Here's a lengthy and enlightening article on the problem with Sugar. Both Lustig and Taubes are controversial but noted researchers on the topic. If you want to get into the science and the details of it, click the link. For an overview (still pretty lengthy :-) read on:
-Sugar, in the case of this article, refers to refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup. They are not referring to the nominal amount of sugar ingested via fruits and vegetables.
-The concern regarding sugar is not about the empty calories, it is that refined sugar has unique characteristics that may make it singularly harmful, particularly if consumed in large quantities.
-Consuming refined sugar means more work for the liver than if you consumed the same number of calories of starch.
-The "safe" amount of refined sugars is 40 pounds per person per year beyond what we might get naturally in fruits and vegetables. In other words: 200 calories per day of refined sugar is tolerable, which is less than the amount in a can and a half of Coca-Cola. BUT by the early 2000s, according to the U.S.D.A., Americans' refined sugar consumption was more than 90 pounds per person per year.
-In laboratory rats and mice, it’s clear that if fructose hits the liver in quantity and with speed (as in a ginormo cup of soda), the liver will convert much of it to fat. This induces a condition known as insulin resistance, which is now considered the fundamental problem in obesity, and the underlying defect in heart disease and in the type of diabetes, type 2, that is common to obese and overweight individuals. And is directly related to Metabolic Syndrome, a combination of the aforementioned issues. It might also be the underlying defect in many cancers and tumor growth.
-Despite steady research, the evidence can still be criticized as falling short of conclusive. The studies in rodents aren’t necessarily applicable to humans. And the kinds of studies aren’t applicable to real human experience, because we never naturally consume pure fructose.
-Over-consumption of anything will end up as fat. It can't be said that sugar is the sole cause of a fattened up liver. Nonetheless, over-consumption of refined sugar is a more decidedly obvious unnecessary evil.
SO, THE CHALLENGE:
If you think you're at the 40lb/per year "added sugars" mark, then you're in good standing. Being a CrossFitter, you're doubtfully anywhere near full Metabolic Syndrome state, even so most of us are closer to the 90lb/year mark:
Sugar in our coffee, the occasional afternoon pound cake, Thursday night ice cream bowl, "post workout" sugar drinks, bottomless refill sodas, the added sugar in our granola, trail mixes, ketchup, breads and sauces, the Sunday brunch pancake fest, store-bought salad dressings, the birthday cake it would be rude not to eat, the cookies your friend brought to your dinner party.....you get the idea.
Refined/processed foods have no justifiable place in out diets, mouths or bodies. Fake sugars shouldn't even be on your radar, and convincing yourself they are a lesser evil, is complete delusion, these insidious little chains of synthetic molecules are overly potent sugars that end up tricking our bodies into craving more sugar, since we ignite, not satisfy, the sugar craving with its artificial surrogate.
Most of us have a hard time turning off the sugar switch, so taking it out is a way to reacquaint ourselves with our taste buds, natural rhythms and cleaner eating.
All of this is my utterly verbose way of saying:
May 1st, a Monday, a tabula rasa: the start of SUGAR FREE MAY.
I'm not asking you to go Paleo or Zone, not saying you can't eat fruit, you can even have starches if you're clear there aren't any added sugars.
SIMPLY: No soda or nectars, no candy or cake, syrups or saccharins, no ice creams or sno-cones, no chromatic cereals or yogurts, no ketchup or BBQ sauce, no 3pm M&Ms, (No booze if you want to really do it right). Use this link for a comprehensive list.
Eat whole, carry clean snacks, read labels.
It's just one thing. One month.
You in? I'm in.
Questions? Email me: Camilla.Meshiea(AT)gmail.com
Rousing speech! But May 1 is a Sunday. Fail.
ReplyDeleteDang, Boob. You're right...oops.
ReplyDeleteWait.. does this mean no organic-honey?
ReplyDeleteGood question. Verbose answer.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a refined/synthetic sugar, so by that standard you could have it.
Honey has other benefits, nutrients and minerals, and is more easily metabolised compared to processed sugar. Again, therefore you could include it.
Honey is generally used pretty sparingly, so if that is true for your use of it, you could have it.
My thought is this, if you want to sensitize yourself to sugars again, both your palate and your digestive system, then use the sugar free month challenge to be strict, so that reintroduction of sugars is another part of the learning curve to understand your body's response to sugar consumption. Also, the glycemic load of honey is pretty similar to sugar even though honey has a lower glycemic index. It's negligible compared to a bowl of frosted flakes, but honey can still spike the sugar hit to the liver.
I leave the choice to you.