In the year 1957, a doctor named William Coda Martin was asked to distinguish the question of when food is food and when food becomes poison. He gave two kinds of responses, one was medical and the other was related to the physical aspect of the body.
According to his medical definition, any substance applied, ingested or developed in the body which causes, or may cause a disease is considered poison. His physical definition: any substance which could potentially inhibit the activity of a catalyst, such as a chemical or an enzyme may be considered – not fit.
The dangers of refined/white sugar
Now, Dr Martin classifies processed sugar under poison because this is sugar that has been stripped off its life forces, such as vitamins and minerals. The end result is sugar with pure and refined carbohydrates and with nothing else. The body is not capable of refining starch and carbohydrates unless the proteins and vitamins initially stripped off the sugar are present. These essential elements exist in specific quantities in each plant and those quantities are just sufficient to metabolise the carbohydrates in that plant. But realize that there is no excess for additional carbohydrates. This inconsistency could lead to the formation of what is called ‘toxic metabolite’, which are abnormal sugars containing 5 carbon atoms.
Why is it bad?
Pyruvic acid also forms under such conditions. Pyruvic acid likes accumulating in the brain and the nervous system, while the abnormal sugars accumulate in the red blood cells. Toxic metabolites are known to interfere with the respiration of body cells. When this happens, the cells cannot get sufficient oxygen which is crucial for their survival and functioning. Eventually, some cells will die. The results are life-threatening because it interferes with certain parts of the body and could mark the beginning of degenerative diseases.
Processed or refined sugar can be dangerous when ingested by humans because it provides what nutritionists call ’empty’ or ‘naked’ calories. This type of sugar lacks essential minerals found in sugar cane.
Furthermore, they say sugar is worse than nothing because it drains the body of the precious minerals and vitamins through its demand for detoxification, digestion and elimination that takes place inside the entire body system. Potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium are essential during the process of transmutation. The body produces neutral acids which try to balance the acid-alkaline factor so that it achieves a normal state.
When sugar is taken on a daily basis, it increases the acidity of the body. As a result, more minerals are needed to rectify the PH. Because the body needs to protect the blood, calcium is stripped off your bones and it’s at this point that weakening begins. Excess consumption of sugar eventually affects every organ of the body and that’s not very good news for you.
How to stay sugar-free
You don’t have to consume processed sugar to stay energised. There are plenty of options that are healthy and still provide what normal sugars would. However, this task might not be very easy at first. You’re going to do away with sweet dessert and chocolates this time. You don’t have options but to say goodbye to them.
Now, your task relies with finding good sugar alternatives to nourish your body. The tips below will help you kick out the refined sugar habits. Here we go:
1. Get properly motivated
You need discipline and proper motivation in order to stay on course, because it’s not going to be an easy task. Remember that you are not punishing yourself by not taking refined sugar, rather, you are trying to lead a healthy life.
2. Avoid soda or any other type of sweetener drink
These drinks contain a high percentage of sugar. A 10 ounce of your favorite soft drink will contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar. If you dump your soft drinks habits, you’ll reduce your sugar intake instantly. Also, remember to eliminate candy because they are sugary too.
3. Packaged foods are a No
Packaged foods contain a significant amount of sugar. You might want to go for their non-organic sugar content, which contain sugar as well. The sugar content in these foods is something to be aware of. Don’t keep the foods at home because you’ll be tempted to feed on them.
4. When eating out
Be careful when eating out. That salad you love so much has sugar and unhealthy fats tacked inside the dressing. Because restaurant foods can be rich in sugar, it is better to stick to something you know doesn’t contain higher sugar content. You could go for grilled meat or roasted vegetables because they don’t contain much sugar.
5. Challenge yourself by making it a task to go sugar-free for two weeks
It is a habit that you don’t overcome in one day. You need to develop self control as you resettle your taste buds. Challenge yourself by going without sugar for two weeks and see how it goes.
What are your alternatives?
There are plenty of sugar alternatives out there, ranging from sweet potatoes, peanut butter, cereals and mayo. If you must take desserts, stick to blueberries and raspberries. They are great alternatives of refined sugar. If you are bored, try almonds and see the magic of living sugar-free.
Moreover, there’s an option to choose Greek yoghurt, which is an easy replacement for the snacks you used to feed on before you made this critical decision. Take plenty of dates to replenish your sugar reserves. And lastly, there’s black coffee to indulge in. Black coffee will quickly make your taste buds adapt to the new environment.
Benefits of going sugar-free
Of course there are many benefits of shunning processed sugar. Did you know that added sugar provides a large amount of fructose than needed? Sugar is comprised of half glucose and half fructose. If you don’t get fructose from your diet, your body will get it from fats and proteins. However, fructose is not essential to your body in any way. Realize that when large amounts of fructose get into the liver, it is converted into fats. According to Authority Nutrition, that’s the number one cause of chronic diseases in most countries.
In other words, if you say no to white sugar, you are saying No to chronic illnesses. You are also saying No to problems such as tooth decay and obesity.
