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UK Against Fluoridation

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

How to detox from sugar and feel so much better

Processed sugar is easily digested and therefore goes straight into your bloodstream, which causes your blood glucose levels to shoot sky high.

USA TODAY Network
Processed sugar is easily digested and therefore goes straight into your bloodstream, which causes your blood glucose levels to shoot sky high. | THINKSTOCK.COMThe average American consumes about 152 pounds of sugar a year, that’s about 22 teaspoons every day.

But sugar isn’t just about the bag of white sugar you see in the food stores – white flour and whole wheat flour is even worse than sugar because it raises our blood sugar even more than table sugar, according to author, Mark Hyman, M.D. (Instead, reach for almond flour and hazelnut flour, which are full of protein and healthy fats to stabilize your blood sugar and not lead to inflammation).

Hyman mentions that sugar is eight times as addictive as cocaine. No wonder so many of us can’t let go of the sugary foods, especially this time of the year.

Any type of sugar is converted quickly into glucose by the body and used for fuel, but how healthy that fuel is depends on where the sugar comes from. Natural sugars, such as those found in fruits, are typically accompanied by other nutrients like fiber and antioxidants, making them healthy foods overall.

Refined sugar, such as those found in store-bought cookies, breads, bagels, cakes, and more, on the other hand, are processed through bleaching, extreme heat, chemicals and more, and are stripped of any other nutrients or fibers, resulting in a nutrient-devoid food. Even most brown sugars are just molasses or refined sugar with added artificial colors. Don’t be fooled by the claims on the packaging.

Processed sugar is easily digested and therefore goes straight into your bloodstream, which causes your blood glucose levels to shoot sky high. This puts an awful strain on your organs, causing wear, tear and aging. And makes you feel awful – I’m sure many of you have been in this situation after eating white bread or a bagel or a cookie when you start to crave more sugar and sweets for energy.

MORE: LEARN TO TRUST WHAT YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is even worse. Found in everything from soup to cookies to cereals to sodas, it’s made from corn syrup that is scientifically altered to contain a higher percentage of fructose than glucose. HFCS makes foods taste sweeter, which means manufacturers can use less to get the same sweet taste, thereby saving money. Unfortunately, they’re finding through research that the body doesn’t process fructose the same as it does glucose, and that HFCS may be more connected to weight gain and even pancreatic cancer than regular sugar.

Hidden names for sugar

Be on the lookout for these names of hidden sugar in your packaged products:

barley malt * caramel * date sugar * Barbados sugar * beet sugar * castor sugar * brown sugar * buttered syrup * cane sugar * dextran * fructose * ethyl maltol * agave nectar * glucose * golden sugar * HFCS * fruit juice * grape sugar * fruit juice concentrate * corn syrup solids * cane juice * corn syrup * confectioner’s sugar * dehydrated cane juice * galactose * icing sugar * panocha * maltodextrin * diastatic malt * golden syrup * maltose * lactose * raw sugar * maple syrup * rice syrup * refiner’s syrup * granulated sugar * turbinado sugar * yellow sugar * sorbitol * treacle * Florida crystals * sorghum syrup * mannitol * sucrose * syrup * malt sugar * rice syrup * raw sugar * molasses * maltose * mat syrup * invert sugar * corn sweetener * crystalline fructose * dextrose * evaporated cane juice

DO THIS: DETOX YOUR DIET

Even what many people think of as a “health” food, like low-fat yogurt and tomato sauce, is often filled with added refined sugars that make it a lot less healthy. In fact, we can consume a lot of sugar without even knowing it. These days, sugar is in our sweets and treats, our yogurt and salsa, but also in our salad dressing, bread, cereal, condiments, soup, and more. Read your labels. My best advice: stop eating the fat-free, low-fat foods because they are full of sugar.

So, how do you know if a product has added sugar in it or not? It’s easier than you think.

Don’t focus on the grams of sugar on the nutrition facts because those sugars could be coming from tomatoes and carrots and onions (on the ingredient list of a clean tomato sauce), however if you see any of the above words for hidden sugar on the ingredient list of your tomato sauce or another product such as almond milk, then you know it has added sugars inside.

Here are a few ways to get started:

•Read labels — Especially on condiments, beverages and any processed food. There is sugar lurking in the ingredient list in everything from tomato sauce to salsa. Refined sugar is highly inflammatory and is often the cause and trigger of many health issues.

•Drink filtered water — Get yourself a high quality water filter that removes fluoride, chemicals and heavy metals from tap water. Surprisingly, drinking these chemicals and metals interferes with our gut health, which as you know is where the majority of our immune system lives.

•Eat detoxifying veggies — Add in more detoxifying whole foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, dandelion, arugula and Brussels sprouts. These foods can help support your liver to remove excess toxins that we’re exposed to on a daily basis.

LEARN HOW TO EAT CLEAN

That’s when it’s time to put the sugar-laden product back on the shelf and reach for a product that doesn’t have refined sugar on the ingredient list – even if the grams of sugar on the nutrition label of this product are higher than other products, it’s okay because those sugars would have come from fruits and veggies. See how sneaky the labels and grams of sugar can be?

I’m sure you’re wondering, “What can you use this holiday season to get that sweet taste?”

The best alternatives to refined sugar are whole, natural sweeteners such as unrefined organic honey and organic pure maple syrup.

Pure maple syrup is especially good because it is brimming with essential vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other nutrients drawn from deep within the earth by maple trees.

So, before you head out to the store to purchase fat-free yogurt (full of added sugar), a jar of processed tomato sauce (full of added sugar) and your favorite salad dressing (probably full of added sugar), take the above list of hidden names for sugar with you and make sure they don’t appear on the ingredient list. That’s how you can ensure you are eating a food that’s not full of inflammatory refined sugars!


WHY YOU SHOULD EAT WHOLE FOODS

This week, start by removing the hidden refined sugars from your pantry and replace them with cleaner options such as organic honey and pure maple syrup. You can easily use these two products in all of your desserts for the holidays and for healthier alternatives to comfort foods.

While you’re at it, remove the alternative sweeteners, which trick you into thinking your food and beverages are sweeter than sugar!

These often lead to more sugar and sweet cravings. It’s tough to get off of them (trust me, I detoxed sugar and sugar alternatives from my life in my 20s, and it was awful and I had terrible withdrawal symptoms), but after a week of detoxing these sugars and chemical sweeteners, you’ll feel less bloated and your digestion will be much smoother, as well.

•Remove refined oils — Refined oils such as canola oil are highly inflammatory. You can replace them with healthier oils such as extra-virgin organic olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil.

•Eat more healthy fats — Don’t fear fat! Fat is not the enemy unlike what we’ve all been brought up to believe. Our bodies need healthy fats to survive and function optimally. These fats keep you from being hungry, speed up your metabolism and help your body lose weight. Toss the margarine and instead reach for avocados, walnuts, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, almonds, wild salmon, grass-fed meat, omega 3 organic eggs and the healthy oils mentioned above.

AMIE VALPONE, Contributor/USA TODAY Network

Amie Valpone is a celebrity chef, culinary nutritionist and motivational speaker specializing in clean eating recipes free of gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugar. Amie Valpone excerpted a portion of this article from her cookbook, “Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body,” © 2016 by Amie Valpone.

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