“Evil White Villains” - PART ONE - SUGAR

 “Evil White Villains” - Criminals We Allow to Rob Us of Our Health


You know who they are.  They are the ones who pretend to be our friends.  They entice us with yummy goodness.  They scam us into believing they are tastier than they actually are.  Oh, sure, the first couple bites or mouthfuls seem mighty delicious, making you crave more, but after finishing the entire serving, we often realize the deception.  Do you really feel better after consuming a big bowl of ice cream?  OR a piece of sugary cake loaded with frosting?  OR that candy bar?  OR a large serving of mashed potatoes and gravy?  OR those French fries?  OR a Super Size soft drink from a fast food joint?  (You get the idea!)

A LITTLE BIT OF TRIVIA: 

1955: McDonald's formed an official partnership with Coca-Cola, offering just a single 7-ounce size fountain drink.  Since that time, soft drink sizes have increased excessively.

Your “food hangover” after devouring that huge rich meal or sugary sinfulness, is an illusion you probably believe was caused by eating too much.  Well, yes, maybe you did eat too much, but most likely it’s NOT the AMOUNT you ate, but most likely it’s caused by WHAT you ate. 

This is one reason why using calorie counting alone, is not an effective weight management tool. 

(More about that later in another post...)

Let’s tackle one “Evil White Villain” at a time…

PART ONE - SUGAR

If you liked the visual images above to show how out of control society has become with outrageously large soft drinks, check this one out --
check out the huge unhealthy amounts of sugar in common beverages...

"Yes, I'll have that bottle of water, please!"

If you’re not yet on the path to health, eliminating SUGAR is a good place to begin.  Removing SUGAR from your diet is actually easier than you think.  Many foods are naturally sweetened.  And, there are several healthy alternative sweeteners on the market you can use in place of SUGAR.

WHY IS SUGAR OUR NEMESIS?

Sugar is an empty calorie, meaning there is no nutritional value, even though it gives you a temporary boost of energy.  After that brief energy dissipates (and it will, quickly), your body sends you a false signal, making you think you are hungry, even when you are not.  This is caused by your blood sugar being out of whack, so it’s telling you to eat to bring your blood sugar back into balance.  By eating nutritious foods your blood sugar will remain stable.

Sugar that doesn’t get broken down, converts to fat.  If you consume large quantities of sugar, you will have difficulty breaking it down in your system.  So, guess what?  FAT!!! 

I don't know about you, but the next time I look at sugar-infested food or drinks, I think I will condition myself to hear the word "FAT". 

Some of the really disturbing highly potential dangers of consuming sugar are: 

Diabetes

Hypertension

Heart Disease

Obesity

Osteoporosis

Weight Gain

Dental Cavities

Tooth Decay

High Blood Pressure

Weakening of the Immune System

Increased Risk of Cancer

Food Allergies

Increased Chronic Pain

So, if you haven't already done so, let’s begin banishing that “Evil White Villain”,
so sweetly named SUGAR.  (pun intended) 
There’s no better time to start than NOW.  This one present moment is all we have, so let’s DO IT!  Take one “NOW” moment at a time, focusing on avoiding SUGAR in any form.

Be sure to read the nutrition labels on anything you’re about to consume.  Make sure the ingredients are free from ANY type of SUGAR, such as dextrose,(also known as glucose), fructose, galactose, sucrose (granulated table sugar), maltose and lactose, etc. 

Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame and Sucralose.  These include such brand names as Splenda, Equal, Nutra Sweet and Sweet'N Low, and should be avoided, too, because they are chemically manufactured. 

However, the good news is there are several healthy natural plant-based sweeteners available.  Examples are Stevia, Truvia, Swerve, Pyure, Erythritol and Xylitol***.  I’ve also used a Confectioner’s Sugar with the Swerve label for making a delicious frosting.  And, Truvia is available in a Brown “Sugar” Blend.  I haven’t used that one, yet.  Honey is also another alternative, but should be used in moderation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

***Xylitol can be fatal for dogs, so it’s necessary to keep this away from your fur babies.  However, Xylitol is perfectly safe for human consumption.

Depending on how you use them, it may take a short time for you to adjust to these natural sweeteners.  Many are much sweeter than SUGAR, so you need to start out with a small amount and add sparingly to taste.  But some do measure cup for cup, the same as SUGAR.  But, even then, I often use less than indicated in the recipe.  Just check the label, before you begin using.  Some may also have a “different” after-taste, usually if added to warm/hot food or drink, which is more noticeable when you first begin to use it.  I always put my baked goods in the refrigerator, and have not noticed this taste after it’s cooled.  Another way to avoid or minimize this is to mix some of the various natural sweeteners (mentioned above), especially when using a larger amount as in baking. 

  

Important to note: 

Consuming sugar in VERY SMALL amounts "may" be acceptable, provided you don’t fall into the habit of eating so much that your system will not be able to break it down.  Often, consuming even small amounts of sugar has the possibility to cause you to crave more sugar, and so the cycle begins. 

As mentioned before....

sugar that doesn’t get broken down will convert to harmful fat. 

By eliminating sugar, your taste buds will become adjusted to not having it. 

You won’t crave it anymore, and you won’t miss it. 

You will feel healthier, because you will be healthier.

Keeping all of this in mind (and any further suggestions made in future posts), while I do believe in the importance of changing how we eat, I am also a firm believer in not depriving ourselves.  That’s not to say we should give in to every whim or passing craving, because we shouldn’t.  But, any “diet” that forces you to struggle to remain on track, could very easily create other issues, such as stress, and possibly eating disorders.  Sometimes it will help you stay focused by just knowing that it’s okay to bend the rules on occasion, whether you follow through, or not.  Just having that knowledge helps.  Quite often, that passing thought of wanting sugar, will subside anyway.  This is especially true, if one of your reasons for jumping on this path to healthy eating is to release weight.  The more you vary from this journey, the longer it will take to shed the pounds.   

Remember - this is not a temporary “diet plan”.  This is a life-long commitment to improve your health by choosing your food and nutrition consumption wisely.  Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, the benefits of eating healthy are abundant.

 And, as with anything...
Whatever you do, do what is best for you.

Signing off for now, with gratitude and love,
Ginny