I guess I just can’t get enough studying…even when it’s not required. lol
I spent my Saturday morning researching the effects of sugar on the body. Since I have committed to no refined sugar for 100 days, I have really been paying attention to labels. I am amazed at the sugar content in the most surprising products. There really is sugar in practically everything! Natural sugar is one thing, but it’s the refined stuff that I have a problem with. I feel such a difference in my body when I eat sugar so I really wanted to understand why. What I found in my research is mind-boggling. I know that all food and beverages that we consume alter our chemicals within our bodies, but this is astonishing! Check it out!
REFINED SUGAR-A DRUG?
…Refined sugar, by some, is called a drug, because in the refining process everything of food value has been removed except the carbohydrates-pure calories, without vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, enzymes or any of the other elements that make up food. Many nutrition experts say that white sugar is extremely harmful, possibly as harmful as a drug, especially in the quantities consumed by the present-day American.
…Dr. David Reuben, author of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Nutrition says, “.white refined sugar-is not a food. It is a pure chemical extracted from plant sources, purer in fact than cocaine, which it resembles in many ways. Its true name is sucrose and its chemical formula is C12H22O11. It has 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, 11 oxygen atoms, and absolutely nothing else to offer.” …The chemical formula for cocaine is C17H21NO4. Sugar’s formula again is C12H22O11. For all practical purposes, the difference is that sugar is missing the “N”, or nitrogen atom.
Seriously?!!?! Now I understand why I struggle with cravings when I think I can have “just” a cookie or a large sweet tea. Remember when I blogged a few weeks ago about my 7 day struggle that was triggered by sweets? This makes so much sense to me now.
I find this fascinating … consider this thought…. God gave us taste buds that delight in sweetness. He also gave us countless fruits and plants that contain a natural healthy sweetness for us to enjoy. Like so many other gifts from above, man has taken, altered, and misused this gift in a way that is harmful to us. God could have provided only bland foods …. or no taste buds so that we would not know the difference. But He chose to bless us with good things… that we turn around and harm ourselves with. Wow. I am so thankful that He does not leave us to our own self-destruction.
If you are interested in learning about the refining process and what makes sugar so harmful, there is a detailed report of production at http://www.rense.com/general45/sguar.htm .
I also found great information on this site:
http://www.sugar-addiction.com/sugar_addiction_archives.htm
Knowledge is power, my friend!
Have a “Naturally” Sweet Day!
