So, in my post titled, what's it going to be about, I told you all that I was 30lbs over weight? A lot of people are surprised by that since I eat so "well". Truth is, I wasn't eating as well as I thought I was. I was so concerned, no not concerned, obsessed with staying away from GMO foods that I didn't take any else into consideration and that's where I failed. I had no idea that all the ORGANIC food I was eating had so much sugar in them. I'm talking, apple cider, vegetable juice, yogurt, salad dressings, ketcup, pasta sauce, cookies, bars and more, all organic, all loaded with sugar. I look at the ingredient list of everything I buy now I look at the sugar content as well. It's amazing how much I had to change. One thing I will say is that regardless of how bad sugar can be when over consumed as most of society does, I will never, ever consume sugar substitutes, they're just as or even more harmful! I had also fell victim to the low/no fat lie, you 'll see how that ties in below.
All this came about when I was watching a podcast series called Underground Wellness and another called Summer Tomato. Both podcast talk about the dangers of sugar and how blind most people are to the damage it can do to the body, mainly the liver. You can check these podcast out yourself on Itunes or you can youtube them. Below I posted a video where the damage sugar does to the body is explained in a short version by Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness. I have also posted an article for you to read written in the New York Times by leading sugar expert Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. Gary Taubes also has thoughts on sugar and carbs in his book Good Calories Bad Calories but I have not explored those.
A couple of things that make sugar scary to me:
1) Its addictive! When I started my no sugar regiment it was, actually is, very tough. I think about it and want it a lot. The scary thing about it is that most people don't know their addicts, hence all the obesity and other dangerous health problems. Sugar has also been linked to depression and what do some people do when depressed, eat, it's a horrible cycle. And because eating is socially acceptable, no one thinks their doing anything wrong. Sugar is seductive. You see all the commercials with the women who are enticed by their sweets. The worst are the yogurt commercials! The women are bragging about how much weight they've lost by eating these yogurts that taste like desserts. Notice, it's only women in these commercials, the industries are targeting our emotions and insecurities lonelyness and buying power!
2) Like I mentioned in my 1st paragraph, I, like most of us, believed at one time that fat was bad. I've since learned better and love my fat, good quality, grass fed, and or aleast organic fat. I'll do a post about that another time. I bring fat up to say that when most dairy is made to be no and low fat the companies really bump up the sugar amounts. Pay attention to all those flavored yogurts and look at how much sugar they have. Lets say you have a flavored yogurt and an apple and sugar in your coffee - that's a lot of sugar, just in your morning. That may seem like a pretty "healthy" breakfast right? Be aware - there are about 21 grams of sugar in the average flavored (artificially) yogurt, a small/medium apple can have about 13 or so grams of sugar and we can't really gage how much coffee has cause it's different for every one. Ready for math - 4 grams of sugar equals 1 tablespoon, so you figure, about 6 tablespoons of sugar in yogurt ( If "flavored"), about 31/2 table spoons in the apple and however many tablespoons you put in your coffee, that's about 10 table spoon of sugar plus whatever you put in your coffee/tea and that's just breakfast! That in conjunction with the sugar you'll eat the rest of the day, including other sweets, breads and pizza/pasta (even whole wheat) really adds up, without us even thinking about it. Also something to really be carful with are the serving sizes. Most drinks are 2 serving sizes, a pint of ice cream 3 or 4. Crackers and cookies are about 2 or 3 per servings. And I don't know about you but I can eat a pint of ice cream alone and I rarely eat just 2 or 3 cookies. Serving sizes are tricky because most juices are about 24grams of sugar or more per serving and a serving is usually an 8oz cup. And from an ethical stand point I can't stand those non fat, fake yogurt places. But I will enjoy a plain at PB with fruit once in a blue moon though. I highly take it into account everthing I eat in terms of sugar content.
So now, a couple of changes I’ve made.
I've always believed in drinking water but I really like this organic apple cider that my partner buys and even though it's staight fruit sugar from crushed apples, its still sugar. So when I’m in the mood and when I'm giving it to Jas I dilute it. It's actually a money saver. He buys it and I split it into 2 jugs and fill them with filtered water and BAM 2 for the price of one! There is a another juice I allow her to have it's 10grams of sugar pouch but like I take my sugar (and not just treats) into consideration for the day, I do the same for her. My daughter is an huge water drinker so I don't worry so much, but I do pay attention. She also is an avid milk drinker and plain is just fine for her. We drink whole grass fed and or raw when we can get it. Every once and a while I'll put some chocolate Stevia (Stevia is a non-caloric herb that is a member of the Chrysanthemum family that grows wild as a small shrub) in her milk as a treat. Stevia in it's closest to raw form should be a white powder. With that said, I don't keep actual sugar in my house, I find now that I don't really need it. But if you want to have something on hand date sugar, coconut sugar and maple crystals are fine, orgainic of course. I'm carful with Jaslynn's "treats" too. Fruit leather has lots of concentrated sugar and so do those applesauce pouches. A couple of those treats in one day can add up quick. And with apple pouches (which dad buys, blessed his heart) there is no fiber or other nutrients she can get from plain old actual apple etc.
I have started making oatmeal with out sugar and it taste just fine and my daughter has even gotten used to it. I make it taste good with a couple of things; you can add cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg (just a touch, its strong) cream, butter, and coconut oil. You could of course throw some good quality (not sugar laden) dried fruit or even fresh fruit in. You can do this for yogurt too. I got caught up in the flavored organic yogurt/yogurt tubes trick too, paid no mind the sugar count - its crazy! Now I buy plain and hook it up. There is a brand that I like now that uses' grass-fed dairy, their coconut flavored has I think 6 grams of sugar and the vanilla has 9. So when Jas and I are in the mood for flavor I will get a couple of those too. My worse habit was eating a bowl of sweet cereal at night while watching bad tv, talk about depressed. How I'm getting over that is to drink a big cup of tea at night. Something with flavor, I don't consume caffeine so there are not that many great options for me but I have come to love spearmint and peppermint or course camomile is always good. My favorite with a splash of half and half is honey bush caramel. It's warm, tasty and satisfying, no sugar needed!
So as you can see, like me, you can also find a positive substitute for sugar and find ways to curb your cravings. I hope you can also see you don't have to change every single thing, just pay attention to you sugar in take and take the steps to moderate. Hope I’m not leaving anything out. If you have any questions please feel free. And oh yeah, I've lost 3lbs! I can't imagine what'll happen if I actually worked out ;o) That's the next battle!
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Beth George is a mother of three (19, 14, 9), a child advocate attorney by trade, and an entrepreneur, food activist and founder of 
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