A Sweeter Life Without Sugar
By Nira Schneider

Sugar is the smallest molecule found in carbohydrates. One of the principal food groups, carbohydrates supply the body with energy. Once broken down in the body, they turn into the fuel that feeds the chemical, neurological and physical processes that occur in our body, especially in the muscles and brain.

Carbohydrates are divided into two groups: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are found in white sugar, candy, deserts, and processed foods. Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains such as quinoa, wheat, barley and brown rice, in whole grain breads, potatoes and legumes.

White sugar, also known as sucrose, is extracted and refined from sugar cane or beets. This type of sugar adds calories “only” to our body - ones that are devoid of nutritional value and can be described as “empty calories”.

Regardless, sugar consumption grows by the second and is prevalent mostly in modern, western society. Many names have been given to sugar, such as “white poison”, “the silent killer” an addictive drug and more. These names give us an idea of what sugar does to our body. Research points to an undeniable link between illnesses such as hypoglycemia, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, digestive problems, mental illnesses, behavioral problems, acne and more - and sugar consumption.

It is crucial to understand that the need for sugar is physiological and not physical. The desire for it is not inherited, but acquired. Human beings can live well and survive without tasting sweet their entire lives. The more sugar is consumed, the more it is desired - a desire that can very easily turn into an addiction.

Ancient man ate sugar that was found in fruit.  Since fruit seeds don’t need the nutrients that are in the body of the fruit in order to grow, the sweetness of fruit is but nature’s clever trick. By tempting animals and humans to eat from them, fruit trees spread their seeds, multiply and ensure the continuation of their species. This is one of nature’s ways to create cooperation between plants, animals and man.

Modern man has cultivated crops such as sugar cane and learned to separate the sugar from the rest of the plant. Since the extracted sugar is now without its natural components, it works in the body like a drug and is absorbed in the system incredibly fast. This creates a feeling of fullness which blurs the need for other major food groups such as proteins, essential fats, vitamins and minerals. Our body then stops asking for these other crucial nutrients and a lack is formed.

Once sugar enters the blood stream, blood sugar levels rise very quickly and with it comes feelings of elevation and energy. Sugar increases the level of chemicals found in the body which cause us to feel good (endorphins and serotonins), but a big drop in mood and energy is inevitable and bound to follow. Insulin injects sugar into the cells at a high speed and causes a drop in sugar level and endorphins. This brings feelings of tiredness, low mood and low energy, inability to concentrate and function well, depression and more. This state creates the need to consume more sugar and so we are caught in an addictive cycle.

The rise in sugar level in the blood causes increased excursion of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for clearing sugar out of the blood stream and into the cells and connecting it to receptors located on the cells. When the receptor’s activity is faulty due to too much sugar, a condition in which there is too much insulin in the body can occur.

Research has shown that people suffering from lung cancer and other types of cancers had a high level of insulin in their bodies. It was discovered that insulin can inject sugar and other nutrients into cancer cells and cause them to grow, preventing the immune system from reaching these cells. Insulin in the blood is also cause for rise in blood pressure, a rise in fat levels in the blood and narrowing of blood vessels which can lead to sclerosis.

Another good reason to avoid consuming too much sugar is the distortion it can cause in the balance between good and bad bacteria in the intestines. Bad bacteria feed on sugar and the more we eat it the more we will cause them to increase, while the friendly bacteria decrease.  In any infectious disease, sugar helps harmful microbes grow. A high number of them distorts the chemical balance of the body and creates an acidic body. An acidic is ground to many, many infectious diseases.

Sugar metabolism requires minerals and vitamins, which are originally found naturally in plants. In order to break down and digest sugar, the human body needs these nutrients. In their absence, the body will take them from different organs and will thus weaken them.

We should get the sugars we need from complex carbohydrates, which break down relatively slowly and secrete the sugar into the blood moderately, thus providing the body with energy over a longer period of time. After eating them we feel full for longer and our sugar level in the blood remains in balance.

Surveys show that from and average of 15 pounds per person consumed annually in 1815, there has been a rise to over 120 pounds today. In other words, most people consume a yearly amount of sugar equal to their body weight. This means that an individual consumes over a spoon of sugar every hour, for 24 hours.

Significant information regarding sugar percentage in foods is “hidden” on the labels in places difficult to see and can be included in general titles such as spices, additives and more. Nowadays sugar is added even to meat and vegetables.

Our everyday life includes stress and discomfort, which we have to face and deal with.
Often, instead of dealing, we tend to escape to food, especially to sweet foods. “Escaping” through eating white sugar and foods that are rich with it is one of the most common ways. These states of discomfort often create a feeling of emptiness, which we look to fill. When we fill it with disproportional amounts of sugar, we gain momentary satisfaction, but the emptiness continues to grow, causing us to want more and more until we are willing to sacrifice our health in order to fill the crave. The addiction creates a paradoxical situation in which we desire to increase our pleasure and end up decreasing it. Addiction causes us to lose control over our lives - we loose our power. How can we live a life of pleasure and satisfaction without power and control?

What can be done ?
Earth’s natural qualities are to soak, dissolve and ground. Our bodies possess the energy of the earth and since we are talking about food, we want to eat food that comes out of the earth in its natural form. Earth’s food is abundant with essential nutrients and the major food groups that are easy for the body to consume and turn to healthy energy. This food will balance sugar levels in the body and can heal and rebuild it. When our system is in balance, cravings and addictions vanish. Food that comes from the earth grounds the body and brings it back to its natural state.

As a first step, seven days are required in order to free ourselves from the addiction and let poisons be released. This is the reason why it is recommended to eat live, uncooked food, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet), nuts (almonds, chest nuts) seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), legumes (soy, hummus, lentils, peas, beans), seasonal fruit and vegetables and fresh squeezed juices made from them.

May we all have a sweet year, without sugar. To health,

Nira Schneider
Nutritional Consultant
MA in Vegan and Live Food nutrition
Cell (858) 414-3615