Do you realize we consume 144 pounds of sugar per year per person? I challenge you to eliminate sugar for the next 21 days. Next, I encourage you to listen to the information presented by Dr. Listig on Sugar: The Bitter Truth.
According to Dr. Lustig, a
pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California in San Francisco, sugar
is not only a toxic substance contaminating our food sources, but it is also
responsible in part for the obesity epidemic we currently struggle to overcome.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Lustig stated that what
the Atkins and Japanese diets have in common is that they both eliminate the
sugar and fructose from their diets. (Now, I am not endorsing nor recommending either of these two diets, but for the purpose of this blog, I just want to point out that both diets exclude sugar.) The Atkins diet contains all fat and no
carbs, while the Japanese diet is all carbs and no fat. He goes on to discuss several
key points including the comparison between sugar versus high fructose corn
syrup and glucose versus fructose. He explained why sugar is more fattening
than fat and why fiber is an essential nutrient in the diet. Then he described an
obesity epidemic linked to baby formula and sugar in 6-month old infants. It appears that an increase in
sugar consumption is the reason we now weigh more than 25 pounds heavier than
we did 30 years ago, and it is now evident in the Japanese, Korean, Chinese and
Australian cultures that have adopted our diets and now experiencing obesity
and type 2 diabetes themselves today.
Sugar: The Bitter Truth is well worth your time to watch and listen to. I did a paper on this subject a few years back for a Nutrition class I had at Wayne State University, and often return back to listen to it. I promise your view on sugar will be changed. So, I challenge you to sit back and listen to what Dr. Listig has to say about how sugar is having a devastating impact on our lives and then eliminate sugar from your diet for the next 21 days.
This chart gives you an idea of how much sugar is contained in some popular food items:
(Photo Credit: funergirl.wordpress.com)
Names for Sugar - Look for these on your ingredient labels:
Other Links you might find helpful:
Your body will thank you for eliminating this toxic substance from your body, and I promise you will feel so much better. If you are interested in making this a lifestyle change (and you should!) here are some more tips on how to phase out sugar in eight weeks. Here is a "high 5" to being in control of your health!
In Health & Fitness,
Marissa
Get Fit! Be Fit! Stay Fit!
References:
Lustig, R. (2009, July 30). The Skinny on Obesity [video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-‐oM
Lustig, R. (2009, July 30). The Skinny on Obesity [video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-‐oM
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