Sugar is Sugar, Really???

This past Sunday night I took some time for myself and sat down to watch a couple hours of mindless t.v.  I love having the room to myself, nobody talking to me, watching a few of my favorite shows.

This particular night ended with me arguing at the t.v. and wanting to throw my shoe at the screen.

What had me so upset?  The endless repetitive commercials for the Corn Sugar industry touting how corn syrup is just sugar and sugar is sugar.  OMG!  I could have had a coronary right then and there if it weren't for my 9 yr. old trying to calm me down with my saying, "What you see on t.v. is not always the truth!"

The following sentences are taken from their website, CornSugar.com:

High fructose corn syrup is simply a kind of corn sugar that is metabolized by your body the same as sugar or honey.

A sugar is a sugar whether it comes from corn sugar or cane sugar. All are safe and natural. Your body can’t tell the difference.

Sounds perfectly ok, right? So what is my issue with all of this? Though your body may not be able to tell the difference between different sweeteners, I am here to tell you that sugar is wrecking havoc on your insides.


There is an assumption out there that wheat should be the first thing to eliminate from ones diet if one is trying to get healthy. True, wheat causes inflammation of the cells, the gut lining, joints, etc.  If one is consuming wheat with gluten the list grows even longer in terms of side effects.  With that said, I am an advocate for elimination of wheat, but here is the deal. Wheat can and does wreck havoc, but not everyone is affected by the side affects of wheat.


Sugar on the other hand, is a different story.  Sugar is the silent killer of our society and unfortunately if you eat the Standard American Diet, it is in everything you consume.  It is a cheap commodity(especially if made by corn) and thanks to the food industry slowly adding it to everything processed, our bodies have become accustomed to our food being sweetened.


What are the affects of sugar on your body?
Diabetes  - High LDL levels - Stress - Candida/yeast infections - PMS - Cancer - Allergies - Anxiety - Depression - Constipation - Fatigue - Headaches - Gas/bloating - Hyperactivity - Metabolic Syndrome - Obesity - Mood Swings - and craving for more Sugar!
Horrid, right?  These are just the major issues, there are many more I could list.

A good, easy, cheap test to see if you are addicted to sugar is to do the following:
Purchase a serving of full fat plain milk yogurt and sample it.  If you think it tastes great plain, then you passed.  If you gag and want to spit it out because it has no flavor, you failed.
You see, milk has a sweet flavor to it because of the natural sugars in milk.  If you are unable to taste the natural sugar, your body has become accustomed to too much sugar.


Can we survive without sugar?  No, our bodies need some sugar for survival. Our bodies use glucose to supply energy to our brain, etc.  What we do not need is the level of sugar that is consumed in today's world. By eating a whole food based diet rich in vegetables and fruit, your body will get the amount of sugar it needs to thrive.


If you have to have sugar for your tea or coffee, whatever you do PLEASE DO NOT use an artifical sweetener.  These alone keep you from losing weight and they are made up of horrible chemicals and poisons.

Switch to organic stevia for your drinks, and if you must bake, look into coconut palm sugar.  Both natural plant sources and both low on the glycemix index.


If you are having cravings for sugar, try eating more sweet vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets and parsnips.  You may also be nutrient deficient in chromium or tryptophan.

So, now you have a better idea of why I was arguing and wanting to throw my shoe at the t.v.  If the idea of cutting sugar out of your diet overwhelms you, it is a step by step process, but it can be done.  
I personally use an 8 week system with clients and I can attest to the fact that one can say NO to SUGAR.


As a certified Nutritional Health Coach, I can help.  If you are interested in one-on-one Nutritional Health & Wellness Coaching, I would love to help you on the road to healthy living.


As always, please feel free to email me with any comments or questions at sdbrougher@gmail.com.

To your health,

Sandra