Sweet?? Think Again

Have you ever wondered why more people get sick in the fall and winter than in the spring and summer? One explanation could be that in the cooler months, we spend more time inside surrounded by other people who may be sick, we typically are not as active, and our bodies become more susceptible to illnesses. Other big reasons? Think about whatsome of us celebrate in the following months: October - Halloween; November – Thanksgiving; December – Christmas; January – New Year’s Day; February – Valentine’s Day; and March/ April – Easter. And what usually comes with those celebrations more than any other months in the year? SUGAR. More sugar is consumed in those sixth months than in the other six months of the year.

Sugar is the #1 addiction in America today. The average American eats 120 to 150 pounds per year, 3 pounds per week, 600 calories/day, causing the immune system to become impaired. Sugar impairs the ability of white blood cells to destroy invading bacteria, viruses, and malignant cells. They actually look drunk under a microscope.

Sugar can be of two types: simple (refined sugars – cookies, candy bars) and complex arbohydrates (natural sugars – beans, fruits, vegetables). The difference between the two is how quickly each type enters the bloodstream and how each affects insulin and blood sugar levels. Your body’s enzymes break these down into glucose, a sugar the body uses for energy.

Refined sugar heads straight to the bloodstream wreaking havoc on your blood sugar levels. Natural sugars provide your blood a more balanced sugar supply because your body digests them more slowly. Whatever your body doesn’t need, it gets stored in your liver as glycogen, an energy reserve used later by the body.

White sugar is a human invention and is a mineral hungry plant, known for depleting soils, as well as people. Whole sugar cane is stripped of the minerals and nutritional elements you need to properly digest it. That means you have to use your own vitamins and minerals for digestion, and after time, serious problems like osteoporosis and gum disease can occur. Your body may also respond in other ways: hypoglycemia, diabetes, frequent colds, and diseases like cancer, heart disease, candida albicans overgrowth, and Alzheimer’s. Excess sugar consumption also upsets the balance of intestinal flora in your digestive tract and can cause symptoms of intestinal distress such as bloating, cramping, and gas. Other symptoms of sugar sensitivity are headaches, insomnia, aggression, panic attacks, irritability, mood swings, and depression. Too much sugar can deplete levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter whose deficiency is linked to depression. What’s worse, low levels of serotonin may actually trigger more sugar cravings.

So, for people who have learned about the negative effects of sugar, some have switched to either artificial sweeteners or natural sweeteners.

A popular artificial sweetener is Splenda which, produced by chlorinating sugar, has no calories, and is 320 to 1000 times sweeter than sugar (depending on how it’s used in food). It has a negative impact on the thymus, liver, kidneys, lymph system, red blood cell count, and intestines. Some of the side effects of ingesting Splenda include skin rashes/flushing, panic-like agitation, dizziness, numbness, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and stomach pain. The degree to which you experience side effects just depends on your individual biochemistry.

Other artificial sweeteners include Equal or NutraSweet, whose main ingredient is aspartame. Aspartame use can result in an accumulation of formaldehyde in the brain, which can damage your central nervous system and immune system and cause genetic trauma. The FDAadmits this is true, but claims the amount is low enough in most that it shouldn’t raise concern, even though it has been linked with MS, lupus, fibromyalgia and other central nervous disorders. Other possible side effects include headaches, migraines, panic attacks, dizziness, irritability, nausea, intestinal discomfort, skin rash, nervousness, depression, manic episodes, and male infertility.

A natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners is an herb called stevia, 150 to 400 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories, does not cause tooth decay, does not affect blood sugar levels, and is approved by the FDA. Other healthier sweeteners include evaporated cane juice (sucanat), brown rice syrup, Fruit Source, barley malt, blackstrap molasses, fructose, and agave nectar.

About two weeks after I gave a presentation on the effects of sugar and artificial sweeteners on human bodies, I received a call from a woman in the audience. She told me, “You saved my mother’s life!” Her mother had been experiencing excruciating abdominal cramping and diarrhea for months and no doctor or test could explain what was going on. This woman told her mother about what she’d learned and asked her to give her body a week without Splenda in her coffee and oatmeal. She gave it a try, and that’s all it took. After only one week, her digestive system returned to its normal functioning state!