A spoonful of sugar

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about food intolerance, sugar consumption and society’s inability to curb the obesity epidemic. Over the coming weeks we’ll be looking at a range of food intolerances and will try to guide you through the vast amount of information (and mis-information) out there. A number of social commentators and ‘experts’ have thrown their hat into the sugar-free ring, with Mia Freedman (of mamamia.com.au) recently slamming the sugar-free movement, and others calling for sugar to be regulated in the same way as alcohol. A recent segment on Channel 7’s Sunday Night program once again sparked healthy debate on the sweet stuff.

Those who advocate a sugar free diet, including Melbourne based David Gillespie, whose book ‘Sweet Poison’ has become the bible for many sugar-free supporters, see the benefits of eliminating fructose from their diets. Shedding kilos, experiencing increased levels of energy and healthier looking skin just some of the benefits of adopting this approach. Dr Adam Fraser’s book Sugar Daddy blends years of research and clinical practice into simple advice and practical steps to help you take action against sugar.

Media personality Sarah Wilson, whose e-book ‘I Quit Sugar’ (available here) has gained an almost cult following as it guides readers through a gentle 8 week experiment in ridding fructose from your life.

Sarah’s distilled the facts into a very digestible argument ...

* In caveman days sugar – or fructose – was so rare that when we DID stumble on it, we were designed to binge on it AND store it instantly as fat. Our biology hasn’t changed in the 10,000 years since the agricultural revolution, nor since the 1800s when sugar was introduced. We’re still designed to binge on it and store it as fat.

* Fructose is the only food molecule that we a) don’t have a corresponding enzyme in our brain that says “we’ve had enough” and b) that goes straight to the liver as fat.

* Yep, sure sugar is natural. Fruit is natural. But so is arsenic and petroleum.

* Our grandparents didn’t eat four pieces of fruit a day. Plus the fruit back then didn’t contain as much sugar. Fruit day has been “bred” to be sweeter.

* A glass of Coke and a glass of apple juice – the same amount of sugar is in each…about 10-12 teaspoons.

(courtesy of sarahwilson.com.au)

And while everyone has their own opinion on whether there’s anything wrong with eating a couple of pieces of fruit a day or the occasional piece of chocolate, there is no doubt that this issue is dividing even the ‘experts’.

Whatever side of this argument you are on, and frankly, I can’t think of anything worse than a world without sugar, there’s little arguing that as a population, our waistlines are expanding and the next generation is likely to have life expectancies shorter than our own. Perhaps it is time to go back to basics and eat a little more like our grandparents did.

So, if you’re interested in finding out more about the dangers of sugar, I highly recommend Sarah’s e-book for a really simple approach, or for a more scientific approach, try David's. Plus, there are a growing number of specialty stores and food blogs to help you remove sugar and still enjoy the odd sweet treat. Some of the best include;

Free
Sugar free zone
econest.blogspot.com.au
Clemmy’s sugar free initiative

So tell us, is there one food that you simply couldn’t live without?