By: Badr Bakry
From the book Cleanse Your Life Now
Most of us love sugar, but do you know what sugar really is? The pure white sugar that is in so many of our foods is an unnatural substance. It is produced mostly from sugar cane or sugar beets by industrial processes that refine it down to pure sucrose. The process strips away all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and other beneficial nutrients. What is left is a concentrated unnatural substance that the human body is not able to handle.
Refined sugar has absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. Not only does it completely lack nutritional value, it also robs the body of enzymes, minerals and vitamins, especially B-vitamins. Symptoms of B-vitamin deficiency include: fatigue, depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, poor memory, insomnia and irregular heart beat.
Sugar Addiction
Ninety-five percent of us are addicted to sugar to some degree! Refined sugar is a pure chemical. In my opinion, it is like heroin, and even more of a threat because it’s legal and cheap. It’s a chemical that has been stripped through the refining process of all the natural food nutrition that originally resided in the plant. Heroin and sugar are produced by very similar processes. In producing heroin, the opium is first extracted from the poppy. The opium is then refined into morphine. The chemists then take the morphine and further refine it into heroin. Similarly, sugar is first pressed as a juice from the cane or beet and refined into molasses. Then, it is refined into brown sugar, and finally into strange white crystals, that are an alien chemical to the human system. It’s no wonder that people not only develop a strong taste for sugar, but an insatiable craving for it so that they never seem to get enough of this poison. It is an addictive drug that causes diabetes, obesity, tooth and gum decay, stomach problems, and mental disturbances… these are just some of known diseases.
The average person now consumes about 155 lbs. of sugar per year — this is per man, woman and child. Soft drink and soda manufacturers are the largest single users of refined sugar. A 12-ounce can of soda has 10 to 13 teaspoons of sugar. Guess who are the largest soda consumers? Teenagers and children. Soda marketers focus on brand-building among younger consumers. Over 50 million soda drinks are consumed everyday in United States alone! Who benefits from this?
Where do you find sugar?
Where not to find it, should be the question. If you examine the “foods” in any supermarket more closely and start reading labels, you will find just about everything contains sugar. Most of the foods are loaded with it – from cereals, to soups, to ketchup, to hot dogs, candy, chocolate, sodas, soft drink, sport drinks… even baby’s formula and baby food.
What can sugar do to you?
One of the most dangerous habits and addictions in our lives today is sugar. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, obesity, tooth and gum decay, stomach problems, mental disturbances and many other physical and mental problems.
Sugar use also creates blood sugar imbalances in the body. When blood sugar drops too low after eating a high-sugar food, the fuel supply to the body is impaired, with adverse effects on mental function, physical energy and emotional stability. Symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can range anywhere from headaches, irritability and shaking when hungry to explosive anger, panic attacks, or crying easily for no apparent reason. Sugar can affect the quality of your life and your health dramatically. Many studies have shown that sugar is very effective in weakening the immune system and is a source of fuel for feeding cancer and tumors.
- Sugar can suppress the immune system.
- Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
- Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
- Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
- Sugar can cause arthritis.
- Sugar can cause asthma.
- Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
- Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
- Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
- Sugar can increase cholesterol.
- Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
- Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.
- Sugar can damage the pancreas.
- Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
- Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
- Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.
- Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
- Sugar can adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders.
- Sugar can cause depression.
- Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
- Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
- Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
- Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
- Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.
- Sugar increases the risk of polio.
- High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
- Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
- Sugar can lead to prostate cancer.
- Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer.
- Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine.
- Sugar causes constipation.
- Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
- Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.
- Sugar can cause liver tumors.
- Too much sugar can kill your sex life.
- Sugar can cause fatigue, moodiness, nervousness and depression.
- Sugar is common choice of obese individuals.
- High fructose consumption has been linked to liver disease.
- Sugar adds to the risk of bladder cancer.
There are 146 reasons why sugar is ruining your health, according to Dr. Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., the author of the book Lick the Sugar Habit. A recent study by scientists at Johns Hopkins shows that sugar is a cancer-feeder. Moreover, eliminating sugar in the diet cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. No other food contributes to as many health problems as sugar. If you want to achieve your optimum health potential, avoiding sugar is the best place to start.
Action
Get rid of the sugar and sugar products in your kitchen. Get rid of all the products that are made with refined sugar (sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin), including all commercial brands of cookies, candy, pop, ice cream, pastry, cakes, pies, soda, soft drinks, energy drinks and commercial juice.
Natural Sugar Alternatives
The best sweeteners to use are those that occur naturally, such as raw honey, stevia, raw, wild mesquite pod meal, raw organic yacon syrup or organic sun-cured wild crafted vanilla beans.
Keep in mind that even natural sweeteners can affect your blood sugar and contribute to cravings for sweets. For this reason, it’s best to avoid eating sweets by themselves; instead, include dessert made with whole foods as part of a balanced meal, no more than two to three times per week.
1- Honey
Before white sugar was even invented, people used honey both for food, and to support a wide range of body functions. It is natural and it helps improve your daily energy naturally. Honey has been shown to have an antimicrobial effect against many bacteria and fungi. Many medical studies found that honey speeds up the healing of wounds, and it can help heal ulcers, as well as offering relief from diarrhea, insomnia, sunburn, and sore throats.
2- Stevia
This native South American herb is now grown and cultivated throughout the world. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, but does not affect blood sugar levels, and can be used for sweetening beverages and for baking. Stevia is easily digested, dissolves quickly, is safe for diabetics and has no calories or carbohydrates.
3- Raw, wild mesquite pod meal
It’s a nutritious condiment ground from the bean pods of the mesquite tree. This aromatic powder or meal can be used as a sweetener or flavor enhancer.
4- Raw organic yacon syrup
It’s a new vegan sweetener. Pressed from the yacon root, this gift from nature has been enjoyed for centuries in the Andean highlands of Peru.
5- Organic sun-cured wild crafted vanilla beans
These are moist and very plump beans. These vanilla beans have a complex aroma, and a dark, robust flavor. Vanilla beans are ideal for making your own healthy desserts and smoothies.
Take back control of your health and your life!
By: Badr Bakry
Excerpt from the book Cleanse Your Life Now
