Now for all of you who have a sweet tooth, and even for those of you who dont think you have a sweet tooth, lets explore and expose the dangers of our fourth deadly white: sugar, which happens to be one of Americas very favorite foods. Weve already discussed the first three deadly whites: white flour, white rice, and white salt. Lots of foods are loaded with sugar. Sometimes the sugar is obvious in some foods. We all know that candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, jam, ice cream, desserts, cereals, soda, and drinks contain sugar. However, sometimes the sugar is hidden in many foods. Sugar can be found in soups, canned fruits and vegetables, bread, peanut butter, mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, pickles, and even baby foods. Americans eat lots of sugar. As a matter of fact, statistics report that the average American eats from 130 to 150 pounds of sugar every year which translates into 30 to 50 teaspoons of sugar a day. A can of pop alone has 10 teaspoons of sugar so it wouldnt take much more sugar to add up to 30 to 50 teaspoons a day. So what is so wrong about eating sugar? Sugar is detrimental to health and fitness. It causes many problems in the body, some of which are: Sugar causes the loss of tissue elasticity and tissue functioning causing premature aging. Sugar interferes with the bodys ability to effectively process fat and cholesterol, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease, and strokes. Sugar, along with white flour, causes wear and tear, and ultimately the malfunction of the pancreas. Because white sugar and white flour are absorbed too quickly into the blood stream, the pancreas is forced to send large quantities of insulin into the blood to balance the large quantities of sugar. When this is done over and over, day in and day out over a lifetime, the pancreas gets worn out. The result: hypoglycemia and diabetes, along with fatigue, headaches, irritability, mood swings, nervousness, anxiety, and even mental disorders. Sugar is highly correlated with the growth of cancer cells. Cancer, such as cancers of the breast, ovaries, intestines, prostate, and rectum, is thought to thrive on sugar. Sugar causes the body to become over-acid. When the body is over-acid, it must pull calcium from the bones to neutralize the acidity. Along with animal products and salt, sugar is another contributor to osteoporosis. Is there any wonder why there is so much osteoporosis in the United States? Ultimately, excess sugar is stored in the liver and when the liver is filled to capacity, the sugar returns to the blood in the form of fat. The fat is stored in those places we dont want it storednamely our butts, thighs, stomachs, and breasts. So of course, sugar is a huge cause of weight gain and obesity, which is 30 pounds overweight. White sugar is correlated with a compromised immune system, varicose veins, gallstones, kidney damage, acid stomach, colitis, asthma, migraine headaches, eczema, cataracts, emphysema, and multiple sclerosis. White sugar is high in calories, which could ultimately be turned into fat, and these calories are completely empty of any nutrition whatsoever. And, even worse than empty calories, is the fact that sugar actually leeches vitamins and minerals out of your body. Carefully consider what you are putting into your body. Read the labels and look for sugar under different names: dextrose, maltose, fructose, glucose, lactose, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, malt, syrup, and no sugar added all mean that sugar is in this product. If health, fitness, weight loss, well-functioning organs, high energy, and a youthful body are important to you, then its time to think about which foods you are putting in your body that promote these priorities and which foods deplete you, choice by choice, of your health and your very life. Part I: White Flour and White Rice
Part II: White Salt
Part IV: White Processed Oils |
Index
