Sugar. Oh, Honey, Honey.

I'm really excited about this one. I apologize in advance for the length, but I REALLY think it's worth it. And I hope you agree.

In recent years, as I've grown more conscious about my eating habits, I've begun to consider myself lucky that I don't have a natural sweet tooth. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional doughnut, or lemon-crumble made by my best friend. But, overall, I much prefer savory / salty over sugary (we'll save salt for another day). 

So why do I consider myself lucky for my natural aversion to chocolate and other sweet delectable's? Well, because sugar is pure, white, evil. You're thinking, 'okay, Kerry is being dramatic". Seriously though. There is zero (ZERO!) nutritional value in sugar. It makes your skin break out, it makes you fat, and it leads to disease. Oh, and it's in EVERYTHING. So it's really hard to avoid.

Sugar comes in many forms, some of which are played to be the "healthier option" than others. People. No sugar is "healthy". Less processed? Yes. But none of it's healthy. Molasses, maple syrup, honey, raw "turbinado", white granulated, powdered, brown... not to mention those artificial sweeteners (which we'll get to). All are sugar. Here's the low-down on different types of sugar.

Fructose is fruit sugar. In its natural form - in the fruit - it is also accompanied by fiber, which keeps the sugar from over powering your system, as it slows down your digestion. This is why sugar we get in fruit is okay.

Glucose is the most abundant sugar found in foods. It's a source of fuel humans (and all other organisms) use. When we use complex carbohydrates, your body turns (whole foods) into the glucose that you need to live.

Sucrose is that fine, white sugar that we're most familiar with. All those other forms of sugar listed above - are sucrose. Sucrose is a combination of fructose and glucose. It's added calories, and when you ingest it, the sugars bypass the sensors that tell you that you are full. Hence, overeating / being hungry immediately after you eat sugar.

Now that you have some insight, here's why you should avoid it (except fruit, fruit is okay). 

Insulin resistance. Have you heard of it? Well, here's the 411 on this really scary condition. Insulin helps deliver glucose to your cells. As sugar enters your bloodstream from your food, your pancreas secretes insulin, which regulates your blood sugar by transporting the glucose. The more sugar you eat, the more your pancreas works. The harder your pancreas works, the more elevated your level of insulin gets over time, leading to insulin resistance. This means your cells are less responsive to the presence of insulin, and so goes the cycle. This is a precursor to diabetes (below) and heart disease. (source: The Body Book and Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution)

Diabetes. The insanity of this disease, is that SO OFTEN it's avoidable. Not in all cases, but it can be. Type 1 Diabetes is when the body fails to produce enough insulin, and the cause is typically unknown. Type 2 Diabetes begins with insulin resistance. As Type 2 progresses, a lack of insulin production may occur. The primary cause is excessive body weight and not enough exercise. Diabetes can lead to blood vessel damage, an increased risk in cardiovascular disease, and diabetic foot-ulcers, resulting in amputation (source: wikipedia). 

As previously mentioned, it has no nutritional value. It serves no purpose (other than when in fruit, as mentioned above). Americans eat more sugar now than ever before. It's in soda, bread, even yogurt - which we see as healthy - is loaded with sugar (especially the FAT FREE crap). 

And, artificial sweeteners are even worse, because they're just that - artificial. They contain aspartame (which we've talked about before) and are just plain processed crap. So, please don't substitute with those, either!

The moral of this story? Just like all others, be more thoughtful and aware of what you put in  your body. Don't be afraid of fruit. Read labels. Be informed. Stay away from milk chocolate and white chocolate (the latter of which isn't even chocolate). Dark chocolate is better, especially with the higher percentage of cacao. I want you all to live a long time!!!!

The Body Book and Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution are two great resources that go in to depth about a lot of things, including our bodies relationship with sugar. I recommend both of these reads, as well as a host of others (for another day). Interested in your thoughts on this topic!