The Sugar Crises
Bite This: The USDA reports that the average American consumes between 150-170 pounds of sugar per year. That's a lot of sugar!
I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked about sugar consumption in relation to cancer, but it seems like everyone has been asking questions about it lately. I am not sure if it is because of the recent 60 Minutes special, "Is Sugar Toxic?" that ran April 1st, or if people are just now starting to pay attention to health.
To understand this better, we've got to break it down. There are many different types of sugar out there, but no matter how you justify it, sugar is sugar. Yes, fruits contain sugar and an abundant amount of good nutrients for you, but you can consume too much sugar from fruit as well. The difference is that fruit contains fiber so it takes longer for this sugar to digest and reach your bloodstream.
So, is sugar really toxic? I believe it is. Just as I was discussing in the recent blog post about the documentary, Hunger for Change, sugar is an addiction and it is getting out of control. The more sugar you eat, the more your body craves it, much like a drug.
You may think that drinking 110 calories worth of orange juice is the same as eating 110 calories worth of an orange but think about how each these 110 calories is affecting your body. The 110 calories worth of juice is sending sugar right to the bloodstream in a matter of minutes -much like a drug shooting through a vein via a syringe. This sends a signal to the "pleasure center" of the brain producing dopamine - much like a drug giving you a "high". Your body is also releasing insulin to help digest and process this sugar. Your brain is momentarily happy because sugar is the main energy source for the brain. But what happens when this sugar leaves your brain just as quickly as it arrived? You crash. You begin to feel lethargic as your endorphin levels decline and then you start to feel depressed. Much like coming down from a high from cocaine, you start to feel depressed due to the decline in the endorphins. Then you start to crave that feeling so you ingest more sugar. The problem is the more sugar you ingest, the more it will take to attain that same desired effect. So, ask yourself, is sugar an addiction?
Great... so now the brain is affected, what about this insulin that is spilling into the bloodstream now to digest the sugar? Glad you asked. Not only is this sugar affecting the brain, it's affecting the pancreas. The pancreas is releasing insulin to help get this sugar to our cells to use as energy. The more simple the sugar is, the more insulin is released. If the body does not need this energy right away, then this sugar is stored for later use- either in the muscles as glycogen or the fat tissue as fat. It is the insulin then that promotes cell growth. With my oncology population this always leads to the question then, "Does sugar feed cancer?" Sugar feeds all of our cells- tumor cells as well as healthy cells. Even if our diet is completely void of sugar, our bodies break down protein and fat in order to produce glucose (sugar) for energy, but an excess of ingested simple sugar increases insulin levels which can speed up cell growth- healthy cells as well as tumor cells.
Now I will be the first to admit I love sugar. Love it. Here's an oxymoron for you - I used to consume an entire box of Hot Tamales and chase them down with a 20- ounce diet Mountain Dew while studying for exams for my nutrition classes. That's how crazy I was in college, but I have come a long way since then. I have been deliberately trying to not consume so much sugar because I know how it affects the body. I also have to practice what I preach, otherwise, what's the point? And let me say, day by day it gets easier. I no longer crave candy like I used to. Bottom line: Moderation. Seriously. Minimum if possible.
If you know you're going to be eating a cookie at lunch for your co-workers birthday party, do not eat drink your sugar-laden coffee for breakfast. If you did, do not eat that celebratory birthday cookie. It's that simple. The more you make changes like this, you'll start to see a difference, not only in the way you look, but in the way you feel. And that sugar addiction becomes a thing in the past.
Sound Bite: Think about what you eat during a typical day. You may be surprised at how much sugar you are consuming in seemingly harmless foods. Take one day to read nutrition labels and add up all of the sugar you consume that day. The suggested recommendation is that men consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars per day and women no more than 100 calories per day.
Side note: I wrote this before watching the 60 Minutes special on "Is Sugar Toxic." So now I am going to get their take on it. I suggest you watch it online as well.
I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked about sugar consumption in relation to cancer, but it seems like everyone has been asking questions about it lately. I am not sure if it is because of the recent 60 Minutes special, "Is Sugar Toxic?" that ran April 1st, or if people are just now starting to pay attention to health.
To understand this better, we've got to break it down. There are many different types of sugar out there, but no matter how you justify it, sugar is sugar. Yes, fruits contain sugar and an abundant amount of good nutrients for you, but you can consume too much sugar from fruit as well. The difference is that fruit contains fiber so it takes longer for this sugar to digest and reach your bloodstream.
So, is sugar really toxic? I believe it is. Just as I was discussing in the recent blog post about the documentary, Hunger for Change, sugar is an addiction and it is getting out of control. The more sugar you eat, the more your body craves it, much like a drug.
Great... so now the brain is affected, what about this insulin that is spilling into the bloodstream now to digest the sugar? Glad you asked. Not only is this sugar affecting the brain, it's affecting the pancreas. The pancreas is releasing insulin to help get this sugar to our cells to use as energy. The more simple the sugar is, the more insulin is released. If the body does not need this energy right away, then this sugar is stored for later use- either in the muscles as glycogen or the fat tissue as fat. It is the insulin then that promotes cell growth. With my oncology population this always leads to the question then, "Does sugar feed cancer?" Sugar feeds all of our cells- tumor cells as well as healthy cells. Even if our diet is completely void of sugar, our bodies break down protein and fat in order to produce glucose (sugar) for energy, but an excess of ingested simple sugar increases insulin levels which can speed up cell growth- healthy cells as well as tumor cells.
Now I will be the first to admit I love sugar. Love it. Here's an oxymoron for you - I used to consume an entire box of Hot Tamales and chase them down with a 20- ounce diet Mountain Dew while studying for exams for my nutrition classes. That's how crazy I was in college, but I have come a long way since then. I have been deliberately trying to not consume so much sugar because I know how it affects the body. I also have to practice what I preach, otherwise, what's the point? And let me say, day by day it gets easier. I no longer crave candy like I used to. Bottom line: Moderation. Seriously. Minimum if possible.
If you know you're going to be eating a cookie at lunch for your co-workers birthday party, do not eat drink your sugar-laden coffee for breakfast. If you did, do not eat that celebratory birthday cookie. It's that simple. The more you make changes like this, you'll start to see a difference, not only in the way you look, but in the way you feel. And that sugar addiction becomes a thing in the past.
Sound Bite: Think about what you eat during a typical day. You may be surprised at how much sugar you are consuming in seemingly harmless foods. Take one day to read nutrition labels and add up all of the sugar you consume that day. The suggested recommendation is that men consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars per day and women no more than 100 calories per day.
Side note: I wrote this before watching the 60 Minutes special on "Is Sugar Toxic." So now I am going to get their take on it. I suggest you watch it online as well.
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