Sugar addiction is a major problem in the U.S.
The term ‘sugar’ is a general one. Today, there are numerous umbrella terms to identify sugar. However, we must not forget that Nature produces sugar (true fructose). The sugars or sweeteners Nature provides are not harmful because they are balanced sugars – balanced with nutrients! Mother’s milk or breast milk is sweet, but it contains nutrients and thus is balanced. Same thing with maple syrup – it contains balanced nutrients.
Sugar is really not the problem. It is unstable and isolated sugars that are man-made, processed or refined that are problematic. During sugar’s processing, it turns from a sticky black substance to a clear juice that is heated to remove impurities and after this process it is then bleached ‘white’ with chemicals.
More than 70% of the sugars we consume are hidden in the foods we eat and beverages we drink. The types of sugar that is doing the serious harm our health are known as:
- Brown sugar
- Corn syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- Cane sugar
- Turbinado sugar
- Sugar cane crystals (or cane crystals)
- Evaporated cane juice
- Demerara sugar
- Natural milled cane sugar
- Dried cane juice
- Granulated cane juice
- Milled cane sugar
- Plantation white sugar
- Raw cane juice
- Muscovado sugar
- Unrefined cane sugar
- Barley malt
- Rice syrup
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Granular fruit sugar
- Sweet N’ Low
- Yellow-D sugar.
According to the Agricultural Marketing Research Center, most refined sugar comes from sugar beets and sugar cane. Roughly 75% of sugar comes from sugar cane, about 23.5% comes from sugar beet production, and the remaining come from sources like corn, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
Sugar is EVERYWHERE!
A 2009 US News Health report revealed that sugar-bingeing plays a major role in metabolic changes in the American population and in the exploding obesity rates. In part, here’s what the report found:
- “Added sugars, which are sprinkled on and processed into packaged foods and beverages, have become all too common in the American diet, says the American Heart Association. The group argues that sugar bingeing is helping drive the uptick in metabolic changes in the American population, including the exploding obesity rate, and has now recommended an upper limit on daily consumption.
- Women should consume no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars, and men should not top 150 calories per day.
- One 12-ounce can contains about 8 teaspoons or about 33 grams of added sugar, which equals approximately 130 calories. One gram of sugar serves up 4 calories, according to the American Dietetic Association.
- With math like that, it’s not surprising that the average American rings up an average of 22.2 teaspoons, or 355 calories per day, of added sugars, mostly from sugar-sweetened beverages.
- But those who shun sweet-tasting drinks are not off the hook. Part of the challenge of avoiding added sugars, argues the AHA, is that they have become far more prevalent over time; the amount of added sugars in Americans’ food options increased 19 percent between 1970 and 2005.”
Sugar and Disease
Sugar plays a role in a host of diseases. In fact, diabetes used to be called ‘sugar diabetes.’ Sugar is also implicated in heart disease, candida albicans, kidney failure, cancer, tooth decay, pancreas disorders, obesity, excess and unhealthy weight gain, neurological disorders, menstrual complaints, glaucoma, hypoglycemia, mood swings, depression, and headaches.
Healing Sugar Addiction Naturally
When we consume sugar, the body goes into overdrive because sugar contains little to no nutrition. It is a simple carbohydrate.
When we consume sugar (especially simple sugars), it greatly taxes the body. The body uses stored nutrition in our bodies to process the sugar. In effect, sugar (regardless of whether it’s natural or man-made) robs our body of nutrition.
To overcome or heal from sugar addiction, the body needs nutrition: minerals, trace elements, vitamins and B-vitamins, amino acids (protein), and essential fatty acids and the best sources of these vital nutrients are live foods, living foods (raw foods), especially fruits and vegetables.
Incorporate more live foods into your daily diet. Drink vegetable juice as much as you can. Vegetable juice is 100% liquid nutrition, especially if the veggies are organic.
Always opt for complex sugars over simple sugars.
There are also herbs that can assist with naturally kicking the sugar habit. These herbs include Gymnema sylvestre, Stevia, Licorice Root, Cinnamon, Jambul Seed, Bilberry leaf, and Guava Leaf. These herbs are useful for healing problems of obesity and pancreas complaints (i.e. diabetes and hypoglycemia).
Gymnema sylvestre (also known as ‘Gurmar’), which literally means “Destroyer of Sugar”is also known to be very helpful in breaking a sugar addiction. Licorice root is an effective herb to help regulate blood sugar levels. It has a mildly natural sweet taste. Jambul seed is effective in reducing the amount of sugar in the urine.
Healthy Sugar Alternatives
There are also natural sugar alternatives (natural sweeteners) available today, including:
- Maple syrup contains a moderate amount of nutrients that make maple syrup very beneficial for health purposes.
- Stevia (Stevia raubadiana), a plant, is 200 times naturally sweeter than sugar and without the adverse side effects of sugar (sucrose, white table sugar). Stevia works best in tea compounds and gives herbal teas a naturally sweet taste.
- Agave nectar is 1.4 to 1.6 times sweeter than traditional sugar. It’s extracted from several species of the agave plant (the same plant that produces tequila). It’s an excellent vegan alternative to honey when cooking.
Satisfy Cravings Naturally
If you have a craving for sugar or something sweet, consider something naturally given or provided for in Nature and that has not been refined or processed by man; or if it has been processed by man (into a product) make sure it still contains nutrients for purposes of nutrition.
Here is a list of naturally sweet foods that can suffice a sugar craving:
- Black currants
- Most raw fruit: i.e. banana, watermelon, orange, peach, mango, etc.
- Dried fruit (unsulfured)
DHerbs products that are helpful to people trying to stop sugar addiction:
This article is compliments of Dherbs.com.