The Truth About SUGAR

Hey guys, can we stop with the whole “sugar is the devil” thing? Let’s talk about it… sugar is the all encompassing name for the sweet-tasting carbohydrates found naturally in many foods, many good, healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, dairy (in the form of lactose*), grains, and more. Eliminating these healthy foods because they contain sugar (aka: Satan's elixir)  would mean forfeiting many VIV's (very important vitamins) as well as many immune-boosting nutrients. On the other hand, we have added sugars, the ones that do not naturally occur. These are found in a whole host of foods on the market like sugar sweetened beverages (aka sodas, sports drinks, juices, teas, etc.), sauces and dressings, baked goods, snacks, candies, and basically anything processed. THESE are the ones that should be avoided as much as possible.

But, why?

Now, I'd be dirty rotten liar if I told you I never have added sugars in my diet—I do, they're simply too hard to avoid, and resist. But, as with all things, moderation is key and balance is EVERYTHING.

Remember when you were a kid and everyone and their mother could recite the food pyramid like it was the lyrics to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Welp, turns out, that BIG section of the bottom, the grains section, was a bit over-estimated. We've since learned that it isn't so much the stuff at the top (the sweets and fats) that were the cause for the growing numbers obesity, it was actually the excess carbohydrates (that break down to sugar) found in the modern American diet that were the culprit. The recommendations have since changed to a more balanced proportion of each food group, with about half of each meal consisting of fruits and vegetables, rather than the grains category like in the past.

Some of you may be wondering about artificial sweeteners, and whether they're good, bad, happy, or sad. And I really wish it were a simple answer, but alas it is not... artificial sweeteners are, well, artificial, and we just don't know enough about their long-term effects on the human body to deem them safe**. But, recent research has found that artificial sugars can wreak havoc on your oh-so-delicate gut microbiota, causing all sorts of digestive issues, endocrine issues, and more. So, in all, skip the artificial sweeteners, and opt for a natural, unrefined sugar like honey or agave.

**Lactose is a dairy sugar that many people have difficulty digesting (i.e. lactose intolerance). This is caused by an insufficiency of the enzyme lactase, which decreases with age. Unfortunately, for those who are intolerant (or have lost their lactase supply), lactose can cause all kinds of GI issues and make for a very unpleasant evening- now, for the rest of you, lactose is perfectly fine and delicious #cheeseislife.

**Can you believe that? In the United States, artificial sweeteners have been allowed to be used in production and sold for consumption, without sufficient evidence on their safety. You know what else was deemed safe at one point without sufficient evidence on it’s long-term effects? Cigarettes. Proceed at your own risk…