One Soda Per Day Can Change Your Waistline

By Bonnie Pfiester Fitness Trainer

America’s obsession with soda has nearly doubled since the early seventies. According to the American Beverage Association, the average American drinks an estimated 54 gallons of soda per year – that’s about 19 ounces of soda per day. The average teenager drinks 31 – 42 ounces of soda a day.

What if I said you could drop 26 pounds if you just drank one less soda a day? It’s true. A regular 20 ounce coke accounts for 250 calories. One coke a day doesn’t sound too bad until you add it up over time and realize it could mean a couple of dress sizes. One soda a day adds up to a whopping 91,000 calories over a year’s time – that’s 26 pounds of fat.

“Liquid candy”, as many dentists call it, often times fall between the cracks when people begin a diet. Sometimes it is more obvious to get rid of unhealthy snacks, like cookies and donuts, and forget about what we drink. The truth is that a small can of coke has more sugar in it than most snacks. Although there are very few of us who would eat 10 teaspoons of sugar, we quickly drink it in just one 12 ounce can of coke.

To help feed America’s infatuation with soda, manufacturers and fast food chains offer more variety and larger sizes than ever before. When coke products first came out, they came in 6 ½ ounce bottles and were considered a treat. Now sodas aren’t special at all but more like a staple in most homes.

Manufactures have kept up with America’s demand for cola. Unfortunately though, more soda means more weight gain. If that wasn’t bad enough, now manufacturers have taken it up a notch introducing a large variety of “energy drinks”. What most people don’t realize is a lot of the “energy” coming from energy drinks comes from high amounts of sugar. Some popular energy drinks contain as much as twenty teaspoons of sugar in one can.

What if you aren’t a coke drinker? You’d be surprised how many calories are in beverages most people would consider healthy. Cranberry juice is just one example of a high-calorie ‘healthy’ pick, having 18 teaspoons of sugar. Other popular juices like orange juice, apple juice and grape juice are actually higher in calories than an equal portion of regular soda.

The bottom line is that you can’t forget how drinks affect your family’s waistline. There is nothing your body wants or needs more than water – especially living in Florida. Water should always be the go-to drink. Not only is it healthier for you, it can actually help improve the way you look.

~Bonnie

Bonnie Pfiester is a Personal Trainer, wife to the famous fitness trainer Steve Pfiester of the reality TV show “Fat March”, and owner of the women’s health club Longevity Fitness.

You can enjoy more of Bonnie’s fitness and beauty articles at www.BonniePfiester.com or here at the kitchen table by visiting the Bonnie Pfiester page.

You are invited to leave your fitness and sports nutrition questions in the comments below for Bonnie to briefly answer or write about in future articles.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Amen to the Obesity Tax, Let’s Just Call it Something Else

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

Honestly, I’m not sure if the NY officials in charge of the “Obesity Tax” truly intend to call it thus, or if the media has just coined the phrase.

However, there are many more causes than just soda when it comes to obesity. And there are many more ills upon society that soda is at fault for.

Furthermore, beverages with sugar substitutes such as aspartame and splenda (sucralose) also make people fat so those should be equally taxed as the Cephalic Response created by these sweet flavored toxins makes us hungry, which makes us eat more, which makes us fatter.

Also, I would suggest that New York tax juice containing High Fructose Corn Syrup. The only thing that makes me mad about the obesity tax is that it is called the “Obesity Tax.” Why pick on people who are overweight? Poking fun at someone for being obese or “taxing them” is truly unfair and perhaps unconstitutional.

Six Better Names for the “Obesity Tax”

#1 The Water Tax: How about just straight across the board tax all beverages that are not plain water? Water is what nature intended for humans to drink after they were weaned.

I wish it was mandatory for all vending machines to sell bottled water at a four time reduced rate than the typical vending beverage. When we see water priced the same as a fruity looking or flashy drink we immediately feel deprived if we pick water, and from a psychological standpoint we all want to get the most for our money.

Not all beverages are unhealthy, but they all still have containers that place an environmental burden on our planet and our seventh generation. I say we tax everything but water, and let water, the “pristine health beverages for all humans”, be tax exempt from this environmental fee.

#2 The Dental Carry Tax: Why haven’t dentists spoken up on this issue? I’ll bet we could fund dental coverage (and maybe even some bling diamond grills) for all the kids in America and Africa if we taxed both sodas and refined candies. It’s not just the HFCS in sodas that is the problem; it is the acids that erode enamel, with sports drinks like Red Bull being the worst offenders.

#3 The Diabetes Tax: Diabetics cost the health care system $13 dollars per every $1 dollar that is spent on the average healthy person. Now I don’t need a bunch of hate mail from Type I diabetics, although you all know that you shouldn’t be drinking HFCS either, but people in America are literally drinking themselves diabetic with soda consumption.

It is not normal to drink calories unless you are getting them off your mother’s teat. For everyone else, water and herbal tea should be staples while red wine, organic coffee, and pure fruit juice can be enjoyed in moderation in exchange for their beneficial antioxidants.

#4 The Pollution Tax: If you are purchasing a bottle that cannot be recycled or reused then the environment should have the right to tax you!

Plastic bottles in our landfills are a problem that no one within the last century has taken a seriously critical look at. Plastics have really only been on the scene since 1950 and their use has only escalated in the last few decades.

What most people don’t consider with plastics is that we have introduced a new substance into the environment, and in LARGE quantities.

Some constituents such as phthalates, BPA, and other such “xenoestrogens” are already showing carcinogenic qualities as well as issues with endocrine system disruption as their steroidal molecular structure weakly mimics estrogen and thus may be a culprit or contributor to estrogen sensitive cancers.

We are already seeing an increased percentage of females species in smaller species.  Larger species are yet to follow.  As much as I am for equal rights I don’t think that plastics are the best way for women to take over the world!

Think of all the plastic in our landfills that will inevitably break down in a thousand years. The pollution from that will likely wipe out all human existence. But that is just my biochemical and medical opinion…and what do I know after ten years of studying this stuff.

If I get to place a vote on what New York should call this tax, I vote to call it the pollution tax. We need to be drinking filtered water out of our reusable glass jars or Klean Kanteen containers.

#5 The Bad Parenting Tax: If you are feeding your kids tons of sodas and hotdogs, and not actual whole food and balanced nutrition then you should be taxed. If you aren’t doing it that often, then you shouldn’t even notice the increased 20 cents on the beverage.

Hopefully this “parenting tax” will go towards better parent education for parents, and television programs that will both educate and inspire parents to provide more wholesome foods for children. It isn’t just about their childhood, you know?

They are going to grow up with the habits that you teach them. The habits they see in you will influence them and they are going to end up a casualty of the American Health Care Crisis, which is actually a problem caused by the food that graces our kitchen tables…or worse yet, our cars and minivans when we drive through.

#6 The Health Care Burden Tax: Aside from the aforementioned soda consumption is also implicated in osteoporosis and heart disease.  Two GIANT burdens on the health care system.

Americans are soon to likely overtake Finland in the challenge to become the MOST unhealthy country in the world. I am not sure how it is possible that Finland is more unhealthy than us–what are they chain smoking and chugging lard for breakfast?

I’m not sure, but Barack Obama will never be able to fix the health care crisis until he fixes the crisis at every American kitchen table. What we need is not health care what we need is AFFORDABLE healthy food.  Imagine if the billions of dollars wasted on prescription meds were actually funneled in to healthy eating and nutrition programs for all Americans?

We know diet and lifestyle prevent disease. However, our cheap processed food options limit us from practicing true prevention. The Reason why our healthcare system is in crisis is that Americans eat the cheapest food they can possibly find. Is this just the case in strapped families and broke college students? No. We have CEO’s of companies feeding their kids mac and cheese from a box, hot dogs, and dinonuggets when they can easily afford better.

You are what you eat. Set the example for young children now, as at these rates likely one in three children born today will end up diabetic. Europeans shop from produce stands and local delis three times a week. Americans shop at large Warehouses to stock up on bomb shelter food monthly.

This has to change.

Con’s of the Obesity Tax:

• Obesity is a clinical term and diagnosis and it is unfair to tax individuals and stigmatize them.
• The money from the obesity tax will be utilized for balancing the NY state budget and will not directly go towards improving health care, helping obese people lose weight, or anything of the like.
• Many people don’t believe taxing is the answer.  I’m Swedish so I say tax away! You can feel free to send me hate mail on this one if you wish, but I already get enough.  Trust me.

Pro’s of the Obesity Tax:

• Makes unhealthy food products less affordable.
• Media coverage of this tax has brought to national attention the crisis we have with soda consumption.
• Increased awareness of High Fructose Corn Syrup.
• Just like the cigarette tax, if it stops just one person from smoking and developing cancer then the tax is a success.  If we educate one person about drinking calories and they don’t become obese and diagnosed with Type II diabetes, then I call the “Obesity Tax” a success.

What are your thoughts on the Obesity Tax?

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Is Fake Sugar Making You Fat?

By Dr. Scott Olsen, author of “Sugarettes”

How do artificial sweeteners cause obesity?

When people first start to think about a sugar-free diet, they think they should reach for artificial sweeteners. This may not be the best idea.

Here is the crux of the problem with artificial sweeteners: They don’t do what you want them to do: keep your weight down. Artificial sweeteners claim to be all the good taste without the calories, but behind this claim is another reality.

If you ignore the fact that all artificial sweeteners are chemicals foreign to your body and that they have been blamed for many health problems, you still want to avoid them if you are trying to lose weight.

Studies have shown that people using artificial sweeteners actually consume more calories than people who don’t. (1) The reasons behind this are simple: you are tricking your body when you eat these sweeteners and your body doesn’t like to be tricked.

When you eat something sweet (artificial or not) you set off a series of reactions in the body that eventually leads to an increase in insulin. Whenever insulin increases, blood sugar will drop.

So, imagine a situation where you are drinking a sugar-free soda, but no other calories: insulin goes up, your blood sugar goes down, and you then feel hungry. And what do you do when you feel hungry? You eat.

I also think that you are training your body to expect something sweet when you continue to eat artificial sweeteners. People who go on a true non-sugar diet have a readjustment of their tastes buds and adapt to a lower level of sweetness.

People who eat artificial sweeteners never do this. This means whenever full-calorie foods are around, at say, a birthday party, you will be tempted to eat them. This just continues your sugar addiction.

What kinds of sweeteners are HEALTHY for us to use?

The answer to this question is really: none. The reason why there are no sweeteners that are good for us is that sweeteners do not exist in nature (except for honey). All the problems mentioned above are due to super-concentrating a food and creating a sweetener and our bodies are simply not designed to handle.

There are two sweeteners that fall into the category of maybe-not-so-bad, and if you find that you simply cannot do without some form of sweetener, then you can turn to xylitol or Stevia. Of the two, Stevia is much better. Stevia is an herb that has no calories but still has a super-sweet taste.

It takes a while to learn how to cook with it because you only have to use a small amount, but it can be substituted in most places you use sugar. Stevia has the added bonus of actually helping to improve blood sugar control.(2) The only problem with using Stevia is that the addiction to super-sweet tasting foods remains and can lead to eating sugar again.

Xylitol is a sugar that doesn’t raise blood sugar as much as other sugars and has been shown to actually help with cavity prevention.(3) Once again, though, xylitol is a sugar and should be used in moderation.

References:

1.Lavin JH, French SJ, Read NW: The effect of sucrose- and aspartame-sweetened drinks on energy intake, hunger and food choice of female, moderately restrained eaters. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997 Jan;21(1):37-42.
2.Chen TH, Chen SC, et al. Mechanism of the hypoglycemic effect of stevioside, a glycoside of Stevia rebaudiana. Planta Med. 2005 Feb;71(2):108-13.
3.Tanzer JM. Xylitol chewing gum and dental caries. Int Dent J. 1995 Feb;45(1 Suppl 1):65-76.

Recommended Reading: Sugarettes

Dr. Scott Olson is a Naturopathic doctor, expert in alternative medicine, author, and medical researcher. Spurred on by his patients’ struggles with sugar addiction, he was determined to discover how addictive and harmful sugar can be and ways to overcome that addiction.

The result of that study is his book Sugarettes, which details the addictive qualities of sugar and the harm that sugar does to our bodies.

Dr. Scott also maintains a blog which highlights the latest in health and healthy living. Subscribe or stop by to check out his latest research on sugar addiction.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Corn Syrup, Is it Really Just Like Sugar?

The Corn Industry is spending massive amounts of advertising dollars trying to convince us that high-fructose-corn syrup is just as “good for you” as sugar. But does it really matter? Let’s talk to Dr. Scott Olsen about the differences between sugar and high-fructose-corn-syrup.

In your medical opinion…what is worse:  Sugar or high fructose corn syrup?

Dr. Olsen: This is a little like asking if you would rather be shot or stabbed: both are bad. There is a lot of stir in the media lately about high fructose corn syrup and how it is different than sugar and the research on corn syrup does show it behaves differently in our bodies.

What you need to know about fructose is that the body can’t use it, so whenever you consume fructose, the body has two choices. The first is that it can convert the fructose into glucose and then the body can use the glucose to power all its energy needs. The second choice is that the body can choose to store the fructose as fat.

There is some evidence that the body finds it easier to make that second choice: turning the fructose into fat. (11)  Since our consumption of high fructose corn syrup has increased dramatically in the last few years along with the rate of obesity, it makes us wonder if fructose is to blame.

FRUCTOSE ALSO:

• Creates harmful proteins, called glycated proteins, much easier than glucose.(12)
• Leads to insulin insensitivity (and, therefore: diabetes and obesity as well).(13)
• Contributes to hypertension (high blood pressure).(14)

While avoiding both sugar and high fructose corn syrup is probably your best health choice, keeping high fructose corn syrup out of your diet is the next best step.

Notes:
11. Bray GA, Nielsen SJ, Popkin BM: Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Apr;79(4):537-43.
12. Colaco CA. Sugar and coronary heart disease, a molecular explanation. J R Soc Med. 1993 Apr;86(4):243.
13. Miller A, Adeli K. Dietary fructose and the metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2008 Mar;24(2):204-9.
14. Johnson RJ, Segal MS, Sautin Y, et al: Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):899-906.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

The Five Hidden Evils in Nutrition Bars

Finding a truly healthy nutrition bar can be tough as I noted in my article, “Zing Bars Awarded Best Nutrition Bar 2008.”

I interviewed the makers of Zing Bars, nutritionists Michael Kaplan, ND, Minh-Hai Tran, MS, RD and Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD to help us better understand the following unhealthy red flag ingredients commonly found in our not so healthy “health bars.”

What are the 5 Most Harmful Ingredients Commonly Found in Nutrition Bars?

1. Trans fats are listed as “partially hydrogenated” oils in a packaged food’s ingredients list. Trans fats have been shown to increase total cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. They also spur inflammation, an over-activity of the immune system that has been implicated in heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

The good news is that as of January 1, 2006, trans fats are required by law to be enumerated in a food’s Nutrition Facts Panel. Despite ever increasing public awareness, however, trans fats still have a place on the FDA’s “GRAS” (generally regarded as safe) list so watch out for their continued use.

2. Fractionated Palm Kernel Oils are an increasingly popular ingredient in bars today. They are commonly used to help stiffen chocolate coatings that would otherwise not be solid a room temperature. This “fractionation” process dramatically raises the saturated fat content of the oil, and confers many of the same anti-melting shelf stability aspects of trans fats.

It appears that fractionated oils may be taking the place of trans fats in certain products, stepping in as public awareness about trans fats rises. While more research is needed to determine the extent of the health risks of fractionated oils, it’s clear that they confer a higher level of saturated fat and a poorer quality fat profile overall.

3. Sorbitol, Mannitol, & Maltitol are sweeteners known as sugar alcohols. Manufacturers of candies and many sports bars use sugar alcohols as a replacement for conventional sugar or high fructose corn syrup. These sugar alcohols taste sweet, but have less of an impact on blood sugar levels compared to traditional cane sugar. Unfortunately there are several myths and popular misconceptions surrounding sugar alcohols.

Myth 1: Sugar alcohols are calorie free. This is unfortunately false. The most commonly used sugar alcohols have between 50-75% of the calories per gram of table sugar.

Myth 2: Sugar Alcohols only slightly raise blood sugar. While it’s true that most sugar alcohols have a lower glycemic index (or effect on blood sugar) than traditional table sugar, the effect is hardly negligible.

Despite fewer calories per gram, Sugar alcohols can raise blood sugar anywhere from 50-100% of the amount expected from table sugar alone. This means that some sugar alcohols may contribute to blood sugar swings & crashes normally associated with “traditional” sugary snacks & treats.

Myth 3: Sugar alcohols have no side-effects. Untrue! Sugar alcohols are not fully digested and absorbed by the body, so some of the compounds remain in the gut and are allowed to pass to the colon; an area sugars are normally never allowed to enter.

These sugars can pull extra water into the colon via osmosis, leading to diarrhea and cramping. They can also be fermented by the bacteria that normally inhabit this area of the digestive tract, leading to increased flatulence. The “threshold” or amount required to produce this effect varies from person to person.

So, not all sugar alcohols are created equally.

4. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a high glycemic sweetener, equivalent to sucrose (table sugar) in the degree of sweetness and calories per gram. While the research is unclear about whether or not HFCS is more harmful to health than sucrose, it’s presence in a food usually suggests a disproportionate amount of refined carbohydrate compared to fiber, protein and fat.

While HFCS is technically “natural” according to the FDA’s guidelines, it is a heavily processed product requiring many energy intensive steps. This makes it a less than optimal choice from an ecological point of view. HFCS also propagates the use of non-organic corn. So while the debate rages on about its healthfulness for humans compared to table sugar, its negative impact on the environment is more evident.

5. Gluten sensitivity is an emerging problem among American & Europeans. Current research points out that 1% of the population have Celiac disease (a more symptomatic form of gluten sensitivity). However, evidence suggests that gluten sensitivity (with its more non-specific presentation) affects many more people. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, oats, and rye primarily and athletes with sensitive stomachs should consider avoiding gluten.

Authors: Michael Kaplan, ND, Minh-Hai Tran, MS, RD and Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD

Reference citations:

1. Mozaffarian D, Pischon T, Hankinson SE, et al. Dietary intake of trans fatty acids and systemic inflammation in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 79:606-12.
2. Mozaffarian D, Katan MB, Ascherio A, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 2006; 354:1601-13.
3. Trans fats: The Story Behind the Label. Harvard Public Health Review. Spring 2006.
4. Freeman J, Hayes, C. Low Carbohydrate Food Facts & Fallacies. Diabetes Spectrum. 2004. 17:137-140.
5. Hartman E. High Fructose Corn Syrup: Not so Sweet for the Planet. Washington Post. March 9, 2008. p. N02
6. Rubio-Tapia A, Murray JA. The Liver in Celiac Disease. Hepatology. 2007. Nov; 46(5): 1650-8.
7. Helms, S. Celiac Disease and Gluten-Associated Diseases. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Sept; 10(3):172-92
8. Miller GD, Jarvis JK, McBean LD. Handbook of Dairy Foods and Nutrition 3rd edition. National Dairy Council, 2006.
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whey_protein
10. Jenkins, D, Kendall, C, Josse A, et al. Almonds decrease post-prandial glycemia, insulinemia, and oxidative damage in healthy individuals. J Nutr 2006;136;2987-92.
11. L’Hocine L, Boye JI. Allergenicity and the soybean: new developments in identification of allergenic proteins, cross reactivities and hypoallergenization technologies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nut. 2007;47(2):127-43.
12. Farschi HR, et al. Beneficial metabolic effects of regular meal frequency on dietary thermogenesis, insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1):16-24

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Press Release: Free Pre-Registration on 30 Day’s Sugar Free

Natural Medicine Press Release: 30 Day’s Sugar Free Challenge starts Jan 1st

Status: Available for immediate re-distribution, creative commons copyright.

Who: Dr. Scott Olson ND, the author of a new book, Sugarettes, claims that sugar is both addictive and harmful, much like cigarettes.

What: Dr. Scott is issuing a challenge to spend 30 Sugar Free Days to draw attention to the burgeoning health crisis created by sugar over-consumption.

When: January is typically a time to focus on weight loss, but the 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge is a call to take the next step and create a weight loss program that is also a health program. The challenge starts on Jan 1st 2009 and pre-registration is free.

Why: Sugar consumption has dramatically increased in the last decades. It is estimated that people in the developed world are now eating somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of a pound of sugar every day – for a total of over 150 pounds of sugar a year.

While most people deny eating that much sugar, 1/4 pound of sugar a day is actually fairly easy to achieve. Calculating daily sugar consumption requires knowing how much sugar is in a pound: 1 pound of sugar is equal to 120 teaspoons, and 1/4 pound of sugar is equal to 30 teaspoons.

Finding 30 teaspoons of sugar in a typical diet is easy.

For example, each 12-ounce soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar; it takes only four (small) sodas (or one Super 42-ounce drink) a day to equal 1/4 pound. Not everyone drinks four sodas a day, but one or two are very common. When other sugars found in the diet are added to the soda, such as those found in donuts (8-10 teaspoons), jams (3 teaspoons per tablespoon), cookies (2-4 teaspoons per cookie), candy or other snacks, and the so-called “hidden sugars” found in salad dressing, bread, peanut butter and other foods are added, it is easy to see that large amounts of sugar are being consumed daily.

This sugar consumption is not without its consequences as sugar is at least partly responsible for our epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and premature aging.

How: Sign up at www.OlsonND.com for free professional coaching! Pre-registration before Jan 1st is FREE! Don’t forget to grab your copy of Sugarettes for more motivation on kicking the sugar habit once and for all.

Source: KitchenTableMedicine.com

Our press releases and “Kitchen Table Cliffnotes” are ALL “creative commons copyrighted” meaning unlike the rest of our KitchenTableMedicine.com content, you are free to copy and paste this press release directly to your blog or website to share with your own readers. We of course do simply request that you keep all links intact and give us credit by linking back to http://KitchenTableMedicine.com as the original news source. Thanks!

If you have a natural medicine press release that includes a special offer for kitchen table readers simply contact us.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

3 Reasons to Care About Excess Sugar Consumption

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving Feast and did their best. If you are still struggling to get back on the Whole Foods Wagon I have invited Dr. Scott Olson, author of Sugarettes to chat with us about why we need to care about excess sugar consumption.

Hi Dr. Scott, why is the title of your latest book “Sugarettes”?

The name of my book came about as I was talking with a group of people about how destructive I felt sugar could be.

While I was talking, I was searching for an analogy to explain how drawn to sugar we are and how it destroys our health, when it occurred to me that cigarettes and sugar shared many common traits. I first said that sugar was like a “sugar-cigarette” and then the word “Sugarettes” stumbled out of my mouth.

That stumble began the year-long journey of research to uncover the truth about sugar addiction. What I did not realize at the time I first spoke the word “Sugarettes” was just how similar sugar and cigarettes really are: Sugar is every bit as addictive and harmful as cigarettes. As smoke fills a smoker’s lungs it slowly destroys lung tissue – so slowly that it is barely noticeable. Likewise, when sugar enters our blood stream it leads to weight gain, alters our blood sugar control mechanisms, and destroys our blood vessels – all so slowly that no one notices.

Why should we care about how much sugar we are consuming?

On the surface, it looks as if nothing is wrong with the sugar we consume: we hand it out to children, it is in most of the foods we eat, and we give it as gifts or reward ourselves for a job well done… it seems perfectly harmless. Think of the images you have in your mind when you think of sugar: sweet little girls, all sorts or woodsy creatures dancing about, sunshine, rainbows… the list is endless. All those sweet images, though, hide the underlying destruction that is going on in our bodies every time we eat sugar.

Sugar causes three main health problems:

#1 The first is that sugar contributes to obesity. High blood sugar, which is the result of eating large amounts of sugar, leads to the need for the body to store that extra sugar and that storage occurs as fat. The scientific support for link between sugar consumption and obesity is growing every day. Obesity leads to an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

#2 The second problem has to do with the blood sugar regulation mechanisms in our bodies. Many people know that high blood sugar is controlled by insulin. Eating high-sugar meals leads to ever-increasing amounts of insulin in the body.

This perpetually high amount of insulin can lead to a condition known as insulin insensitivity.We know the diseases cause by insulin insensitivity as metabolic syndrome and diabetes. These two diseases, in turn, lead to a whole host of other diseases such as hypertension, kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, cataracts, neuropathy, and in extreme cases: blindness and loss of limbs (amputation).

#3 The third major problem with sugar is that it is directly toxic to the body. While the science behind this destruction is a bit complicated, essentially what the sugar is doing is forming complexes with proteins in the body called glycated proteins.

The major proteins in the body that sugar forms complexes with are the protein in our blood vessels.Sugar is effectively destroying the blood vessel system throughout the body similar to the way smoke destroys the lungs of a smoker. Glycated proteins lead to all the problems we see in diabetics and people who consume sugar on a regular basis.

The blood vessels become destroyed by these glycated proteins and stop supplying essential parts of the body with oxygen and nutrients. In the kidneys this destruction eventually leads to kidney failure, in the eyes it leads to blindness, in the legs it leads to gangrene, in the heart it leads to heart attacks, in the brain it leads to strokes and so on…

Should we care about how much sugar we are consuming?

The answer is yes.

Thanks for being a guest at my kitchen table Dr. Olson!

Sign up for the 30 Sugar Free Days challenge that starts over at www.OlsonND.com on Jan 1st.

Grab your required reading assignment Sugarettes over at Amazon.com for inspiration and yes, I am making this required reading for all Americans.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Are You a Sugar Zombie?

By Dr. Scott Olson

Author of Sugarettes.

If you were a normal zombie, you would rise up out of your grave and stumble off in search of your craving: flesh. Sugar zombies, however, typically rise from their couch and go off in search of their craving: sugar. Sugar zombies yearning for sugar can sometimes only be satisfied with a pure sugary treat, but remember, certain foods act like sugar in the body (such are grains, chips, crackers, French fries and others…) and these “foods that act like sugar” are sometimes what the sugar zombie are searching for.

A funny thing about sugar zombies is that they can sometimes eat sugar even when they are not hungry and have just eaten. Do you remember going to a restaurant and having a full meal, and yet you still ordered desert? True sign of sugar zombieness.

Most people, when asked, will admit to some kind of sugar addiction and zombie-like behavior, but they often don’t realize just how strong that addiction can be, nor do they realize how much sugar can do to destroy their health.

What Science is Discovering about Zombies

Science is beginning to take sugar addiction serious. They have investigated how animals (mostly rats) act when they become addicted to sugar. Let’s take a peek inside the laboratory and see what they found out:

• Rats who were allowed to eat as much sugar as they like, eat a ton of it. If fact, they will often eat more sugar than any other type of food. Sometimes, they become so addicted to sugar that they become rat sugar zombies and sugar is all they will eat.(1)

• What happens when you addict rats to sugar and then take it away? Typically, they shake, tremble, become anxious and their teeth can even chatter.(2) They can also become much more aggressive. If this sounds like the symptoms of a junkie (or a zombie), you are exactly right. These typical withdrawal symptoms, show up in all sorts of other addictions, including smokers, drinkers, and drug addicts.

• Scientists took the next step, they addicted rats to sugar, took it away and then they brought it back. Guess what happened? The rats binged on the sugar and ate much more than they previously did. If this sounds a bit like the last time you went on a diet and gained more weight than you lost, then you are a true sugar zombie. Binging when the addiction is removed and then brought back is a clear sign of addiction.(3)

• When rats are under stress, they eat more sugar.(4) Once again, I’m guessing that this sounds a bit familiar to you? Do you eat more sugar when you are stressed?

• Scientists have discovered that the brains of rats change when they become addicted to sugar and the changes in their brains are very similar to those of other addicts, including smokers, alcoholics and drug addicts.(5)

• To test if a substance is really addictive, scientists will give animals the addicting substance (alcohol, drugs, nicotine…) and then give them a drug called an opioid antagonist. What the opioid antagonist does is block the brain from sensing the pleasurable aspects of the addicting substance. When opioid antagonists are given to sugar addicted zombie rats, they experience withdrawal exactly like rats addicted to morphine, alcohol or cigarettes.(6)

But are Zombies Hurt By Sugar?

Here is the real question you want to get to: You are a confirmed sugar zombie, but what is wrong with that? Well, it turns out, a lot! Sugar harms your body in three ways: it increases your weight, it leads to problems with insulin and blood sugar control, and it has a toxic effect on our blood vessels.

Let’s take a look:

• Weight Gain: According to the scientific and medical communities sugar is really not associated with weight gain. These health professionals will tell you that sugar contributes to weight gain because it contains calories. This is true. But sugar also contributes to weight gain just because it is sugar. It works this way: Your body has certain basic energy needs and sugar (mostly glucose) is the fuel that runs your body. Once you have enough sugar-fuel for all your energy needs, your body tends to store all the extra sugar as fat (and sugar zombies eat meals that often create a large amount of extra sugar in the blood that will get turned into fat).(7)

• Insulin Resistance: Sugar contributes to insulin resistance whenever blood sugar levels in the blood spike too high too often. When blood sugar levels in the body rise, insulin in the body also rises. Consistently high amounts of insulin in the body will eventually lead to cells down-regulating (or removing) insulin receptors; this eventually leads to a condition called insulin resistance (were the cells of the body are resistant to insulin) and diabetes. Insulin resistance does not develop when blood sugar levels are kept low.(8)

• Toxic Effects: Surprisingly, sugar is actually toxic blood vessels in the exact same way cigarette smoke is toxic to the lungs. Sugar causes harm to the protein structure of the blood vessel walls, eventually leading to destruction. This destruction can be seen dramatically in diabetics who have kidney disease, eye disease, heart disease, tingling in hands and feet, and even blindness and loss of limbs – all due to the destruction of blood vessels. (9) This same destruction happens in sugar zombies who don’t have diabetes, only at a slower pace.

How to Break the Zombie Spell

Getting over sugar cravings is not easy, especially when you are a sugar zombie, but then getting over any addiction can be hard. Know that the efforts you make are well worth it as the destruction that sugar creates is enormous.

Try these tips to stop your zombie sugar cravings:

• Eat more often: while this seems backwards, eating more often is much better for your blood sugar, your metabolism, and your sugar cravings.

• Eat fruit: It is easy to overdo this, but focus on fruits that are low on the glycemic index and try to eat them after a meal where they affect blood sugar less.

• Brush your teeth: This is a trick many people use to stop cravings and it will help your zombie smile.

• Exercise: A simple walk is often enough to stop cravings as it gets you up and moving and away from your temptations.

Take these tips and walk away from your zombie life. Simply being aware that you are a sugar zombie will make a huge change in your life. Take your sugar craving seriously – as you would any other addiction: know that the road will be tough at times, but that you can do it. Your reward, on the other side of your addiction, is better sleep, more energy, less sugar zombie-like behavior and a healthier life.

Recommended Reading: Sugarettes

Dr. Scott Olson is a Naturopathic doctor, expert in alternative medicine, author, and medical researcher. Spurred on by his patients’ struggles with sugar addiction, he was determined to discover how addictive and harmful sugar can be and ways to overcome that addiction.

The result of that study is his book Sugarettes, which details the addictive qualities of sugar and the harm that sugar does to our bodies.

Dr. Scott also maintains a blog which highlights the latest in health and healthy living. Subscribe or stop by to check out his latest research on sugar addiction.

References:

1.Spangler R, Wittkowski KM, Goddard NL, et al: Opiate-like effects of sugar on gene expression in reward areas of the rat brain. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2004 May 19;124(2):134-42.
2.Colantuoni C, Rada P, McCarthy J, et al: Evidence that intermittent, excessive sugar intake causes endogenous opioid dependence. Obes Res. 2002 Jun;10(6):478-88.
3.Pelchat ML. Of human bondage: food craving, obsession, compulsion, and addiction. Physiol Behav. 2002 Jul;76(3):347-52.
4.Gosnell BA. Sucrose intake predicts rate of acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2000 Apr;149(3):286-92.
5.Avena NM, Rada P, Hoebel BG: Evidence for sugar addiction: behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2008;32(1):20-39. Epub 2007 May 18.
6.Avena NM, Long KA, Hoebel BG: Sugar-dependent rats show enhanced responding for sugar after abstinence: evidence of a sugar deprivation effect. Physiol Behav. 2005 Mar 16;84(3):359-62.
7.Livesey G: Low-glycaemic diets and health: implications for obesity. Proc Nutr Soc. 2005 Feb;64(1):105-13.
8.Henriksen HB, Kolset SO: Sugar intake and public health. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2007 Sep 6;127(17):2259-62.
9.Friedman EA: Advanced glycosylated end products and hyperglycemia in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Diabetes Care. 1999 Mar;22 Suppl 2:B65-71.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Children are Eating their Weight in Sugar Each Year

By Dr. Scott Olson

Research shows children are eating their weight in sugar each year!

That bag of candy your child lugs home after a long night out trick-or-treating is certainly heavy, but, if your child is typical, that amount of sugar is only a small portion of what they are going to eat throughout the year.

Children, it appears, are eating their body weight in sugar every year.Recent research looking into what children are eating has found that they are eating more sugar than ever before and that the major source of all that sugar is exactly what you might guess: fruit juice and soda.

When all tallied, a typical child in America is eating somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 pound of sugar a day, that means somewhere between 100 to 150 pounds of sugar end up in their little bodies each year.

A study released by the journal, Pediatrics, looked into how much sugar children are getting from their drinks (soda and fruit juice); and here is what they found:

• Children get 10 to 15 percent of their total calories from these two drinks (soda and fruit juice).
• Children aged six to nineteen drank an average of 30 oz of soda or fruit juice every day.
• Two to five-year-olds drank an average of 15.5 oz of juice or soda a day.
• The size of an average drink a child consumes has climbed 46 percent (almost double) sine 1972.

It is astonishing to think that 10 to 15 percent of the calories these children are getting are coming from just soda and fruit juice, because that 10 to 15 percent doesn’t included added sugars from what they eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or the cookies, candies, ice cream or other sugary snacks they consume. It also doesn’t include the hidden sugars in crackers, chips, peanut butter or fast foods they eat.

Total sugar amounts become even crazier when adding all the additional foods they eat that act like sugar in their bodies such as starchy vegetable (such as potatoes) and many grains.

It is clear that our children are overdosing on sugar.

Really? A Half a Pound of Sugar a day?

Whenever I write that children (and, yes, adults too) eat between 1/4 to 1/2 pound of sugar a day, people always question the amount. Let’s see how easy it is to make eat that much sugar every day.
In order to make this calculation, you have to remember that 30 teaspoons of sugar is equal to 1/4 pound of sugar.

Look at how many teaspoons of sugar are in typical foods:

• Twelve ounces of soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar, a 16oz soda contains 10.5 teaspoons.
• Breakfast cereals contain 4 to 6 teaspoons of sugar (more than that if they sprinkle sugar on top).
• Donuts contain between 8 to 20 teaspoons of sugar.
• Cookies have between 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar (each).
• For a more complete list, look here: Percentage Of Sugar In Common Foods.

Look how easy it is to get that 30 teaspoons (or 1/4 pound) of sugar:

• Three sodas almost gets you there.
• A few donuts would do the same.
• Breakfast cereal, a soda, peanut butter, a few cookies and desert means you hit your quota for the day.

Who’s Responsible?

The most surprising revelation in the article in journal, Pediatrics, was that fact that children are getting the bulk of this sugar at home. Most (55 to 70 percent) of sugar-sweetened beverages were consumed in the home, while only 7 to 15 percent in schools. Preschools and Daycare tilt the percentage away from parents as they typically hand out more sugary drinks than a regular school.

These results show that parents actually have a lot of influence over what their children are eating and need to consider these facts with every trip to the grocery store.

Is Everyday Halloween?

Yes, parents should be concerned about how much sugar their children are eating on Halloween, but this holiday is far from atypical when we are talking about sugar consumption. Kids are eating a lot of sugar every day.

The long-term affects of sugar-eating are many and children are especially susceptible to sugar as is shown by the incredible rise in childhood obesity and diabetes.

Parents can do a lot to determine the health of their children and help them to make better choices about sugar. Since the majority of the sugar eaten by children happens at home, it should be easy for parents to curtail its use. The first best step is to stop buying soda and fruit juice, which may cause a mini-revolt, but is in the best interest of everyone.

Reference: O’Connor TM, Yang SJ, Nicklas TA. Beverage intake among preschool children and its effect on weight status. Pediatrics. 2006 Oct;118(4):e1010-8. PMID: 17015497

~Dr. Scott Olson
Naturopathic Physician

Dr. Scott Olson is a Naturopathic doctor, expert in alternative medicine, author, and medical researcher. Spurred on by his patients’ struggles with sugar addiction, he was determined to discover how addictive and harmful sugar can be and ways to overcome that addiction.

The result of that study is his book Sugarettes, which details the addictive qualities of sugar and the harm that sugar does to our bodies.

Dr. Scott also maintains a blog which highlights the latest in health and healthy living. Subscribe or stop by to check out his latest research on sugar addiction.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™