Today we go to Sugar School and offend family. Yes, the front steps are still unstripped and my muscles are still unmuscled, but the discovery of 2/3ds of a bottle of Pom "Wonderful" in my fridge has prompted this post in an attempt to SAVE my sister's sugar-lovin' soul! My sister and nephew were just here for 4 days. Apparently unable to make it through as much as 2 days without a sugary drink (Huh? There's only cold filtered WATER? WTH! We'll probably die! [No, they were way too nice to actually say this, but....]), my sis bought a bottle of Lemonade and some of that Wonderful Pom after only two days. And at this point, I hear Kathy going, "Well, I don't drink it straight. I just add a little bit to some sparkling water." Plus, it's 100% juice, how can it be bad? Oh, fear not, I will tell you why this is bad.
And, lest I forget, the sugary drinks were not the only purchase -- there were watermelon candies and other sweet stuff that had to be purchased and eaten to sate the sugar addiction. (And I'm not even gonna count the cotton candy on Saturday night, or the gummi bears and chocolate snacks, because that was my badness, but it was in the mix.) Four days. Not able to make it without the sugar. 4. Not good.
So what up with the "Wonderful" pure and natural Pom? Here's what up: 62 grams of sugar in one small plastic bottle. Not kidding. I thought it was a mistake. 72 carbs, only 1 gram of protein, and 62 grams of sugar. So if you drink that 16 oz. bottle, which many people undoubtedly do, you would send your blood sugar sky rocketing. Even half a bottle is 31 grams of sugar. One fourth of the bottle is 16.5 grams. And a couple of swigs would give you at least 8 grams. Indeed, fruit juice has as much, or more sugar, than is found in sodas. http://www.hookedonjuice.com (Just one quick link explaining the loads of sugar in fruit juice.) And if you don't like that site, Google it your own self.
So what? Big deal?
Well, 4.2 grams of sugar is the equivalent of eating an entire teaspoon of sugar. So if you take only a couple of swigs of Pom Wonderful (and no one stops at a couple of swigs), you are eating TWO TEASPOONS of sugar. That's right, just shovel that sugar right into your mouth. And how much can the body handle at one time? Only about two teaspoons or 8 grams. (Per Suicide by Sugar [a book I sent my sister that she will never read -- written by a 70 yo reformed sugar addict with a PhD in nutrition] and the sources cited therein.) Now here's where I attempt to summarize and oversimplify and lose my sister, because this stuff cannot be explained in a few sentences, and I don't have the PhD in nutrition. But basically, sugar injects you with a buttload of glucose and fructose, which temporarily increases your serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine (making you feel all nice -- one reason it's addicting), but also forces your body to draw minerals from the blood stream and secrete insulin in an attempt to bring the body back to homeostasis. This knocks the blood chemistry all out of whack, causes hypo or hyper glycemia, depletes minerals (and or absorption of minerals you need) like chromium, copper, and magnesium, damages your endocrine system, inhibits your immune system, and causes things like premature aging, cancer, arthritis, leaky gut, inflammation, allergic reaction, asthma, obesity, diabetes, dementia, etc. (that doesn't begin to cover all the stuff the author says is caused by sugar, but I'm being conservative here). That's a very short version of a whole book about sugar and nutrition and body function. There is a reason that cancer patients are told to avoid sugar. Sugar feeds cancer cells. That's not really debatable. So even if you're skeptical about everything else, that alone ought to be enough to make EVERYONE avoid sugar and sweeteners. And yet....
So that was it. A very short trip to sugar school, but my attempt to encourage a conscious and determined change in sugar consumption. Not complete abstinence, but a safe level of sugar consumption of 5 grams or less in any one serving/sitting. If it has more than that, it will be very tasty and will feel really good, but it is really bad for you. And if you're trying to lose weight? Forget about it -- if you can't cut back on the sugar, I don't think it's gonna happen. Today, I'm passing along advice to eat whole foods and complex carbs like oatmeal (without added sugar), vegetables (ooh, ick!), and for sweetness, WHOLE fruits, not fruit drinks, not even 100% Pom Wonderful fruit juice, but whole frickin' fruit. Without sugar on it. (Yes, I've seen a certain sister put table sugar on bananas and strawberries. WTH?) Try it, you'll like it. Okay, maybe you won't like it at first (or even ever, compared to the tasty wonders of modern prepared foods), but it will be SO much better for you. That gurgling sound is the Pom "Wonderful" going down the sink.
Baby steps. Really.
A: I'm sitting here eating my broccoli/red pepper/carrot/cabbage/pea covered noodles and my cucumber carrot relish with tofu chunks and discover that i commited a dietary crime by relishing my 2 oz of 100% pomegranate juice with 12 oz of carbonated water (about 3 days a week or less at home) and the dark chocolate-covered edamame beans. I know how much sugar is in it. Have to get more of the antioxidants somewhere! :-)
ReplyDeleteB. I did read the sugar lady's book. She's about 40% half-baked. Just enough facts to make it read well. Lots of opinion. Enjoy facts and opinion, but was not convinced that carbohydrates pave the road to hell. Generally, moderation is a good thing.
C. Going to continue to enjoy treats, just don't plan to live on them. I eat cotton candy once a year, for example. (Love the State Fair, skip the hot dogs and fried candy bars in favor of the cotton candy.) Back to: moderation is a good thing. But appreciate the nudge towards vegetable and oatmeal holiness.
Your veggies and tofu sounds all saintly, depending on what else was in the stuff (many dressings actually contain plenty of sugar), but I know that isn't all you've ingested or will ingest today. I've seen the candy door in the car. What did you drink before, during and after your healthy lunch? I bet it wasn't water. And how's that bag of watermelon candies holding up? But forget all that -- why was it not possible to go even TWO days drinking filtered water? Why the need for sugary bubbly stuff?
ReplyDeleteAdmitting you have a problem is the first step. Well, maybe the second. Getting annoyed all to Hell by your sister is really the first step here.