Obesity

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Sugar Mistaken as Food

194.   The biggest reason why sugar does more damage than any other poison, drug or narcotic is, because it is mistakenly considered as food and consumed in vast quantities, not only in tea, coffee, soft drinks, sweets, chocolates, pastries, cakes, biscuits etc. which taste sweet, but also in highly refined and processed foods such as baked beans, bread, breakfast cereals, soups, tomato ketchup, pizzas etc. Shockingly, to give an example, tomato ketchup contains 23% sugar and 300 ml. cola seven teaspoons of sugar.

 Reading Food Labels for Sugar Content

195.   According to the World Health Organisation, consumption of sugar in the UK is about 20 teaspoons per person in a day. However average affluent Indian consumes up to whopping 40 teaspoons in one day – a sure shot recipe for a health disaster. Get smart about reading “nutrition facts” on the labels of the food you buy in the supermarket. Sugar derives in various forms such as sucrose, glucose, syrup, honey, fructose, maltose, dextrose, lactose, sorbitol etc. To determine how much sugar you eat – seven grams of sugar equals one tablespoon of sugar.

 Sugar is Addictive

196.   Children and adults are generally addicted to sugar, having had their first taste in the womb and then usually in their mother’s milk. Due to this, infants generally have a sweet tooth but they should be weaned on to healthy natural savoury snacks / foods rather than sweet ones. White sugar is not a food. It is a chemical whose biochemical makeup is identical to alcohol except for one molecule. It is an addictive chemical drug, which once removed from your diet, can make you experience withdrawal symptoms, as severe as alcohol withdrawal, including tremors, flu like symptoms, headache and mood swings.

 Sugar and Health Problems

197.   Not only sugar is addictive, but also this common product that is believed to be harmless is responsible for many health problems. Excess sugar intake throws your body’s homeostatis (equilibrium) off kilter. Typical problems include: –

• Sugar Cravings and Hypoglycaemia – You will crave sugar if your blood sugar levels are constantly out of balance; if you have nutrient deficiencies, yeast overgrowth; and if you eat a diet high in refined, processed carbs and junky food. Sugar cravings are a sign that you may suffer from hypoglycaemia, causing you to crave even more sugar.