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Today’s post is a wake up call about the dangers of sugar. Does this mean we won’t talk about wonderful bakeries and desserts anymore? No. We still love our sugar, we can’t help ourselves. But, it does mean that we all need to know where the hidden sugars are and how to make responsible choices while understanding the health implications. To say we are eating sugar in moderation is a lie.
Today’s post is written by Edith Kirkland. Edith is a Holistic Health Counselor with a degree sanctioned by the State of New York Department of Education from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The school teaches bio-individuality, meaning we are all different: just because something works for you does not mean it will work for me. The school also explores primary foods (relationships, career, physical activity, and spirituality) in order to understand why people may have unhealthy eating behaviors. (Click here to read more about what this means.)
Photo courtesy of cbs news
I love sugar. Who doesn’t? Seriously. Anyone who knows me understands that I’d like nothing better than to eat Reese’s peanut butter cups, donuts, and cookie dough for the rest of my life. It would be a short one. I would live longer on water alone than on water and sugar. This is because our bodies were not designed to handle sugar. It is an anti-nutrient, which actually depletes our bodies of minerals and digestive enzymes when it is metabolized and also makes it so that we don’t digest our foods properly. When it is metabolized, it is done so primarily by our livers (like alcohol) and raises triglycerides while keeping our HDLs low. (This phenomenon is the pattern that predicts heart disease.) It throws our body out of balance and causes inflammation or disease. Excess sugar is so toxic that the body turns it into fat just to get rid of it. It then attaches itself to protein molecules in arteries and acts like sandpaper – yes, sandpaper – inside our cell walls. Sugar can cause arthritis, diabetes, obesity, arteriosclerosis, hypoglycemia, acidosis, osteoporosis, allergies, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Since it is so highly addictive, we don’t want to quit. We’d rather take a pill, blame something else when we’re sick, or hope we’re one of the lucky few who don’t get sick or fat.
That was just a little background to freak you out. Did it work? It makes me CRAZY. Think about yourself: do you crave sugar? If you do, you are addicted. Do you have mood swings? Try going a week without sugar and see how much more even keeled you are – then think about your children. If it affects YOU that way, how do you think it’s affecting them? Please let me reiterate that I’m no saint: I can go days without it and feel great – truly, I am nicer to my children and I am more sane…then I decide that one cookie won’t hurt and before I know it, I’ve eaten the whole box!! I really believe it’s like an alcoholic falling off the wagon.
Sugar is everywhere. Thanks to the studies done in the early ‘80’s “proving” how bad fat is for us, companies turned to sugar to replace the fat taken out of processed foods. SnackWell, anyone? Entenmann’s Fat Free Coffee Cake? From 1960 to 1980, roughly 1 in 7 Americans was obese Today, 1 in 3 is obese. That number refers to children as well. It is generally believed that we will see the first generation of children who will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents because of unhealthy eating habits. Let me say that again: our kids life expectancy is shorter than our own. Studies today are proving that SUGAR is one of the things that is killing us.
Fat consumption has actually gone down during the past 50 years, but people are getting sicker and fatter. Fat is not the culprit here. In the 1800’s people consumed 12 pounds of sugar per year per person. In the 1950’s it went up to 110 pounds/person/year. 1960’s=114; 1970’s=123; 1980’s=126. Then BOOM: 1990’s=145 and 2000’s=152!! When accounting for waste and loss, 152 pounds is approximately 32 teaspoons of sugar per person, per day! Last week, 60 Minutes aired a segment called “Is Sugar Toxic?” with several experts including Dr. Robert Lustig, who also did an amazing video lecture (where I got a lot of my information) that went viral on You Tube last year – over 2,200,000 hits – called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth.” Gary Taubes (who wrote Good Calories, Bad Calories) did a follow up article in the New York Times later… There was even an article about how bad sugar is for you in the kids’ Time magazine, just this week. Y’all, we all need to wake up and take this seriously.
I have many people ask me, “How much sugar per day is okay?” There is really no definitive answer, because the real answer is none, but that is impossible. If we could keep our kids intake to about 24 grams of sugar per day, that would be ideal. So, here’s a fairly typical day for a child: Breakfast: cereal (3/4 cup Kellogg’s granola: 21 grams sugar), milk (1 cup skim: 13 grams sugar), apple juice (1 cup: 28 grams sugar). Lunch: turkey sandwich (bread: 4 grams sugar), Yoplait yogurt (26 grams sugar), Teddy Grahams (8 grams sugar), and Gatorade (12 oz bottle- 21 grams sugar). Snack: granola bar, (chewy dipps – 13 grams sugar), Icee, (small: 31 grams sugar). Dinner: hamburger, (bun: 5 grams sugar, 1 tbsp KETCHUP, 10 grams sugar), salad, (Ken’s fat free salad dressing- 10 grams sugar) fries (again, ketchup 10 grams sugar), bowl of ice cream (1/2 cup cookies n cream: 17 grams sugar). SO – in one day of fairly “normal” eating: 217 grams of sugar. If you need a visual, 4 grams of sugar equals about 1 teaspoon, so that much sugar is almost 54 teaspoons – a little over 1 cup of sugar and WAY over the scary average I just referenced.
So what can we do? Remember that just because your children are skinny does not mean they can eat as much sugar as they want. Skinny does not equal healthy. First, we need to work together so that sugar is a TREAT and not an everyday occurrence. Our children do NOT need Gatorade – ever. It’s impressive how commercials have led us to believe that after running a mile in a track meet, they need it. Give your children water to drink and let the occasional Gatorade or other sugary drink be a treat. Juice is obviously better, but it is still sugar. Give your child an apple to eat and a glass of water – not apple juice. Try plain yogurt and add some vanilla, cinnamon, and a little bit of honey – your little bit will not add up to the amount in pre-prepared yogurt. If you are out to dinner, let them choose to have either a sprite or a dessert – not both. Next, read the ingredients – not just the “claims” on the box, and be aware. If we at least start thinking about cutting back, we can all get better.
Here is a list of some other names that mean sugar: beet sugar, brown sugar, buttered syrup, cane juice crystals, cane sugar, caramel, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, confectioner’s sugar, carob syrup, castor sugar, date sugar, demerara sugar, dextran, dextrose, diastatic malt, diatase, ethyl maltol, fructose, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, galactose, glucose, glucose solids, golden sugar, golden syrup, grape sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, icing sugar, invert sugar, lactose, maltodextrin, maltose, malt syrup, maple syrup, molasses, muscovado sugar, panocha, raw sugar, refiner’s syrup, rice syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose and treacle.
Do not be lured by fake sugars either: they may provide no calories and no sugar, but they sure aren’t healthy!! Finally, try to get your children to eat as many vegetables as possible. By filling up with healthy food, there will not be as much room for the bad things. Keep making them try things because it can take more than 20 times of tasting and seeing something before they may like it. And they may never like it, but at least they can learn to eat it anyway. My son wanted to give up tofu and beets for Lent! All three of my children have hated sweet potatoes for years.
My kids beg me not to read the ingredients. And, no, they are not the neighborhood oddballs who aren’t allowed to eat any sugar, but I am trying to make them understand about making good food choices. I sure would love to have some other moms in my boat! Please?! Remember: our kids life expectancy is shorter than our own. Let’s change that.
We all know the answer, and yet – how boring, and, in our world, unrealistic! So, do the best you can, as this really will make huge strides towards a healthier family, community and America. To quote Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemmna: “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Other sources for this post include Raymond Francis (Beyond Health News), Dr. Dwight Lundell (a former heart doctor), the American Heart Association, and F. Magendie.
Thank you Edith! Here is the video that went viral, even though it’s 89 minutes long. Warning: the following video may have you cleaning your cabinets and refrigerator out!
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30 Responses to “Sugar: It’s Killing Us”
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I’m glad to see this article. I have issues with sugar and must abstain completely. Everyone is different, but I am not one who can have sugar as an occasional treat. That would be like a cocaine addict having one line as a treat.
I’m pretty sure that should be me, but I just haven’t been able to go there yet- I’m still the coke-head and imagining the rest of my life without sugar just makes me too sad!!! :)
Try this phone app: Fooducate
It scans bar codes at the grocery (over 200,000 in its data base) and tells you what is in the food (in real terms) and what might be healthier alternatives. Comes in free and $3.99 (ad free) versions.
This app needs to be one of our FINDS in May. That is awesome!
Nice job Edith! Thank you!
Great article! I had this “wake up call” back in the 70s with my first pregnancy, and dove head first into studying nutrition. I shop the perimeter of the grocery store, staying away from processed food, though I do venture down the coffee aisle! I make everything from scratch and eat mostly raw foods these days. It takes me over a year to go through a 5 lb bag of sugar.
This actually propelled me into formulating edible organic skin care, when I had the “ah ha” moment of “what is my skin eating?”
This article comes at a GREAT time for me b/c my husband & I are doing a whole “no sugar or dairy” thing for 2 weeks. Today is Day 4, and I seriously want some chocolate. But you are right – we eat WAY too much sugar! Our health & our ability to live longer is much more important than the cupcake. Thank you for this article!
Good Luck and stick with it! I eat very little dairy, no gluten and try to steer clear from sugar and it’s amazing how much better I feel now than I once did! You can do it!
Fantastic article! I thought we didn’t eat that much sugar until I saw your list of a typical day. Ouch. We’re having more than I thought!
I have a question about the 24 g recommendation: does that mean 24 grams TOTAL, including naturally occurring sugar found in whole fruits and vegetables, or does that mean 24 grams of added sugar (processed food, adding sugar in recipes, etc)? Thanks!
It is 24 grams (6 teaspoons) of ADDED sugar – it does not include naturally occurring sugars from vegetables and fruits — I do count it in fruit juices, though -
Less sugar is one of our family’s goals. Thank you for a great reminder!
Our children’s pediatrician just passed away…she was 114 years old. Dr. Denmark had not eaten sugary things since she was in her mid 70′s. There is much to be learned from this.
Thank you for this Edith – and for not going CRAZY-perfectionsitic on us. Allowing for reason and healthy permission makes this doable for all of us.
Edith, brilliant!! If only we could get the schools on board too. I think HFCS should be banned from schools.
Also,I just told my lacrosse team the other day to never drink Gatorade because its full of chemicals and sugar and that they just needed water…They were pretty un-psyched about it.
I wish we could get schools on board, too. I think Oak Hill has been trying, but trying has definitely not been enough – I am shocked some days when my kids tell me what was served at lunch, and I do believe Oak Hill is better than most!!! My kids are pretty un-psyched about no Gatorade, too… have your team try coconut water – you have to get used to the taste, but it’s naturally sweet from coconuts and has natural potassium and electrolytes – I still believe in water but if someone really wants something extra… :)
This is so true and so scary the path we are on the the consumption of sugar! A great natural sugar is Stevia, I put it in everything and each brand tastes a little differently!
Thanks Edith for posting this, great info!
wonderful article Edith – thank you! Now we need to get every school to read and post this in the cafeteria.
Can you describe some of the conversations you have with your children and their ages so I can get an idea of how the conversation could be handled and their ability to understand what you are doing for them?
Great article! For those hooked on Gatorade our family just discovered adding a few tablespoons of fresh orange juice to a glass of water as a “similar” treat when you want more than water.
Fantastic article! I am going to make sure my daughter reads this; my grandson loves fruit juice and would drink it all day if allowed. I’ve started to water it down when he’s with me, and he isn’t thrilled with it. But if you can break the sugar addiction early in life, so much the better. Thanks Edith!
Bravo to Liza for her FANTASTIC column in today’s Tennessean about women demeaning women with catty remarks and how we must stop this! Just when I think Style Blueprint is a little too long on the superficial for the affluent, out comes this amazing column … and now this on sugar!!! Style Blueprint, you rock. Keep it up.
Agreed Martha!
Martha, I hope you have also read our recent articles on a family volunteer vacation in Costa Rica, running the Boston Marathon for Dana Farber, our FACES every Monday to hold up fabulous women in Nashville (our past three being Anne Davis, artist Andrienne Outlaw and then Harriet Karro/Denise Alper of the Gift Initiative), Imagining a Better Bandywood, Comfortable Shoes that won’t break the bank, Tips for healthy eating and exercise on vacation… I just wanted to point out that while we will always embrace the small talk as it’s fun and breezy, and we definitely talk about some pricey things, but we will ALWAYS use StyleBlueprint as a platform to hold women high and point out fun positive things for all of us at a multitude of price points, while embracing the overall theme of local. That is our goal:-) Thank you for the compliment!
It’s great to FINALLY see more coverage about this subject. I am pretty passionate about this subject as we have sugar issues in our family (me included!). We have conversations in our house about real food (also called one- ingredient foods) and man-made food and that you want to have as much real food in your diet as possible. If we do eat sweets (other than chocolate), we try to make it ourselves from scratch (Michael Pollen’s suggestion). The challenge to eat properly is a bit like swimming upstream in our society. Temptation abounds everywhere and the key is planning ahead, bringing your own snacks so you’re not tempted, and finding healthier substitutes that your kids still think are treats. Examples are smoothies (use unsweetened coconut milk with less than 1 gram sugar/serving) and strawberries with whipped cream (use Cabot real whipped cream at 1 gram sugar/serving – avail at T. Joe’s). I made the mistake early on to resist the whole sugar thing instead of putting emphasis on being healthy, and it became a forbidden fruit, enhancing its appeal. Now, I try to keep the focus on food to fuel healthy, strong, beautiful bodies. I once read that the number one thing that will really cause people to eat healthier was if you tell them that it will make them beautiful!
One more tip for kids who are used to Gatorade: there is a healthier version called Recharge by Knudsen which used to carried in Whole Foods. I buy it in Asheville now when we’re there, but Amazon does carry it too. I bet W. Foods would carry it if enough people requested it. Anyway, we dilute water with a bit of this during the hot months to encourage water consumption, and it definitely helps. Orange and lemon are our fav flavors.
Great article Edith!! Something my family struggles with everyday! I am getting ready to start a gluten free and dairy free diet and I’m terrified!! A “diet” of ANY kind makes me crazy! However, after reading this article, I’m feeling motivated to give up sugar while I’m at it! (Wish i could see the jaws dropping out there! Anyone who knows me knows how difficult that would be!) Are there any great tasting gluten free-dairy free-sugar free foods out there??? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :-)
AMEN!!!!
Great job Edith.
Alicia had some great tips for Chris D and all of us about focusing on being healthy and beautiful! My children are 11, 9, and 7, and I, too, try to focus on what we CAN have. It’s been a long process, and we talk about it a lot! I have them read ingredients to me and if they can’t pronounce something then we don’t usually buy it; we eat a lot of eggs and often have smoothies with coconut milk plus we have a Vitamix so I always throw some kale or spinach in, too!! A smoothie tip for when you go buy one is to tell them “No added sugar.” They taste just as good, I promise!! I love making salads – if you need easier and quicker, buy the pre-washed organic lettuce and the pre-chopped mixed raw veggies at trader joe’s and buy one of the Whole Foods salad dressings that are made in-house – add some nuts and avocado; stir fry is another good gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free meal; you can snack on rice cakes and peanut butter. And, don’t let yourself get too hungry because that’s when you’ll fall apart…good luck to all of US out there trying to do better!!!
I have recently discovered almond milk and am slowly replacing regular milk with it. I get the Blue Diamond Almond Breeze (unsweetened). We make smoothies with this and my kids are now putting it on their cereal and loving it. One 8 oz. serving has only 40 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrates (really carb free b/c it also has 1 gram of fiber witch cancels out the carbs) and 0 grams of sugar. With 3.5 grams fat (the good kind, mind you) and 1 gram of protein I find it to be a tasty, healthier alternative to diary milk.
When overwhelmed by all the advice on good nutrition, eating locally, caring for the envrionment, etc., I remember the best hint I got at a wonderful conference: Just change ONE thing. Just ONE. Hey, I can do that! And after that ONE, the next ONE is easier. And so it goes. I aim for improvement, not perfection.
Thanks, Edith.