Since this is Newsletter #50 I decided to make it a memorable one. It is quite long but very informative. I think it is a real eye opener. Happy reading!
Newsletter #50
It's Time to Get SWEET SMART
EVERYTHING
YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
SUGAR.
BUT WERE TOO TIRED TO ASK!
BY:
Verne Varona
I Never Met a Carbohydrate I
Didn't Like
If there was any 'recreational' substance I came close to injecting intravenously during my adolescence, it was probably refined sugar. Loved the stuff, couldn't get enough. While my buddies in the late 60's were dropping acid in the back rows of deafening concerts, I was devouring deluxe hot fudge sundaes and planning my next fix before the third scoop melted.
I attributed my overwhelming passion for sugar as nothing more than a well-deserved treat to relish. However, as I grew older I realized boredom might have played some part. In more philosophically reflective periods, I rationalized that perhaps some remote cellular memory, genetically inherited from my sugar cane loving Cuban father, might have an influence.
That was then.
After thirty years as a nutritional consultant, I now look back at my youthful naivete with a sense of awe and owner. I was simply a sugar addict. A big time sugar addict. Through my choices in nourishment and lifestyle, I had become so dependent on being jump-started by sugar that the potentiality of sugar deprival seemed like the mother of all tortures.
And who really needs torture?
Pass the chocolate covered almonds, please.
When Ignorance is Not Bliss
Since 1990, Americans have
consumed over 150 pounds of sweeteners per year. Add non-caloric sweeteners to that number and it leaps to 165
pounds. If you dare compare these numbers
to the consumption of less that 10 pounds of sugar in the late 1700s, you'll
find that sugar consumption has risen more than 1,500 percent in the last two
hundred years!
At the root of the problem is a gross lack of education about
the physiological needs and tolerances of our body. Essentially, everything we consume has a bearing on the
chemical quality of our blood. If
we cannot absorb what we ingest, it becomes waste by-products. Considering the life span of a red blood
cell lasts 120 days, everything you've eaten in the past four months has a
subtle and increasing impact on the quality of your current blood profile.
Our body secretes and
houses many different kinds of fluids.
Their individual pH (parts of Hydrogen--a measure of a
solution's relative acidity or alkalinity) ratios vary, but the most important
of these fluids is blood, which must maintain a slightly more alkaline state
for normal metabolism. This balance is
crucial. A minor variation could spell
danger if the blood becomes too acid, or too alkaline. Danger, as in fatal. And that could ruin your entire day.
All natural foods contain both acid and alkaline forming
elements. Sometimes acid is
predominant, other times alkaline prevails.
As you read these words, you're generating acid. You're also eliminating it since your cells
produce acid as they function. Your
lungs discharge it every time you exhale.
Just the simple act of deep breathing with a concentrated exhalation (as
in yogic breathing exercises) can help alleviate some of the fatigue caused by mild
acid buildup. That's because exercise,
stress and food produce acid compounds.
While exhalation helps discharge acid waste, your daily diet can end up
promoting more acidity.
One way the innate wisdom of the body helps to neutralize
acids in order to maintain alkaline blood is by releasing mineral buffers. Buffers are alkaline minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium that are borrowed (actually, stolen is
a more appropriate word) from the resources of cell fluids, digestive fluids
(particularly bile), and bone. To
create life-sustaining balance, our body is always ready to adjust acid or
alkaline balance--at the risk of sacrificing our mineral stores.
Smart body.
Carbohydrate:
A Simple Story about a Complex
Child
Lately, the public press
has been giving carbohydrates a major beating.
Suddenly, every magazine and diet book-of-the-month is 'exposing' the
dangers of a high carbohydrate diet and emphasizing protein. Of the top three macronutrients,
Carbohydrates, fats and Proteins, our focus will be on carbohydrates. In the process, I will hopefully clear up
some popular nutritional misconceptions and myths.
We make an unforgivable nutritional mistake by lumping
different classes of carbohydrates together.
Here 's the short lesson:
There are two basic types of carbohydrates: Simple and Complex. Now,
stay with me, this will be brief and painless:
Simple carbohydrates are simple molecular structures consisting of one,
two or three connected molecules of sugar.
By contrast, the complex category has hundreds, even thousands of
connected sugar molecules. Because of
their elongated structure, complex sugars are gradually broken down and
gradually absorbed into the blood, whereas simple sugars are absorbed almost
immediately on your tongue and as they travel down toward the stomach. Think of simple sugar as newspaper in a
fireplace igniting quickly with a blaring heat; while complex sugars would be
burning hard wood, rendering a more even and enduring flame.
Another distinction about simple sugars is that they offer an
immediate sweet in contrast to the bland flavor of complex sugars. A partial list of simple sugars include, white,
brown and raw sugar, honey, grain malt syrups, maple syrups and fruit. Naturally, white sugar is more
concentrated than fruit; however, all simple sugars share the common trait of
being quickly absorbed and one of the quickest ways to upset blood
chemistry. Fruit is a double sugar so
while it might result in an eventual digestive acidifying effect (because of
its sugar content), it doesn't raise blood sugar in the same and immediate way
as refined sugar.
Complex sugars include whole grains (brown rice, barley,
millet, oats, etc.); products made from whole grains (breads, pastas, crackers,
etc.), vegetables and beans. Typically,
whole grains and grain products are talked about in the same breath. This is where "experts"
blunder. Commercial whole wheat bread
will sometimes even have a stamp on its packaging that boasts, "Made
with Whole Grains!" This, of
course, is deceptive and merely a marketing tactic. Bread is not a whole grain. It's a grain product. When
you grind a grain (or bean) into flour it increases available calories. According to the degree of refinement, it
will elevate blood sugar, causing a swing in insulin levels resulting in
fatigue and sugar cravings. The end
result is not only manipulative to blood sugar, but acidifying to the blood.
Whole grains are also classified as "mildly acid
producing." In fact, one of the
tired arguments for limiting whole grains is erroneously based on assuming that
phytic acid in the grain fiber bonds to important minerals to create mineral
deficiencies. What is generally
overlooked is the four kinds of alkaline elements whole grains contain that
naturally cohabit with the fiber acids: essential elements of Sodium,
Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium. In
fact, these elements help maintain the alkaline quality of the blood and
intercellular fluid even though the body metabolism produces lots of acid. The existence of these alkaline elements
automatically aids cell vitality and resistance to bacteria. Phytic acid also can be compensated for by
soaking grains, thorough chewing, adding a pinch of sea salt in the cooking
process and in combination with more alkaline (such as vegetable) foods.
Modern nutritionists frequently attempt to bolster minerals by
prescribing calcium and other essential minerals, but overlook the main source
of mineral leeching--blood acidity!
With stressful lifestyles (stress increases cellular acid by-products),
consistent caffeine intake (highly acid-forming), increased sugar volume, over
20% of our diets as fat (creating acetic acid residues) and high protein diets
(protein breaks down into uric acid), our mineral reserves are constantly on
the defensive. They are forced to work
overtime buffering excess acidity.
Simply prescribing minerals and trace mineral supplements
to attempt combating mineral deficiencies is purely symptomatic. We go three steps forward trying to be
mineral conscious: taking supplements, eating whole grains and green
vegetables, even sea vegetables and then travel eight steps backward by
consuming a high volume of simple sugar, whether natural or from artificial
sources.
To help neutralize residual acidity in whole grains, most
traditional culinary styles included an alkaline substance, such as a salted
fermented food as an additional balancing, or neutralizing, agent. Some Ameri-
Can Indian tribes used wood ash in
the maize before cooking; various South American cultures prepared tortilla
with limestone; rural Japanese often used a small piece of seaweed (commonly kombu),
while in
North America, a "pinch"
of salt was a cookbook staple phrase.
In northern Japan, grain was frequently cooked with a small quartz stone
(obsidian) in the water. From an acid
and alkaline perspective, these strategies were highly effective. Call it traditional wisdom.
Most of this country eats its weight (and wears it) in grain
products; morning muffins, puffed or processed cereals for breakfast, sandwich
bread for lunch, pasta for dinner, popcorn at the movies and cookies as a
snack. It's a non-stop flour, or grain
product, jamboree. The problem with an
excessive amount of dietary flour is that it can trigger blood sugar imbalance
because particalized grain is absorbed quickly. This can create "insulin
spiking." Additionally, too many
grain products can create excessive thirst, dry skin and even wrinkling around the
thin tissue areas of the eyes. It
has been suggested that wheat intolerance has more to do with our sluggish
livers from an excess of dairy products and high fat intake. Other reasons for wheat intolerance could
also be the combination of yeast and sugar that's typically added to most
commercial breads. Unfortunately,
the only way some of us get whole
grain in our daily diets is via
indirect source--eating the animals that we feed whole grain. Then, the cow's role becomes relegated to a
four-legged grain processor.
Not a very pleasant thought.
I suspect that one of the chief reasons behind bread cravings,
aside from practical convenience, is texture.
Psychologist Fritz Perls used to comment that chewing gives us the
opportunity to work out inner
Unexpressed aggressions. We get to chew, and thereby crush, grind and
annihilate our food. From client
feedback, and by paying attention to textures in my personal eating habits,
I've noticed that when I include whole grains, a variety of cooking styles
and more textured foods, I crave less bread and flour products. I don't walk around feeling
crunch-deficient in search of toast.
How to Eat 45
Feet of Sugar Cane in 6 Minutes
Simple sugars register their sweetness immediately on the
tongue. But complex sugars are a
different story--a bland story, at that.
In fact, at first complex sugars might seem painfully bland, but the
more you chew them, the sweeter they'll become. That's the pleasant surprise.
When clients look at me with that familiar frozen look of food
preparation-panic and ask, "Grains? Whaddaya put on 'em for
flavoring?" My reply is:
"Your teeth."
But now, I'll bet you're wondering just how concentrated are
simple sugars?
Marvel at this:
The industrial sugar refining process takes approximately 3
feet of sugar cane, which has to be washed, cut, crushed, spun and
crystallized, to end up with one teaspoon of white sugar. Let me repeat that: It takes three feet of sugar cane to
produce one small teaspoon of sugar. Now,
the average piece of coffee shop cherry pie, cut into eight pieces,
contains nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar.
Add one large scoop of ice cream (t tsp. More of sugar) and voila!: You've created 'pie a la mode.' We're talking about a grand total of 15
teaspoons of sugar! So. Through the
efforts of modern technology we can, in the course of about six minutes,
consume 45 feet of concentrated sugar cane and call it a "snack."
One can of soda pop could
have anywhere form 9 to 12 tsp. of sugar.
Adding up a day's sugar total can be a terrifying activity. Based on a
national average of 140 pounds yearly, this approximates to around 33 tsp. per
day as a national average. That totals
around 99 feet of sugar cane per day, beyond what you'd be able to fit in a
wheelbarrow--excluding, of course, birthday parties, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and
pie eating contests.
Honey, regardless of its quality, is also a very concentrated
food. I once had a nutritional
professor claim that one teaspoon of honey was equivalent, in sugar concentration,
to five or six medium-sized apples.
Maple syrup is also highly concentrated; to make one gallon of maple
syrup you may have to boil approximately 38 to 45 gallons of tree sap. And, if you've every squeezed oranges to
make juice, you already know it takes three to four oranges just to fill a
small cup. This does not mean these
substances are across-the-board bad, it just emphasizes their
concentration. Often, clients that I
tell to reduce their sweet consumption will lament, "but it's organic!
Natural!" I point out that this in not a "quality"
argument. What would be your response
to someone asking you, "May I hit you over the head with this 2x4 of
wood--it's not cheap pine wood--it's imported mahogany!" The quality is
not a concession. It's still sugar and
it is still
Acidifying.
By the design of our intestinal tract, digestive secretions
and tooth structure, our bodies require complex-carbohydrate fuel on a daily
basis. We might all have varying needs;
however, our physiology demands this food group be consistent in our daily
eating. Lack of complex sugar in the
daily diet is one of the most common reasons behind simple sugar cravings.
Over the past twenty-five years of nutritional counseling,
I've looked at thousands of three-day dietary records clients bring to their
appointments. After a while, it became
clearly evident that where low com-
plex carbohydrate existed, high
sugar, protein and fat cravings flourished.
Where an ample amount of whole grain existed, protein, sugar and fat
cravings were usually lessened.
The One-Minute
Blood Sugar Lesson
In early 1900's two
thirds of our carbohydrates came from complex sources such as whole grains,
grain products and vegetables. Today,
half of all carbohydrates consumed come from refined and concentrated simple
sugars. We are carbohydrate animals
with distinct alkaline enzymes in our saliva that initiates carbohydrate
digestion. Carnivores, like ordinary
house cats, lack this enzyme. That's
why it's useless to yell at your cat about the need for thorough chewing. Their predominantly canine tooth structure
is designed to tear food into smaller parts for their uniquely potent stomach
acids to finish the job. Additionally,
they have no carbohydrate digesting enzymes in their mouth. In humans, carbohydrate digestion begins in
the mouth, becoming absorbed into your blood almost immediately. This is why, in most cases, you might feel
like tap dancing right after eating sugar--it's already in your blood. When the body's blood sugar level abruptly
increases, the pancreas shoots off insulin as a protection response. If the blood sugar is too high, you end up
in coma-ville--a quiet place where lying motionless is the order of the day. Before any potential of lapsing into a
high-blood sugar coma can occur, insulin response is swift and plentiful.
It might help to envision insulin as small pick-up trucks that
load the sugar and drive the artery highways to the storage warehouse we'll
call "Liver Central." We're
talking about a lot of work here since the insulin is not regulated and
continues to pour into the blood.
Eventually, as the sugar is shuttled from the blood and into the liver,
sugar levels continue to lower.
This means a lot of work for the liver. It has to separate the water molecules from
the sugar and convert it into a starch for tight storage. However, the liver has limited storage
(60-90 grams), so the excess is farmed out to artery linings, around the organs
and to inactive body areas such as the buttocks, thighs, hips,
etc. This unfortunate fact some of
us already know. With all this sugar
distribution, blood sugar decline takes anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours.
And guess what you end up craving after this time? More sugar!
Concentrated substances such as sugar take no prisoners. They can lead to nutritional deficiencies,
mood swings, hormonal dysfunction and circu-
latory problems if taken
regularly. By reducing the amount and
frequency of simple sugars, while include-
ing complex whole grains into your
daily eating plan, you'll better control your blood sugar levels, naturally
reduce sweet cravings and find that you have more energy as well as endurance.
Some Bitter Truths
about Artificial Sweeteners
The use of artificial
sugars has not managed to reduce American's sugar consumption. Fact is, since artificial sweeteners became
widely used sugar intake has increased by more than fifteen percent. Weight-
Loss hasn't been such a bonus,
either; Americans have become 30 percent fatter despite the escalation of
artificial sugars. The list of
problems, frightening research and consumer complaints with artificial sugars
Continues to grow. The human body was not designed to deal with
such unnatural chemicals. Organs that
especially suffer the brunt of
damage are the liver, kidneys, intestines and bladder.
The Art of Creative Sickness
Sugar is a pervasive ingredient in commercial foods. From commercial salt, to soup, to packaged
meats, sugar seems to linger as an essential component. It is also a regular ingredient in many
non-food items such as vitamin and mineral supplements, prescription and
over-the-counter drugs (including aspirin) and in numerous cosmetics.
I once had some boiled corn at a British Columbia roadside
stand off a main highway, advertised as "naturally sweet, fresh-cooked
corn." It was incredibly
sweet-tasting and richly yellow. I got
a bit of a headache twenty miles later, but attributed it to the fact I hadn't
eaten in a long while and figured it was either my falling blood sugar or the
fact I'd gorged myself. A month later,
on a return trip, I diligently sought out that same stand and was delighted to
find they were doing a thriving business with a long line of parked traffic. As I stood in line and neared the stand, I
watched the old woman make a new batch.
To each gallon of water, she added two cups of sugar. "Brings out the sweetness," she
said smiling with prominent teeth missing.
Suddenly, my desire for 'naturally' sweet corn faded.
The list of problems associated with the acid forming effects
of sugar and its altering effect on blood chemistry is exhaustive. As little as two teaspoons of sugar can
cause the body's micronutrients to change radically, stimulating faulty
chemistry and disturbing the delicate ratios of minerals. Consumer alerts and commercial interests
are so busy making us paranoid about fat in our diets they forget to tell us
that excess sugar in the blood turns to fat.
That's something to chew
on.
A partial list of some of the degenerative conditions
excessive sugar breeds include: tissue inflammation, tumor growth, yeast
development, fatigue, bacterial increase, hypoglycemia, depression, bloating,
bone loss, heart disease, high estrogen levels, parasitic infection, PMS, skin
conditions, tooth decay, periodontal disease, mood swings, liver enlargement,
arthritis, constipation, loose bowel, poor concentration, high triglyceride
elevation, muscle cramps, ulcers and weakened immunity--to name a few.
It is very evident that we are always one meal away from
getting our health back on track. The
formula for this is to make educated choices and experiment.
And Now, a Word
From the Chinese…
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a very unique slant on
sugar. Sugar was categorized as the sweet
flavor, one of five essential tastes connected to the Five Element
Theory--the backbone of TCM.
Accordingly, the five essential
flavors influence our health by virtue
of their thermal (warming/cooling)
nature, their remedial actions (moistening, drying,
astringent, purgative, antibiotic, dispersing, tonifying,
etc.) and their organ
associations (bitter stimulates the heart, sour stimulates the liver, sweet
stimulates the pancreas, etc.)
In Oriental Healing Traditions (North Atlantic Books),
author Paul Pitchford explains, "In thediet of a healthy person the
flavors should be balanced, with the sweet flavor predominating, because the
Earth Element (organ systems of spleen, pancreas and stomach) and is
associated flavor--sweetness--are con-
sidered the most central aspect of
the body and its nourishment. Such
balancing is quite simple. It
means that each day the sweet flavor--the primary flavor of most carbohydrates
such as grains, vegetables, le-
gumes, nuts, seeds and
fruit--should be accompanied by small amounts of bitter, salty, pungent and
sour
foods to bring a person into
physical balance and seasonal harmony."
Becoming aware of the many tastes on your place will help
avert sensory boredom, increase satisfaction and improve digestion.
It's a mistake to prohibit sweets from our diets. The sweet taste should be an
essential flavor of a balanced eating plan.
In a healthy body, sweet can be enjoyed in moderation frequently. Ceremoniously,
It's usually the most fun part of traditional
rituals, especially when shared, and sometimes it can help to neutralize a
salty condition or when eating animal protein.
However, we need to become more aware of our individual tolerances and
be respectful of our body's limitations.
Otherwise, we invite imbalance and, inevitably, sickness.
Mark Twain once said, "Part of the secret of success in
life is to eat what you like and let the food fight
It out inside," For those in
a constant state of food terror, this might be healthy and de-stressing
advice. But, our primary
responsibility as body owners is to understand how this miraculous organism
func-
tions, its basic needs and the
range of your personal dietary boundaries so
you can exercise flexibility and joy as you nourish yourself. By consciously establishing a more
sensitized body you'll know, through
the trials of experience, what
works and does not work.
Years ago, an Asian nutrition professor of mine grabbed my arm
as I was leaving class munching on a
cookie.
"You eat too much sugar.
Stop--not so good."
"Just like that, stop?" I asked.
"That's right," he offered, shaking his head to
confirm such simple wisdom.
I shrugged, walked toward the door, then turned around. He was still looking at me. A wide Buddha grin stretched across his
face.
"Make life sweet."
Verne Varona's Top Ten Sugar
Craving Stategies
The following could be individual or collective reasons for sugar
cravings. Read each suggestion and
notice how it applies to your eating or lifestyle. Reducing your desire or addiction for sugar should not require
Herculean willpower. Becoming conscious
of the
Physiological and lifestyle factors that stimulate sugar cravings
should make taming your sweet tooth a piece of cake--so to speak.
1.
Avoid eating Prior to Bed
If your body's digesting when it
requires much needed rest, you'll require more sleep, dream excessively and
find it difficult awakening with alertness.
Good deep sleep will result in wide-awake days. Eating too close to bedtime creates a groggy
awakening, craving the stimulation of sugar (or caffeine) the following
morning. Eat a light evening dinner at
least 2 1/2 to 3 hours before retiring.
2.
Reduce Animal Protein
The standard four basic food group
propaganda was force-fed to the American public along with the myth that animal
protein should be a dietary staple.
The meat and potatoes mentality has to re-think its philosophy since es-
tablished research
shows excess animal protein can lead to colon and prostate cancer. If this applies to you eat
less in volume (2
to 4 ounce servings) and limit it to three to four times per week (maximum), as opposed to
daily.
3.
Reduce Food Volume
Overeating leads to fatigue and
sluggishness. This makes a stimulant
like sugar (or coffee) more appealing.
Eat-
ing more frequently (see #4, below) will
allow you to reduce overeating with a minimum of effort.
4.
Eat More Frequently Throughout the Day
One of the most common reasons for sugar
cravings--especially at night. By
skipping meals or waiting long periods you stop supplying your blood with glucose. The blood sugar drops and by the time you finally get around to
eating, you're going nuts for simple sugar.
You're also likely to end up overeating or craving something fatty as a
compensation for sugar. Initially,
don't wait more than 3 1/2 to 4 hours between meals.
5.
Reduce Salt & Products Made with Salt
The need for dietary salt from natural
sources (sun-dried sea salt) is dependent on several factors; a lack of salt
can cause fatigue, stimulate a desire to overeat and often result in a craving
of animal protein. However, with the
availability of good quality sea salt, miso paste, tamari soy sauce and natural
pickles, it's quite easy to overdose.
Thirst and a craving for sweet foods is
one of the most reliable indicators of excess dietary salt.
6.
Avoid Sugar
This might sound obvious; however,
continuing to eat simple sugars results in a falling blood sugar. This stimu-
lates a need for more sugar and the
cycle continues. Eve though fruit is a
simple sugar, switching to fruit instead of sugar is a good first step. Eat the skin of the fruit as well since
fiber slows blood sugar elevation.
7.
Exercise Moderately, But Consistently
Daily aerobic exercise will increase circulation
and strengthen willpower. Brisk
walking, biking, light jogging, etc., naturally increase sensitivity to the
effects of sugar. Try to get 20 to 30
minutes of some type of pleasurable exercise at least 5 times per week. Enjoy this.
It should not be a chore.
8.
Emphasize Natural, Whole Complex-Carbohydrates
If your daily diet includes whole grains
(brown rice, oats, millet, barley, etc.), vegetables (roots, greens and round
vegetables such as squashes, cabbage, etc.) as a primary fuel, you'll find you
automatically crave less sugar. Em-
phasizing sweet vegetables such as
carrots, cooked onions, corn cabbage, parsnips, squashes, ets., adds a natural
sweetness to meals. Introduce some sea
vegetables (aka "seaweeds") for much needed minerals to enrich blood.
9.
Don't Suppress Feelings
This doesn't mean you have to broadcast
every feeling--only those that matter and to those who really matter to
you. Food indulgence, especially with
sweets, is a convenient way to anesthetize feelings. Sugar can consume you with sensory pleasure, temporarily
providing mental relief from whatever might be stressful. However, sweets can hinder energy levels and
mental clarity so in the long run your emotional coping ability becomes com-
promised.
10.
Beware of Psychological Triggers
The many psychological associations we
connect with food have a powerful influence.
Beware of family assoc-
iations, movie
rituals, familiar restaurants, childhood habits, etc.
Reference Resources:
Calcium Medicine, by Dr. T. Karase-------------Get
the Sugar Out, by Lousie Gittleman, Crown Books
Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton -------------Function
of the Human Body, by Arthur Guyton, MD
Nature's Cancer-Fighting Foods, Verne Varona
NAYONAISE POTATO SALAD
3/4 cup Nayonaise or Dijon
Style Nayonaise
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup pickles or olives, chopped
14oz. Extra Firm Tofu, diced (or
crumbled)
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 tsp. curry powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley minced
2 tsp. mustard (omit if using Dijon
Style Nayonaise)
3 cups cooked and diced potatoes
Mix all ingredients together, chill and
serve.
(recipes from Nayonaise label - go to
www.nasoya.com for more delcious recipes!)
THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE!