The Sugar Epidemic

• By age 10, nearly all children have fatty steaks in their arteries. This is the first sign of atherosclerosis, the leading cause of death in the United States and the world. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/heart-disease-starts-in-childhood/ • Age 3, the youngest person ever to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance). The average age was 54 just 20 years ago... https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/851127 When will we wake up? When will we say enough is enough and take charge of OUR health? The health of our loved ones? Our children... We all want what is best for our family, friends, and loved ones, so why not start with whole nourishing foods? Foods that are healing and give us vitality such as diets rich in vegetables and fruits? The reason why sugar is so hard to cut out for most of us is because refined sugar is literally a drug. It lights up some of the same receptors in the brain that opiate drugs do that cause addiction. And guess what? Food manufacturers know this! They want you to come back and buy more of their product. Processed sugar is inherently, pro inflammatory. And excessive inflammation is at the core of ALL pathophysiology. This goes for fruit juice as well, organic or non-organic. Unless you are fresh squeezing your juice right at home, you are stripping the fruit of its fiber, phytochemicals, and enzymes that make whole fruit beneficial in the first place. My rule of thumb: choose vegetable juices > vegetable juices + 1-2 fruit juices > 100% fruit juice. There is a difference between refined sugars (sucrose [table sugar], cane sugar, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, brown sugar), artificial sugars (sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, xylitol, acesulfame K) and natural sugars (dates/figs, honey, maple syrup, stevia, and coconut sugar) and how the body metabolizes it. While I do not follow a sugar free lifestyle, I do consume natural sugars in moderation. The best thing you can do to take back your health is to learn how to cook for yourself! It’s sounds simple, but it is so fundamental to learn so we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies. You don’t have to be a chef. But trust me, this is an investment you will want to make. Get in the kitchen and experiment. Invite friends over. Give yourself more time to prepare and cook food. You will be amazed at how this simple step can change your life and your families.