Dare I say Sugar and Heroin in the same sentence?

Well, you all know by now how anti sugar I am.  I've already written two previous posts about sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup.  As a Nutritionist I can honestly say that there is NOTHING positive to be said for sugar.  Last week I read a book that was first published in 1973 "sugar Blues" by William Dufty.  I have to say even I was shocked at just how poisonous sugar is to the human body.  Now when I say sugar, I mean man-refined sugar.  there are natural sugars in natural foods such as fruit and, to a lesser degree, in vegetables.  These natural sugars, in moderation, are fine for us and our bodies can cope perfectly well with them and they are needed.

Man-refined sugar has not always been a part of the human diet.  None of the ancient books such as: Mosaic Law, the code of Manu, the I Ching, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, the New Testament or the Koran mention sugar.  The prophets did tell us a few things about sweet cane in ancient times: "It was a rare luxury, imported from afar and very expensive.  What else they did with it except offer it up as a sacrifice, we can only surmise." (W. Dufty. Sugar Blues).  The Greeks had no word for it.  When Admiral Nearchus in the service of Alexander the Great explored the East Indies in 325 B.C, he described it as "a kind of honey" growing in canes or reeds.  Herodotus called it "manufactured honey" and Pliny called it "honey from the cane".  It was used as a medicine and a Roman writer of Nero's time recorded its latin name saccharum.  I could go on for a very long time about the origins of sugar but one this is blatantly clear if you read the history of sugar - nothing good has ever come from the sugar trade.

With the introduction of sugar into human life, only bad things have happened.  The sugar trade brought many riches to those who were rich and powerful enough to deal in it.  However, it also brought slavery and illness.  Sugar cane grew in tropical climes and when grown elsewhere, slaves were also imported to work the plantations.  Invading armies found it fascinating  but soon found themselves succumbing to illnesses they had never heard of.  When it reached Europe, only the wealthy could afford it (the peasants living off the the land eating whole foods and a little meat and fish every now and again, couldn't afford it and strangely enough didn't succumb to the illnesses rife in the larger cities where sugar was available).  The Portuguese, Spanish and British all did very well, financially that is, from the sugar trade.  Americans soon outdistanced the British in sugar consumption - and almost every other nation too.  The U.S. has consumed one-fifth of the world's production of sugar every year but one since the Civil War (1861-1865).  By 1893, America was consuming more sugar than had been produced in the whole world in 1865.  Sugar consumption has continued to rise consistently - through depression, prosperity, war, peace, drought and flood - nothing, it seems, can stop it.

Only one other plant has kept a parallel trajectory to sugar and that is Opium.  Both began as a medicine; both ended up being used as habit forming sensory pleasures.  The Opium Wars ended with the treaty of Nanking in 1842 and the British insisted in 1858 that Opium imports into China be reinstated.

By this time, chemists had managed to produce refined versions of both Opium (morphine) and sugar.  "Morphine shots became the wonder drug of their time, a cure for all ills, including a new malady that had been discovered in sugar-bingeing nations called Sugar Diabetes.  After the American Civil War, morphine addiction in the U.S. was called the "army disease".  The abuse of morphine in the Union armies of the North was so widespread that thousands of veterans went home hooked on the stuff.  During the Civil War years, soldiers also developed a yen for cans of condensed milk preserved with great quantities of sugar.

"When physicians belatedly discovered the addictive properties of morphine, the chemists went to work again and came up with a further refinement of morphine that was much touted by medical men as a new non-addictive painkiller.  Its multisyllabic chemical name, diacetylmorphine, was soon supplanted by the name of Heroin.  Heroin was hailed in its turn as the miracle wonder drug of its time.  It replaced morphine in the TREATMENT OF SUGAR DIABETES." (W. Dufty, Sugar Blues).

There, I said it.  Sugar and Heroin in the same sentence.  We all know the dangers of Heroin and other hards drugs, but if Heroin was used way back when to treat sugar diabetes - what does that say about SUGAR?

By now (2012), most of the general public should at least be aware that sugar causes:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Low Blood Glucose

The brain is the most sensitive organ in the body.  The difference between feeling up or down, calm or stressed, sane or insane, inspired or depressed depends largely on what we eat.  For the body to work efficiently the amount of glucose in the blood must balance with the amount of oxygen in the blood.  The adrenal glands have the job of maintaining this balance.  When we eat sucrose (man-refined sugar), it is close to being glucose so it largely escapes chemical processing.  The sugar passes directly into the intestines, where it becomes "predigested" glucose.  This is then absorbed into the blood where the glucose level has already been established in precise balance with oxygen.  The glucose level in the blood increases drastically, the balance is destroyed and the body goes into crisis mode.

So how does the body cope with the crisis?  The brain registers it first and hormones are released from the Adrenals, Insulin from the Pancreas works specifically to hold down the blood glucose levels in direct antagonism to the adrenal hormones which are trying to keep the glucose level up.  As a result of the emergency response to the crisis, it all goes too far.  The blood glucose level drops drastically, the pancreas producing insulin shuts down and other adrenal hormones kick in to bring the glucose level back up to normal.

All this has a direct effect on how we feel while this is happening.  While glucose is being absorbed into the blood we feel great - on top of the world!  However, when the blood glucose level falls drastically we feel tired, vulnerable, irritable, nervous and jumpy until our glucose level returns to normal.  So, if to combat the "blues" you eat more chocolate the whole process starts all over again.  After years of such abuse , the end result is damaged adrenals.  This results in "sugar blues"; day to day efficiency lags, constant fatigue and you never seem to get anything done.

The late endocrinologist Dr. John W. Tintera, was very emphatic when he said: "It is quite possible to improve your disposition, increase your efficiency, and change your personality for the better.  The way to do it is to avoid cane and beet sugar in all forms and guises."

In the 1940s Tintera rediscovered the vital importance of the endocrine system especially the adrenal glands.  The adrenal glands, damaged from the constant whiplash caused by the consumption of sugar, were producing a state of mental confusion or "brain boggling".  His patients' symptoms for mental confusion were incredibly similar to other patients who were unable to handle sugar: fatigue, nervousness, depression, apprehension, craving for sweets, inability to handle alcohol, lack of concentration, allergies and low blood pressure - the sugar blues!

He announced that many psychiatrically treated patients just needed to undergo a glucose tolerance test, if they couldn't handle sugar - remove it from their diet and they would be cured.  "Nobody but nobody should ever be allowed to begin what is called psychiatric treatment any place, anywhere, unless and until they have had a glucose tolerance test to discover if they can handle sugar."

This all means that to the already substantial list of health problems created by sugar, you should add:

• Depression
• Fatigue
• Nervousness
• Apprehension
• Cravings for sweets
• Irritability
• Inability to handle alcohol
• Lack of concentration

As with most things, there are people who handle things like sugar or alcohol worse than others.

Sugar has become such a part of our lives that we hardly even notice it.  All thanks to the riches from the sugar trade and huge efforts in political lobbying.  Just because it is such an ingrained part of our lives does not mean you have to consume it.  Life without sugar is possible and has a long list of benefits.  Understanding the poisonous side to it is just the beginning which I hope will lead you to a sugar-free, healthful life.

10 Packaged Foods you shouldn't buy.

We should all know by now that the healthiest way to eat is with natural whole foods that we prepare from scratch at home.  However, there is a whole culture of supermarket shopping which provides us with a never ending supply of pre-prepared foods which are supposed to make our lives easier.  However, these foods don't tend to make our lives healthy.  Here is a list of well known foods we should never buy.

1.  Canned or tinned soup.  This typically contains large quantities of salt, additives, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and genetically engineered (GE) ingredients.  Also, many companies still use bisphenol-A (BPA) in the lining of the cans.  BPA has been shown to interfere with the body's hormones and disrupt your endocrine system.  Homemade soup is quick and easy to make and so much healthier.

2.  Stock Cubes.  I looked up the ingredients for OXO beef stock while researching this article: Wheat flour, salt, yeast extract, maize starch, flavor enhancers (MSG, Disodium Guanylate), color (ammonia caramel), beef fat, flavorings, dried beef bonestock, sugar, lactic acid.

Now, I would first like to explain how to read an ingredient list.  Ingredients are listed in order by amount with the biggest amounts first continuing in descending order.  So if you look again at the list of ingredients for OXO beef stock what it has most of is wheat flour and salt... not good.

Homemade chicken stock is easy to make.  Just take one left over chicken carcass (I use the leftovers from a roast chicken), put into a large saucepan, add 2 leeks, 1 onion, and 2 celery stalks. Cover with water add a pinch of salt and 6 peppercorns.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 hours.  Drain the liquid into a bowl and leave over night to cool in the fridge.  The fat will solidify on the surface and you can remove it easily.  I then package the stock into individual packages to make one soup and freeze.  You can also use ice trays if you prefer.

Now, you tell me, which is healthier?

3.  Baked Beans.  Here we go back to point number 1 with the problem of BPA lined cans.  Also, if you take a typical can of baked beans - Heinz for example, and look at the ingredient list, remember what I said earlier about the order of the ingredients: Beans (51%), Tomatoes (34%), water, sugar, modified cornflour, salt, spirit vinegar, spice extracts, herb extract.  Sugar is way up there - again.

You can make these at home without all the added extras!

4. Hummus.  Homemade hummus is a very healthy dish and the internet is rife with different easy to make recipes.  Shop bought hummus contains: Chickpeas, water, tahini, soybean oil, garlic, salt, citric acid, potassium sorbate, natural flavor.  Do we really need all those additives?

5. Breakfast Cereal.  Almost all commercial cereals are a combination of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and genetically engineered corn.  Homemade muesli is easy to make and healthier.  You can store it in an airtight container and it will stay fresh for months.

6.  Microwave Popcorn.  Here the problem is in the bag more than the popcorn itself, although the amount of salt added is also a problem.  The bags are lined with Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which can leach into the popcorn when heated.   PFOAs have been linked to infertility and other health problems.  Making popcorn in a pan is not difficult at all and you can control the amount of salt you add.

7. Bottled water and "enhanced" water.  Plastic bottles aren't doing anyone or the environment any favors.  Also "enhanced" waters usually contain artificial sweeteners and colorings, large amounts of sugar and genetically engineered high fructose corn syrup, which adds to the numerous health problems caused by high consumption of HFCS and GE ingredients.

High quality water filters are your best bet for clean water.

8.  Bottled fruit and vegetable juice.  Bottled fruit juice is worse than vegetable juice.  Fruit is naturally high in fructose and when juiced and bottled the sugars tend to ferment quickly.  There are also added ingredients such as flavor enhancers.  You will get much more from eating whole fruit than bottled juice.  If you prefer juice - juice it at home and drink immediately.

9.  Yogurt.  Now, I am against all milk produce, but if you can't live without it then I suggest buying natural live yogurt from a health food store.  Pasteurized yogurts from normal supermarkets do not provide any of the health benefits of natural live yogurt.  The pasteurizing process destroys most of the precious enzymes and other nutrients.  Fortunately, kefir or fermented yogurt is easy and inexpensive to make at home.

10. Fermented Vegetables.  Cultured or fermented foods have many health benefits.  The culturing process produces beneficial microbes that are important for human health, as they help balance intestinal flora which boosts overall immunity.  Fermented foods are also great chelators and detox agents, this means they help rid your body of a wide range of toxins including heavy metals.  Although cultured foods are available at most supermarkets, you are better off culturing them at home.  There are many webs where you can learn the benefits and how to do this at home.

Anti-Aging Intelligence

Doesn't it make more sense to try to prevent something going wrong such as illness, than to try and fix it once it's happened?  If we look after ourselves throughout our lives, eat healthily and take regular exercise, chances are our later years will be happy and healthful too.

Here are some tips on how to prevent some illnesses and improve health for everyone for a healthier aging process:

Antioxidant supplements such as Vitamins A, C, E, Selenium and Melatonin protect our cells by neutralizing free radicals, these atomic fragments cause cell damage and produce metabolic waste.

Vitamin A:
Several studies support the value of vitamin A in boosting immunity.  It enhances T-helper cell type-2 (Th2) mediated responses which are necessary for fighting bacterial and parasitic infections.  Vitamin A has also shown to be a potent stimulator of growth hormone production.

Therapeutic Daily Dose: 7,000 - 10,000 IU.  You should speak to your doctor prior to taking vitamin A supplements if you are over 65 years of age, or if you are a woman who's pregnant or trying to conceive.

Foods rich in vitamin A include: Papaya, mangoes, green peas, tomatoes, peaches, red peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, dried herbs, lettuce (dark colorful varieties), dried apricots, cantaloupe melon.

Vitamin C:
The majority of us know that vitamin C helps prevent and fight off colds, but it has many other health benefits also.  Vitamin C raises HDL levels ("good" cholesterol) and prevents LDL ("bad" cholesterol) from oxidizing, which subsequently prevents the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque on the blood vessel wall, which contributes to cardiovascular disease.  Vitamin C also lowers the risk of stroke.

Therapeutic Daily Dose: 1,000 - 2,000 mg.  Check with your doctor before supplementing as some medical conditions preclude Vitamin C supplementation.

Foods rich in vitamin C include: Red and green hot chili peppers, guavas, red, yellow and green peppers, fresh herbs (thyme and parsley), dark leafy greens, broccoli, kiwi fruits, papayas, oranges and clementines, strawberries, black currants, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, mangoes, red cabbage, cauliflower, turnip greens and                                             pineapples.

Vitamin E:

This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant which is very important to cell membranes.  For example vitamin E protects lung cells that are in constant contact with oxygen and white blood cells that help fight disease.  However, there is also significant evidence that vitamin E protects against heart disease, cancer, strokes, cataracts and signs of aging.

Therapeutic Daily Dose: 400 - 1,200 IU.  Vitamin E supplements must be natural as they are more potent and bioavailable than synthetic forms.  Check with your doctor before taking vitamin E supplements as some medical conditions preclude vitamin E supplementation.

Foods rich in vitamin E include: Sunflower seeds, paprika and red chili powder, almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, dried herbs (basil and oregano), dried apricots, pickled green olives, cooked spinach, cooked taro root, wheatgerm oil, hazelnuts, flaxseed oil corn and canola oil, broccoli, soybean oil, pistachios, pecans, kiwis, mangoes, tomatoes, asparagus, and butternut squash.

                                                      Selenium:

Selenium is an essential trace element, necessary for growth and protein synthesis.  It also helps to increase the effectiveness of vitamin E.  It is necessary for correct function of the thyroid gland, and may help protect against free radical damage and cancer.  Selenium deficiency can lead to joint and muscle pain, brittle hair and white spots on fingernails.

Therapeutic Daily Dose: 100 - 200 mg

Foods rich in selenium include: Brazil nuts, shellfish, liver, fish, sunflower seeds, bran (wheat, rice and oat), caviar, bacon and pork chops, lobster and crab and shrimp.

Melatonin:

Melatonin has really come into it's own recently.  It is most commonly known as the sleep hormone.  It is produced in the dark by the pineal gland in the brain.  Melatonin supplementation has been shown to:

• Aid biological clock resetting of international and transcontinental travelers   Helping to combat jet lag and restore restful sleep patterns in frequent flyers.
• Act as a natural sleeping aid as it does not suppress dream (REM cycle) sleep.
• Lowers blood cholesterol levels in people with high cholesterol counts.
• It eliminates free radicals, thereby demonstrating its value against heart disease, stroke and cancer.
• Improves sexual drive and performance.

Foods containing melatonin include: Oats, sweetcorn, rice, ginger, barley, tomatoes, bananas, radishes  pineapples, apples, oranges, strawberries, kiwis, peppers and spinach, almonds and seeds.

However, the amount of melatonin in food is small so you may need to supplement.  I advise to start with a low dose as some people find that they become irritable on higher doses.  Start with 1 - 2mg at night before going to bed.

5 NUTRITION MYTHS

Yes, we've all heard how coffee is bad for us, or that milk is essential for strong bones, or eggs are bad for your heart or that saturated fats are bad for us... as with most myths, some are true and others have been... BUSTED!

MYTH Nº 1: YOU MUST DRINK 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY = NO
We have been told over and over again that drinking 8 glasses of water a day helps the kidneys to remove toxins, leads to smoother, younger looking skin and prevents cancer.

• There's no evidence to suggest that lots of water improves the kidneys' detox function - what's more, too much water may even decrease the kidneys' ability to filter toxins.
• Studies comparing water consumption and bladder cancer have come up with inconsistent results.
• As far as skin tone goes, one small study did find increased blood flow to the skin after 2 cups of water were ingested but the researchers didn't manage to discover if this improved skin tone.
• If you have a healthy balanced diet and that includes drinking water, coffee, tea and juice you will be sufficiently hydrated.
• There is nothing against drinking as much water as you like (although a huge amount is not advisable), it just isn't a necessity as the myth suggests.

MYTH Nº 2: GREEN TEA AIDS WEIGHT LOSS = HALF TRUE

Green tea was heralded as the healthy way to boost weight loss.  It was publicized that drinking green tea instead of coffee would make people lose body fat to the tune of 10 pounds in six weeks.

• The truth is green tea contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to boost metabolism and fat burning in lab tests.
• Researchers discovered that subjects in a study burned more energy over a 24 hour period when consuming EGCG plus caffeine than those subjects taking caffeine alone.
• However, when data collected from 13 such studies were analyzed, subjects taking EGCG plus caffeine over a 3 month period lost only 1-3 pounds more than subjects taking placebo.  The difference was so slight it was deemed "not clinically relevant".
• A note of warning:  the long term safety of green tea supplements taken on an empty stomach is in doubt.  In more than 24 cases, it has been linked to liver damage.  It is a better idea to stick with beverages instead of pills.

MYTH Nº 3 MILK IS NECESSARY FOR STRONG BONES = NO

Well we've all heard this one from our childhood - it has been drummed into us from the very beginning.  However:

• On the whole, research has failed to prove that consumers of dairy produce have fewer bone fractures.  6 cohort studies - including one which followed 70.000 nurses over a 26 year period - found that women who drank the most milk had no fewer hip fractures.
• Yes, milk contains calcium, but it isn't very bio available.  Other good sources of calcium are tofu, canned salmon or sardines (bones included) and leafy green vegetables.
• In countries such as Japan and India, where dairy produce intake is low, incidence of bone fractures are also relatively low.  Which tells us that bone health is determined my more than just the amount of dairy products consumed.  Genetics, physical exercise, body size and hormone levels also play an important role.
• Vitamin D is also important to bone health.  We can obtain this from our diet but sun exposure is very important as it has the greatest potential.
• A word of warning: be wary of experts who insist that bone health is impossible without 3 servings of dairy a day.

MYTH Nº 4: FISH OIL PREVENTS HEART DISEASE = YES

Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines and tuna are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and have been found to be cardio protective.  Studies suggest that they relax blood vessels, reduce blood pressure, prevent abnormal heart rhythms and lower blood fats called triglycerides.

• Omega-3 has also been shown to improve brain function.  So all of us should be eating oily fish at least twice a week.  People with heart disease are recommended to consume twice as much (1.000 mg/day EPA + DHA combined).  To lower triglyceride levels you would need 3.000 - 4.000 mg/day.
• If you are not a great fish eater, fish oil supplements are a good source - however, check the label to make sure you are getting the right dose of EPA+DHA.
• Krill oil has been found to work well as it is water soluble so more readily absorbed by the body.

MYTH Nº 5: EGGS ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEART = NO

In 1984 Time magazine published an article holding eggs responsible for high cholesterol levels which lead to heart disease.

How many times have we been told that to eat eggs every day is dangerous to our health?  Well, since that Time magazine article in 1984, researchers have conducted several long-term cohort studies on eggs and heart disease, collectively following several hundred thousand people.  On the whole, this research has found eggs to be "not guilty" and that eating up to 6 eggs a week seems un-harmful for most healthy people.

• Eggs are associated with high cholesterol.  The majority of our cholesterol is made by the liver, which accelerates production when we consume saturated and trans fats.  However, cholesterol from food doesn't have much impact on cholesterol levels in the blood.  Some people are affected - they are called hyper-responders - studies have shown there can be an increase in HDL or good cholesterol together with LDL or bad cholesterol, this increase in HDL helps offset any increased risk.
• Eggs are relatively low in saturated fat, they also contain unsaturated fats which may be beneficial.  They are also a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and they are certainly a healthier alternative to muffins, bagels and sugary cereals.
• However, some people are negatively susceptible to consuming eggs.  Several studies have linked egg consumption to heart disease and premature death, among people who have diabetes, there is no clear reason as to why, so if you are a diabetic it is probably a good idea to watch your intake.
• On the whole, the biggest problem with eggs is how they are cooked - fried is the the least healthy, and what accompanies them; bacon, beans, fried bread, etc..