Prompted by the wonderful initiative of the Cancer Research for Sugar Free February, for which I’ve spoke about on facebook as well, I decided to write a post about sugar and why I avoid it in my diet and lifestyle. Sugar has been at the focus lately, and for very good reasons as recent researches have proven, as sugar is associated with a large amount of degenerative diseases. If you honestly wish to make a change in your diet to better your health, I’d strongly recommend you begin with omitting sugar, and Sugar Free February is the best opportunity to start. Therefore, we’ll be abstaining from sugar for all of February, to improve our health and gather money for cancer research. If helping such a great cause doesn’t motivate you enough to keep yourselves away from chocolates and candies this February, then here’s some more reasons that should help you consider restricting sugar. Disclaimer: From here on out, read with caution, as that delicious orange chocolate pie won’t ever be the same anymore…
First and foremost, we should mention that the consumption of sugar has been dramatically rising in the last few years, resulting in the consumption of around 22 spoonfuls of sugar per day. That’s not that hard to do, considering that just one can of soda contains about 9 spoonfuls of sugar. Sugar nowadays is hidden in products that you would never think of, from tomatoes to broth cubes, therefore, reading the tiniest details on your product boxes matters. Since processed sugar is something that has been recently introduced into our diets (a while after the middle ages), our bodies aren’t designed to process such large quantities of sugar, which result in the appearance of various degenerative diseases.
1) Sugar increases the risks for diabetes type 2.
Consumption of just 1 or 2 sodas per day (which if I remember correctly contain about 7 spoonfuls of sugar each), increases the risk of diabetes by 26%, based on a Harvard university research.
2) Sugar increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The same research mentioned above, shows that the consumption of 1-2 sodas per day increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 35%.
In fact, recent researches have proved that saturated fats have been wrongfully demonised as the cause of increased frequency of cardiovascular disorders, as it turns out that it’s sugar and simple carbohydrates that bring forth so many people into the medical tables of cardio surgeons.
3) Sugar increases the risks of certain types of cancers, and the risks of cancer metastasis.
A research by the Maryland university, states that sugar inhibits the antioxidant mechanisms of the body, which work against cancer, thus increasing the risk of carcinogenesis. About 50% of pancreatic cancer diagnosis, have been diagnosed within a year of a diabetes type 2 diagnosis. It’s not coincidental that anti-diabetic drugs are nowadays tested in the treatment against cancer. Recent researches find an association between consumption of sugar and breast, bile and gastrointestinal cancers.
Sugar also increases the risk of cancer metastasis, as cancerous cells, due to the difference in physiology from normal cells, have a higher amount of glucose receptors and produce energy anaerobically, therefore consume glucose instead of ATP. This is the principle of PET SCAN, which is the most common mean of cancer diagnosis, where in a sugar solution is given to the patient, which activates the sugar-hungry cancerous cells, which due to their larger need for sugar, show a higher amount of metabolic activity than normal body cells.
4) Sugar causes premature ageing.
Sugar reacts with some amino-acids in the body, leading to premature ageing and wrinkle formation, and sugar consumption is associated with shorter chromosomal telomeres. Telomeres protect the DNA, similarly to how shoelaces have a protective plastic clip at the end, therefore, shorter telomeres are associated with premature ageing and a shorter lifespan. Furthermore, sugar breaks down collagen, which is the substance that maintains the elasticity and flexibility of our skin.
5) Sugar weakens our immune system.
Sugar interferes with the activity of white blood cells, which are the foundation of the body’s immune system. A research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proves that the ability of white blood cells to attack bacteria, is decreased by 40% with the consumption of sugar. This is an excellent reason as to why cancer patients should refrain from consuming sugar.
6) Sugar increases your appetite.
Sugar makes you more resistant to leptin: Leptin is a hormone which, as its name suggests, helps us remain thin, by regulating our appetite. When levels of leptin in the blood increase, your body tells you that you should stop eating because you’re full. Research suggests that processed sugar, and primarily fructose, de-regulate this hormone, which causes our body to stop responding to signs of satiety, and keeps us feeling hungry, which eventually leads to obesity.
What are the immediate benefits of cutting out sugar from your diet?
– Your energy levels will stabilise within the day, and you won’t feel weaker by the time evening rolls around.
– You won’t be desperately looking for something sweet to eat after a meal or in the afternoon, with a craving big enough to allow you to unleash a mighty fury upon anyone that gets between you and the piece of chocolate you so desire.
– You’ll have the strength to say no to that second piece of cake, since you won’t be seeking it out due to cravings.
– You’ll be able to leave the dining table feeling full.
– Your visits to the dentist will lessen.
Perhaps all that was mentioned above sound too good to be true, but mere weeks of abstaining from sugar are more than enough to help re-regulate our hormones and make our taste buds get over their sugar dependance.
Sugar is sugar in all its chemical types, as all forms of sugar are transformed into glucose in our blood, in order to be used to give us energy. Because we don’t all start on the same level when it comes to sugar consumption, it’s almost impossible to cut off sugar in our diet cold turkey, and therefore I suggest the following for a Sugar Free February:
- a) Basic Level: We cut out processed sugar, and continue consuming fresh (and a few dried) fruit, and certain natural sweeteners (such as honey and maple syrup, I’ll be talking more in-depth about them in another post)
- b) Sugar Free Samurai: If you’ve already cut out all types of processed sugar, you can then cut out natural sweeteners, and fruit with a high glycemic index.
It’s up to you as to which of the above levels you’d like to try out this February. I believe that even the basic level is a huge achievement, and it’s a commitment that can be maintained for a long amount of time if you’d wish to make a permanent change to your dietary lifestyle and habits. I’m at that basic level myself, although I’m going to try out the Sugar Free Samurai level this February, as I feel that it’s a bigger challenge.
-Okay, I’m in! What should I do now?
Essentially, you’ll want to gather all of your strength and discipline, and start as soon as tomorrow to work on your goal of a sugar detox for 4 weeks. For all of February, I’ll be posting frequently about advice and recipes about how to abstain from sugar. The idea that you’ll have support throughout this, and a community of people that will be refraining from sugar and will be living through experiences similar to what you’ll be going through, is certainly helpful. If you’d like some more support, you could join the Cancer Research UK charity, since knowing that there’ll be people that support your cause and give money for a good cause, means you have one more reason to not let them down. How can you join? The Cancer Research UK association has made it very easy. Once you join by clicking on the following link, a page will be sent to you with your own account for the charity, which you can share on social media, so that friends can support you on your sugar-free February race by contributing a small amount of money, as much as the want, which will then be deposited in the account of Cancer Research UK by the end of the month, which will then be spent on their research against cancer.
Cancer Research UK is one of the biggest MKO in England for the research against cancer, and generally, MKO are very strictly regulated in England, so you don’t have to worry that your money will end up in a con artist’s pocket.
- The average American consumes about 152 pounds of sugar a year. That’s roughly 22 teaspoons every day for every person in America. And our kids consume about 34 teaspoons every day — that’s more than two 20-ounce sodas — making nearly one in four teenagers pre-diabetic or diabetic.
- Flour is even worse than sugar. We consume about 146 pounds of flour a year. Think about it. That’s about one pound of sugar and flour combined every day for every man, woman and child in America. And flour raises blood sugar even more than table sugar. Even whole-wheat flour.
His research also reveals that fructose has effects independent of this mechanism to induce this metabolic syndrome. Whereas fructose increases weight through the standard mechanism of stimulating more food intake and blocking the burning of fat, even when you control caloric intake, fructose can affect body composition