 |
 |
 |
|
Turning to artificial sweeteners is generally not a good method of reducing sugar intake because the adverse effects of these chemicals - however much the manufacturers deny it - may be worse than any benefit in some individuals.
Remember that refined sugar includes not only "sugar", as listed in ingredient listings, but also the brown sugar that is sold in the baking aisle in the regular grocery store. Other refined sweeteners to avoid are glucose, fructose and dextrose. Hidden sources of white sugar are in mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings and other condiments, unless you get them at health food stores. When you have finished the condiments that are in your fridge make a point to replace them with the white-sugar-free versions.
A more obvious source of white sugar is in jams and jellies. There are now many all-fruit varieties sweetened with concentrated grape or apple juice. There are also jams that are sweetened with honey, dehydrated cane juice, or unrefined cane sugar.
Directions
Try the following tips to help moderate or eliminate the amount of added sugar in your diet:- Buy unsweetened cereals.
- Drink 100% fruit juices or water rather than fruit drinks, soda or punches which tend to have considerable amounts of sugar added to them.
- Select sugary foods that still have nutritional value. For example, choose oatmeal cookies over sugar cookies; sweeten your cereal with banana slices or raisins instead of table sugar.
- Choose fresh fruit or fruit not canned in heavy syrup to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Go easy on or avoid foods that have the words sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, fructose or syrup listed among the first three ingredients on the food label. These foods tend to contain high amounts of sugar.
- Try reducing the amount of sugar in your favorite recipes. You may be surprised that some recipes taste the same even when you reduce the sugar content by as much as 25-40%.
How do you modify your old recipes to eliminate refined white sugar? Replace the sugar with half the amount of raw sugar (dehydrated cane juice, e.g. Sucanat, or turbinado), or half the amount of honey or maple syrup (but reduce the liquid amount by one quarter cup for every cup of honey or maple syrup used). To sweeten you can also use rice syrup, barley malt, date sugar, dried fruit, fresh fruit, fruit juice, or even rice milk. Using sweeter flours such as oat or teff also lends a natural sweetness to baked goods.
|
|
 |
|
 |
Sugars Avoidance / Reduction can help with the following: | | | | | Addictions |  Trichotillomania | If people are interested in seeing if their hair pulling is food-related, there is a simple test that can be done. Simply eating a snack such as peanut M&Ms (containing sugar, chocolate and legumes) - as many as you can stand at one sitting, washing them down with Coca-Cola (cola, caffeine and more sugar or aspartame, which is just as bad) is all that it takes. If in 2 days there is a noticeable increase in hair pulling urges, then you could consider abstaining from "bad" foods.
Unfortunately, it appears to take from 30-40 days to purge the gut and skin of their bad effects fully, and it also seems to take several attempts and about a year of trying for most pullers to achieve the desired results. People report that avoiding sugar and caffeine - which act more quickly - is the most rewarding way to start.
The list of foods that aggravate this condition includes concentrated natural sugars, tomato seeds, soy products, yams, MSG, and ibuprofen. However, there are a few "good" foods, which partially counteract the "bad" ones, including garlic, most acidic fruits, dry red wine, unsweetened yogurt, and a chemical family called gluconates. |
|
Aging |
Alzheimer's Disease |
Allergy |
Allergic Rhinitis / Hay Fever |
Autoimmune |
Crohn's Disease| | Elaine Gottschall, author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle, has proposed that gut dysbiosis is a major cause of Crohn's disease, with small and large bowel fermentation being a key component. She has used a Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) restricted in disaccharide sugars and devoid of cereal grains to alter gut flora. When digestion of carbohydrates such as starches and some sugars is impaired, these items are poorly absorbed. Yeast and bacteria can then overgrow in response to these newly available nutrients, increasing toxic by-products and mucus production, resulting in further injury to the small intestine and malabsorption. Digestion is worsened - thus "the vicious cycle". The purpose of the SCD is to deprive the microbial world in the small intestine of food it needs to overpopulate and irritate. |
|
Circulation |
Mitral Valve Prolapse| | Avoidance of refined sugars is commonly recommended by natural doctors. |
 Hypertension |
Diet |
 Excess Sugar Consumption
Consequences of Poor Diet |
Digestion |
Gastric/Peptic/Duodenal Ulcers |
Immunity |
Weakened Immune System
HIV/AIDS| | Sugar and corn syrup found in many desserts impair the engulfing power of white blood cells. The worst offenders are found in canned soda, candy bars, pastry and other processed desserts. Even sugars found in fruit juice, when consumed quickly, will have a depressive effect on immune cells. |
|
Infections |
Yeast / Candida Infection
Colds and Influenza| | Sugar consumption is a known weakener of the immune system. Regular use of rapidly-absorbed sugars slows down your immune system's ability to dispose of invading organisms. |
Pharyngitis ("Strep Throat") |
Lab Values |
High Levels Of Triglycerides| | Ingesting refined sugar increases triglyceride levels. People with elevated triglyceride levels should therefore reduce their intake of sugar, sweets and other sugar-containing foods. Even added fructose will raise triglyceride levels, but the fructose found naturally in foods should be less of a problem. |
|
Laboratory Test Needed |
Elevated Insulin Levels |
Mental |
Anxiety
Panic Attacks| | Eating a lot of foods high in refined sugar increases blood lactate levels and may induce panic in susceptible individuals. |
|
Metabolic |
Hypoglycemia| | Consuming foods that contain simple sugars makes the problem worse. Avoid sweets other than fresh fruits, if tolerated. In addition, consider avoiding products that only "taste" sweet (artificially sweetened - low calorie). Even though they may contain no sugar, sending signals to your brain that something "sweet" is being consumed may have negative consequences. |
Migraine/Tension Headaches
Not recommended for:
 Susceptibility to Hangovers| | Take some form of sugar; alcohol lowers your blood sugar levels. |
|
Musculo-Skeletal |
Susceptibility To Cavities
Osteoporosis - Osteopenia| | Avoiding factors that encourage bone loss can be as just as important as calcium intake. Diets high in refined sugar, protein, salt, caffeine, and phosphorous contained in soft drinks, all promote calcium excretion in urine. |
Restless Leg Syndrome| | See the link between Restless Leg Syndrome and Caffeine Avoidance. |
|
Organ Health |
Diabetes Type II
Hepatitis |
Parasites |
Giardiasis Infection| | See the link between Giardia and High-Fiber Diet. |
|
Respiratory |
Acute Bronchitis| | Due to its inhibition of the immune system, sugar consumption should be stopped until all bronchitis symptoms have ceased. |
|
Skin-Hair-Nails |
Adult Acne
Rosacea
Dandruff |
Uro-Genital |
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)| | A high sugar diet causes obesity with further insulin resistance and aggravation of PCOS. According to Jerilyn Prior, M.D., the increased insulin from sugar consumption stimulates androgen receptors on the outside of the ovary, causing a failure of ovulation and the typical PCOS symptoms of hirsutism and acne. |
Female Infertility |
| | | | |
Sugars Avoidance / Reduction can help prevent the following: | | | | | Aging | Parkinson's Disease| | People with a high intake of sugar (mono- and disaccharides) increase their risk of developing Parkinson's disease by a factor of three as compared to people with a more moderate intake. |
|
Infections |
Periodontal Disease - Gingivitis| | The bacteria that come together to become plaque use sugar as a form of energy. They multiply faster and the plaque grows in size and thickness. Some of the bacteria turn sugar into a kind of glue and use it to stick themselves to the surface of the teeth. This makes it harder for the bacteria to get washed away by saliva. |
|
Organ Health |
Gallbladder Disease| | In research published in 1983 from the University Department of Medicine, scientists stated, "Bile is significantly more saturated with cholesterol after 6 weeks on a refined carbohydrate diet (white flour and sugar) than after a similar period on an unrefined carbohydrate diet (whole wheat and grains)." |
|
| | | | |
KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended | | | May have adverse consequences |
GLOSSARY
Acne
A chronic skin disorder due to inflammation of hair follicles and sebaceous glands (secretion glands in the skin).
Androgen
Any steroid hormone that increases male characteristics.
Aspartame
A low-calorie sweetener used in a variety of foods and drinks and as a tabletop sweetener. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is commonly known by names such as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful or Equal-Measure.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Bile
A bitter, yellow-green secretion of the liver. Bile is stored in the gallbladder and is released when fat enters the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) in order to aid digestion.
Bronchitis
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes, frequently accompanied by cough, hypersecretion of mucus, and expectoration of sputum. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by an infectious agent and of short duration. Chronic bronchitis, generally the result of smoking, may also be known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Emphysema.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Carbohydrates (Carbohydrate)
The sugars and starches in food. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates and found in such foods as fruit and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are composed of large numbers of sugar molecules joined together, and are found in grains, legumes, and vegetables like potatoes, squash, and corn.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Crohn's Disease (Crohn's)
Chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia.
Cup (Cups)
A unit of volume measurement equal to 8 fluid oz, or roughly 250ml. It also equals 1/2 pint, 1/4 quart and 1/16 gallon.
Fructose
A simple sugar which occurs naturally in fruit or honey.
Giardiasis (Giardia)
An intestinal tract infection caused by Giardia lamblia, a flagellate protozoa now common to much of the world. It is not normally a very serious infection, but nevertheless unpleasant.
Glucose
A sugar that is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It is commonly referred to as blood sugar. The body breaks down carbohydrates in foods into glucose, which serves as the primary fuel for the muscles and the brain.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Insulin
A hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin stimulates the liver, muscles, and fat cells to remove glucose from the blood for use or storage.
Lactation (Lactate, Lactates, Lactating)
Production of milk; period after giving birth during which milk is secreted in the breasts.
Malabsorption
Improper utilization of needed and available nutrients, either from impaired digestive function (such as B12 being unabsorbed because of gastritis), impaired absorption (poor Vitamin E absorption because of an inflamed ileum) or impaired transport (the diminished blood proteins of the advanced alcoholic). There are other causes as well.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Used as a flavor enhancer and preservative in many foods, especially Asian (Chinese). Once banned, it is now permitted in small amounts because no health risks have been found in older children and adults.
Mucus (Mucous)
The viscous, slippery substance that consists chiefly of mucin, water, cells, and inorganic salts and is secreted as a protective lubricant coating by cells and glands of the mucous membranes.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, causing patches of sclerosis (plaques) in the brain and spinal cord, manifested by loss of normal neurological functions, e.g. muscle weakness, loss of vision, and mood alterations.
Ovary (Ovaries)
Ovaries are about the size of an almond and lie on either side of the lower abdomen beside the uterus. They usually produce one egg each month and whether the egg is fertilized or not, the reproductive process follows a monthly cycle, with constant changes in various hormone levels, preparing another opportunity for conception. The ovary is responsible for most of the estrogen production in women. At menopause (sometime after middle-age), egg production ceases and hormone levels drop significantly.
Parkinson's Disease (Parkinson's)
A chronic, slowly-progressing disease of the nervous system characterized clinically by the combination of tremor, rigidity, extreme slowness of movement, and stooped posture. It is characterized pathologically by loss of dopamine in the substantia nigra.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Refined Sugar (Refined Sugars)
The term 'refined sugar' includes not only the "sugar" listed in ingredient listings, but also brown sugar, glucose, fructose and dextrose. Obvious sources include jams and jellies; hidden sources are often mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings and other condiments.
Saliva (Salivary)
The watery mixture of secretions from the salivary and oral mucous glands that lubricates chewed food and moistens the oral walls.
Simple Carbohydrate (Simple Carbohydrates)
A simple form of sugar; glucose, lactose, fructose, etc. This type of sugar is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream.
Small Intestine (Small Bowel)
The small intestine lies between the stomach and the large intestine. It is about 6 meters (20 feet) long and its primary function is to digest (break down) food and absorb nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats). The small intestine makes up more than 70% of the length and 90% of the surface area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Triglyceride (Triglycerides)
The main form of fat found in foods and the human body. Containing three fatty acids and one unit of glycerol, triglycerides are stored in adipose cells in the body, which, when broken down, release fatty acids into the blood. Triglycerides are fat storage molecules and are the major lipid component of the diet.
White Blood Cell (WBC, White Blood Cells)
A blood cell that does not contain hemoglobin: a blood corpuscle responsible for maintaining the body's immune surveillance system against invasion by foreign substances such as viruses or bacteria. White cells become specifically programmed against foreign invaders and work to inactivate and rid the body of a foreign substance. White blood cells are composed primarily of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are either T-cells or B-cells. T-cells (CD3 cells) are divided into T-helper (CD4 cells) and T-suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8 cells) cells.
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Last updated: Apr 27, 2008
|
 |
|
|
