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• You have probably heard before how bad sugar is for the body.  If not, I am going to make a few points about the empty calorie food.  What I mean by “empty calorie” food is that sugar is full of calories with no nutritional value.  Do you know that it is estimated the average American eats almost his/her entire body weight in sugar every year?  Almost all processed foods have added sugar.  A can of soda alone has 10-12 teaspoons of sugar.
• Eating sugary foods and processed, refined starches increases the risk of pancreatic, colorectal, stomach, and breast cancer.  There are three ways a diet high in sugar contributes to cancer development.  They are:

1. It produces a toxic burden.
2. It raises insulin levels.
3. It negatively affects immunity.

• The reason there is a toxic burden on the body is because sugary foods tend to be low in fiber which reduces movement of the GI tract, and promotes constipation.  Having a build-up of carcinogenic toxins in the GI tract have been linked to colorectal cancer.
• Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for tumors.  High amounts of sugar in the diet increases the amount of insulin produced and circulating in the blood.  Precancerous cells feed off the sugar, boosting their growth into fully developed cancer cells.  The more sugar one eats the faster cancer cells will grow.
• A diet high in sugar, elevating insulin levels, slow the release of growth hormones, which decreases white blood cell production.  Harmful cancer treatments and constant danger of bacterial or viral infection increase the immune system vulnerability to become weak.

A diet high in sugar increases the chance of developing two deadly diseases; type 2 diabetes and obesity.  These two diseases alarmingly increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

An example of hidden sugars in our food:

1. Starbuck’s Low Fat Frappuccino = 31 teaspoons of sugar
2. Ocen Spray Cran-Grape Juice = 41 teaspoons of sugar
3. Quaker Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal = 12 teaspoons of sugar
4. Mott’s Mixed Berry Applesauce = 21 teaspoons of sugar
5. Nabisco Multi-Grain Crackers = 4 teaspoons of sugar

• Sugar is a simple carbohydrate, which is rapidly absorbed, raising blood sugar levels quickly and at a higher rate.  This can leave a person feeling emotionally unbalanced and fatigued.  If you experience any of the following you may be having a blood sugar management problem:

1. Restless sleep
2. Frequent urination
3. Craving for sugar or sweets
4. Low energy in the morning
5. Irritability or dizziness when skipping a meal
6. Thirst that isn’t relieved when drinking water

• Some suggestions to balance blood sugar levels are to eat high-sugar foods with protein.  You should not eat fruit or drink fruit juices alone; eat with a protein such as nuts and/or seeds.  High-fiber carbohydrate foods are digested more slowly allowing more energy.  Choose whole grain breads, brown rice instead of white, and whole wheat pasta instead of plain white pasta.  If you must eat dessert, eat it after a protein-based meal.
• Sugar can be hidden on a label by giving it a name such as: fructose, corn syrup, sucrose, maple sugar, lactose, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, powdered sugar, levulose, honey, milk sugar, and of course just sugar.  Practice reading labels, avoiding foods with any of these names listed as an ingredient for better health.

I have written very little about the danger of having sugar in our diets.  For more information I suggest you do further reading about the subject.

Reference:

Challenge Cancer and Win!; Kim Dalzell, PhD., R.D., L.D.

Waking The Warrior Goddess; Christine Horner, M.D., F.A.C.S.

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