Beating the Sugar Blues

I had the joy of attending a nutrition education class on "Beating the Sugar Blues," on which the topic was - you guessed it - sugar!!  (A little anecdote:  As I was leaving this very informative class about sweets, a couple walked by with huge bowls of ice cream from Coldstone Creamery!)


The most impacting thing I learned was something I guess I knew already -- the idea of Primary Nutrition versus Secondary Nutrition.  What nourishes you?  Our Primary source of nutrition is what nourishes us in our lives - relationships, spirituality, activity, etc.  Food is only our Secondary source of nutrition.  What a relief to know that food really isn't so important! 


Info about sugar:
* USDA recommends no more than 10 tsp of sugar a day, yet most Americans eat about 30 tsp a day. 
* Average American consumes more than 100 pounds of sugar and sweeteners a year.
* Sugar qualifies as an addictive substance.  The reason: 1. Eating even a small amount creates a desire for more.  2. Suddenly quitting causes withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, cravings, and fatigue.
* The bad news about sugar:  1.  Sugar blocks nutrient absorption and actually creates nutrient deficiency.  Sucrose requires extra effort to digest, meaning your body has to deplete it's own stores of minerals and enzymes to absorb it properly.  So, instead of providing nutrition, it therefore creates deficiency. 2. Blood sugar levels fluctuate wildly - first pushing it sky-high, and then dropping it extremely low, bringing you from excitability and hyperactivity to fatigue, depression, exhaustion.  It's an emotional roller-coaster.  3. We know sugar is found in "sweets," like cakes, cookies, candy.  But it's also in canned veggies, cereal, peanut butter, bread, tomato sauce, and others.  (Corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose, fructose, etc. are all sugar). 4. Overconsumption of refined sweets and added sugars leads to hypoglycemia and type 2 diabetes.
* Beware of emotions around food - if you're tense / anxious about food, you won't fully get the nutrition from what you're eating.


Artificial sweeteners (sugar substitutes) are worse than white, refined sugar!  Their names:  Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal), Saccharin (Sweet N Low), Sucralose (Splenda), Acesulfame K, and Neotame. 
* Studies link aspartame and saccharin to cancer. ("Lowdown on Sweet?" published in The New York Times February 12, 2006).
* CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) cautions us to avoid aspartame, saccharin, and acesulfame K because they're unsafe or are poorly tested and not worth the risk. 
* Aspartame contains neurotoxins.  Symptoms from consumption of aspartame including headaches, hearing loss, blurred vision, memory loss, personality changes, anxiety attacks, edema, skin lesions, fatigue, chest pains, nausea, slurred speech, violent episodes, hyperactivity, gastrointestinal disorders, muscle cramps, PMS, increased appetite, dizziness, insomnia, hallucinations, mild to suicidal depression, mood changes, heart arrhythmia, seizures, menstrual irregularities, numbness, etc.  (From "Aspartame: The Real Story" by Annemarie Colbin.)
* We especially need to stay away from high fructose corn syrup. 


Alternatives:  They're gentler than the refined white stuff; easier on the body's blood sugar.  So, if you must have "sweet" in small quantities:
* * Sucanat (short for Sugar Cane Natural)
* * Agave nectar (alternative to honey, lower glycemic index than honey, and it tastes sweeter so you'll use less)
* * Raw honey
* Barley Malt
* Birch Sugar
* Birch Syrup
* Brown Rice Syrup
* Date Sugar
* Honey
* Maple Syrup
* Maple Sugar
* Molasses
* Rapadura
* Stevia
* Vegetable Glycerin


Why do I crave sugar? 
* Are you getting enough protein?  Iron? B vitamins?  If you're not getting enough protein, you will crave sugar.
* Are you getting enough water?  If you're dehydrated, you'll crave sugar.  (Reminder: caffeine dehydrates you, so you need to drink more water to make up for the loss).
* Food particles left on your tongue.  Use a tongue cleaner!  (Brushing your tongue, only moves the particles around).
* Try peppermint oil - it increases digestion and decreases sugar cravings.


Other Tips
* Crowd out sugar by eating healthier things more often.
* You are what you eat = food has a direct impact on your mood, energy, and life.
* Don't deprive yourself. 
* Beware of emotions surrounding food.  (Happy? Sad?  Tired?  Bored? Trying to please?)
* Get a high quality food.  Focus on it and enjoy it. (No sitting in front of the TV!  Sit down and actually be present with your food.)