The "sweet and low" down on sugar

Your favorite white powdery substance. No, not coke, but it is found in coke, and I’m talking about sugar.

Sugar has gotten a bad reputation from the media about causing diabetes (sugar doesn’t cause diabetes, it just raises insulin levels, this can be an issue for diabetics), causing cancer, and a contributing factor to many other health issues.

But how can one form of carbohydrate get such a bad rep? Sugar is a form of a (fast metabolizing) carb, if you want to get specific, but how does sugar seem to take the blame for all of the health issues that the media blames it for?

It’s simple, its not necessarily sugar itself, it’s processed sugars from processed foods. Natural sugars such as honey or sugars contained in fruits are great for you, full of antioxidants and quick digesting energy for your body to use, but processed sugars from processed foods do not have the same benefit.

So the main problem with the media’s concern with sugar is that it causes numerous health issues. While this is somewhat true, you have to look at it from a broader perspective. Sugar may not necessarily be the culprit, it is typically what the sugar is in.

Think about common snack foods in vending machine, not only are they typically either very high fat, but they most likely contain excessive amounts of sugars, such as Oreos, candy bars, sodas, etc. You wouldn’t eat a candy bar and expect to feel healthy afterwards would you?

The argument that sugar is the root of all evil like many news articles make it out to be is a lie. The problem facing our society is in the unhealthy amount of processed foods that most of us consume, NOT from sugar alone.

Now I know what you’re thinking, and no, you don’t have to give up sugar. But I do challenge you to cut out as many processed sugars as you can. Try getting your sugars from natural sources such as fruits, honey, agave, or naturally grown substances.

Sugar substitutes come with their own entire separate list of issues, but I’ll save that for another day. The best thing for you to do is be conscious of what you are putting into your body. Too much of anything is not a good thing. You don’t need to fear sugar, but do realize that sugar is a carb, and that there are a lot of different types of carbs out there to have in your diet that can sustain you for longer than sugar can, such as oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, and so on.

Check out the vlog I put up on my YouTube talking about everything you need to know about sugar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0_-0grlTwM

- Max Wolf