Sugar, Sugar

Remember that song by "The Archies"? Seemed so innocent at the time. Sugar had a pure sweetness about it. Little did we know how addictive the substance is, and how destructive it can be on our health and well being.

It's no surprise we love the taste. It was designed as an instinctive way for our ancestors, as hunters and gatherers, to distinguish between good edible plants and poisonous bitter ones. Our problem now is that we've figured a way to include the sweet sensation into everything we consume....and it's taking its toll on our health in so many forms, from obesity, diabetes and heart disease (to name just a few) to cancer and speeding up the aging process.

Tonight, CBS 60 Minutes raises the question – IS SUGAR TOXIC? This is an interview with Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist and one of the leading experts on childhood obesity. He asserts that the high amount of sugar in the American diet is killing us by substantially increasing our risk of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease among others. Interestingly, new scientific research seems to support his theory that sugar is toxic. I strongly encourage everyone to watch 60 minutes tonight at 7p.m. ET/PT

Click on this link to see the brief article about the interview:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57407128/is-sugar-toxic/?tag=pop%3Bstories

So, what do we do with our insistent sweet tooth? Well, it's safe to say that very few of us will be able to give up cold turkey. My first suggestion is DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, resort to artificial sweeteners. Those chemicals will kill you quicker! But DO find ways to cut back on the obvious sweets ... how many cookies, candies, desserts, etc. do you REALLY need? Wouldn't just a small bite or two suffice? Make your own desserts - that gives you control over the amount (and type) of sugar that's used; not to mention the other unnatural ingredients that goes into store-bought processed sweets.

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on earth, and it's socially acceptable. Kicking the habit is not easy. But once you can let go of the craving, you'll be flying high on accomplishment and your body will reward you! Please let me know if you need help getting started! We're all in this on-going journey together!