a cherry muffin. You feel like the sugar rush will get you through the hours.

Then about eight years ago, I started to have serious health problems. I had an upset tummy all the time, I lost a lot of weight, and I really felt rotten. The doctor diagnosed IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and told me to eat more fibre. I then did a little extra self-diagnosis and had a stool test done, which revealed I had a Candida problem; this means bad pathogenic bacteria in my gut, which were feeding on the sugar I was eating.

“I started taking probiotics and stayed completely away from all types of sugar for a year, meaning no sweets or fizzy drinks and also no fruit for the first couple of months. I could feel the benefits of it reasonably quickly, and gradually I got better.

“However, just like every smoker who has tried to quit, I felt that I’d cracked giving up sugar and one chocolate bar wouldn’t do me any harm. From there it was a slippery slope, as one became three in a couple of days, and three became even more after that. I didn’t get as ill again and didn’t necessarily realise I had any symptoms from returning to sugar, but gradually I did get to a stage where I’d feel so tired during the day that I absolutely had to have a sugar rush. Even being more aware of the dangers of sugar since I’ve been ill hasn’t actually stopped me going for that hit on a regular basis.

“Personally, I do believe that sugar is a poison. But this has still not stopped me poisoning myself on a regular basis over the years. At the moment I am trying, once again, to stay clear.”

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LIST OF FOODS AS ALTERNATES FOR THE THREE WHITES

  • soak any nuts in sea salt water and dehydrate until crisp
  • soak any beans well and prepare with sea salt and coconut palm sugar
  • any fresh fruit, blended into a smoothie or eaten whole
  • marinade vegetables such as zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and red bell peppers in wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos. Add olive or coconut oil, toss well, and top a salad. Or eat the veggies in slices dipped in coconut aminos mixed with spices.
  • bake new potatoes and add coconut oil and nutritional yeast
  • grains: try quinoa, sprouted barley chili, sprouted rye made into living bagels, etc.
  • as for salad dressings, some store-bought ones are good (try Annie’s) but you can always make wonderful ones from scratch using anything in your kitchen (olive oil, lemon, grapefruit juice, etc.)
  • at restaurants you can pretty much eat anywhere and just request certain ways for things to be cooked, substitute items, and ask how things are prepared, they are usually very accommodating.
  • for sweets and baked goods, live a little and enjoy each bite. If you make it at home switch up the flours (using almond or coconut flour, etc) and reducing/replacing fats, and trying different sweeteners or reducing them.

How to Kick the White Food Habit

  1. Get properly motivated: Because it takes work and motivation to get these whites out of your life, I recommend that you watch YouTube videos and read Dr. Joseph Mercola’s thoughts on this topic, or read a book such as Suicide by Sugar by Dr. Nancy Appleton. Repeat as necessary.
  2. Stop drinking any form of sweetened drinks, using table salt, and eliminate pasta and bread as soon as possible: The amount of sweetener in any type of soft drink is very high. A 12-ounce can contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. If you can drop the soft drinks, you will instantly reduce your sugar habit significantly. Another obvious food item to eliminate is candy. (And don’t go for the “sugar-free” options, unless it is stevia sweetened, as these sweeteners are toxic in other ways.) This goes for adding table salt to anything. Reducing potato chip and other salt-ladened products as well as breads and pastas will help you get over the belief that you need them. Use the list above to start making steps to healthier habits.
  3. Don’t eat or buy packaged foods: Even organic packaged foods often contain significant amounts of sugar, hidden grain ingredients, and table salt. While many of them are preferable to their non-organic counterparts, the sugar and salt content, in particular, is something to be aware of. Don’t keep these foods at home, otherwise you may find them hard to resist. Make your own snacks at home like flavored nuts, flax crackers, veggie pastas, living desserts, or eat fruit or vegetables for a snack. You will save money and be healthier!
  4. Make wise choices when eating out: That salad you had at that restaurant? The dressing was full of sugar, processed salt, not to mention unhealthy fats. Sugar, salt, and wheat are hidden in many dishes at restaurants, and their desserts can be tempting. If you are eating out, make sure you stick with dishes like roasted vegetables and use oil and vinegar for dressing. Bring your own homemade dressing to restaurants and enjoy a salad, sugar-free. A quick recipe for salad dressing: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2-4 teaspoons brown mustard, 1-2 finely minced garlic cloves, 3/4 teaspoon unrefined salt. Give it a shake in a jar and you are set to go.
  5. Eat a well-rounded diet, especially concentrating on leafy green protein and vegetables: It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel when eating plenty of plant based protein and vegetables that are full of fiber. Sugar, salt and flour (bread and pasta) cravings are drastically reduced when you eat well. But it takes conscious effort to make it happen. Simply removing these whites can help improve your health, but for good health you need to fill up on good-for-you foods. Eating regular, hearty meals will ensure that you don’t eat a donut or cookie while you’re out, or reach into a co-worker’s candy jar out of hunger. Buy a new cookbook that focuses on healthy, delicious recipes, or start following the many healthy food blogs out there (or go to my recipe page). Get inspired and start collecting delicious but doable recipes.
  6. Challenge yourself to go completely “three-whites-free” for two weeks: Sometimes when you simply try to “reduce” your white consumption, you end up eating only slightly less than where you started. Go completely three-whites-free for two weeks and you will start resetting your taste buds and gaining a lot of self-control. This is a helpful strategy especially around holidays.
  7. Get a friend who is interested in reducing or eliminating the three whites to join forces with you: It could be a spouse, a walking partner, or a co-worker. If you have someone who has the same goal as you, shares healthy recipes, and exchanges food/meals, it can make it much more enjoyable and doable. If you can’t find someone in your life, find a friend online.
  8. Deal with cravings: After a couple of days have gone by without eating any foods with sugar, flour or salt, your cravings for them should be reduced. I find it helpful to eat or drink a fermented food such as homemade sauerkraut, coconut kefir, or kombucha. The sourness of these food items counteract that sweet, salt, bread/pasta desire, plus it gives you healthy probiotics, which help reduce cravings in general.
  9. Go have fun: As long as you have food in your stomach, life is not all about what you can and cannot eat. Take a walk and enjoy nature, go to the park with your kids, read a good book. In other words, enjoy life. Really, you can enjoy it without these ingredients. I promise.
  10. Enjoy beautiful food without the three whites: Along the same lines, there is no need to mourn the loss of sweets, salty foods, bread, and pasta when there is such beautiful food to eat. Make hearty veggie chilis, soups, veggie pastas, veggie lasagnas, make a beautiful main dish salad, roast squash, toss on nuts, and enjoy a good unsweetened coconut yogurt. There are so many amazing foods to enjoy — so enjoy them. Don’t feel deprived, simply enjoy different foods.
  11. Use the 2 teaspoons of sugar rule: Since sugar is typically the hardest to overcome, if you find it too hard to go completely sweet-free, start using unrefined sweeteners at home, such as pure maple syrup, raw honey or coconut sugar. These sugars have minerals and vitamins intact, making them less stressful on the body. They also are less addicting and some, like coconut sugar, don’t raise blood sugar very much. Stevia is an excellent choice for those wanting something sweet without calories or any rise in blood sugar. Appleton, the previously mentioned author of “Suicide by Sugar,” found that two teaspoons of added sweetener at a time is the threshold for healthy individuals, no more than two to three times a day. So, if you find it unappealing to live a completely sweetener-free life, enjoy a bit of raw honey in a cup of tea. Drizzle pure maple syrup into unsweetened yogurt and top with berries or blend some coconut oil, coconut nectar and cacao powder for a delicious chocolate sauce.
  12. Pass it on to the next generation: Part of the reason adults find it hard to let go of these three whites is because they got addicted and used to it at an early age. If you have children, start them on the right food with a low-sugar, unprocessed salt, white flour-free diet. They will thank you later.

 

This is not an exhaustive list but just be conscious of your food choices. Eating real, all natural food is really energizing and delicious. Just choose the food closest to its natural state. However, the most important thing is to not be so strict. Live a little. Also don’t consider it a “diet,” consider it a lifestyle change in the way you eat. To your health!

 

Citations:

  1. http://www.the-high-blood-pressure-diet.com/bad-foods.html
  2. http://www.the-high-blood-pressure-diet.com/foods-to-avoid.html
  3. http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fheart%2Fpicture-of-the-heart&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEjNMzCLAkdevD1r8LRbbNiDJ-rvQ
  4. http://crapmamma.com/2012/07/are-our-kids-eating-too-much-salt-kelloggs-giveaway/
  5. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ayala-laufercahana-md/salt-shakers-in-restaurants_b_3946855.html
  6. http://www.himalayassaltlamps.com/edible-gourmet-salt
  7. http://goodonyaorganic.com/nutrition/celtic-sea-salt
  8. http://www.celticseasalt.com/is-celtic-sea-salt-organic/
  9. http://bodyecology.com/hawaiian-sea-salt-grinder.html
  10. http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/12-tips-for-kicking-the-refined-sugar-habit
  11. http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/truth-about-white-foods?page=1
  12. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/9987825/Sweet-poison-why-sugar-is-ruining-our-health.html
  13. http://bodyecology.com/articles/25_reasons_to_avoid_sugar.php
  14. http://www.rachelhjones.com/508/5-ways-white-flour-is-harmful-to-you
  15. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-negative-effects-of-refined-flour.html/1
  16. http://www.foodrenegade.com/table-salt-vs-sea-salt/
  17. http://blog.fooducate.com/2011/08/12/sea-salt-vs-table-salt-the-truth/
  18. http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/115-the-truth-about-table-salt-and-the-chemical-industry.html
  19. Robert Lustig, Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar and “Sugar: the Bitter Truth”

 

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