News Taffy

I have some ugly truths to share with you this morning so bear with me. First, I am an addict and didn’t even realize it. Monday morning I started Katie Couric’s 10 Day Sugar Free Challenge - 10 days with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners - and by day 2, I was hungry and irritable. I am still hungry and irritable this morning but I’m also plain mad and you should be too. The truth is we are all victims of the food industry which is more concerned with profits than in offering wholesome, nutritious food. I truly had no idea how difficult it would be to find food to eat that doesn’t contain sugar. Note that I am not talking about naturally occurring sugars in fruits or other foods but the sugars that are added to almost everything we eat.

Go to your food pantry, freezer or refrigerator and pull out any random item. Unless it is a whole food, like carrots, dry beans, raw meat or eggs, it likely has sugar in it. I pulled out a can of Campbell’s Cream of Broccoli soup - sugar. A jar of roasted red peppers - sugar. Oroweat bread - sugar. Peanut butter - sugar. I have found it difficult to eat any meal these last two days. This morning, I thought I had a good idea for breakfast and pulled out a package of Jimmy Dean Sausage Skillets and dumped it in the pan. Too late I thought to read the ingredients list and yup, it has sugar. Who would think to add sugar to a dish with potatoes, bell peppers, onions, eggs and sausage? For that matter, who would put sugar in broccoli soup?

Interestingly, I have lost 2 pounds in 2 days without doing anything else other than trying to avoid sugar. Our addiction to sugar is one of the biggest reasons we are overweight as a society. I truly feel sorry for diabetics who struggle to keep their blood sugar under control. It’s almost impossible to find sugar free food unless you cook it yourself from whole, natural foods!

Why should we be concerned with too much sugar? First of all, sugar does nothing good for your body. It packs on pounds and has NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE. And sugar is sugar, don’t be fooled. Agave nectar, molasses and honey are NOT natural, nutritious alternatives. They all have similar calorie counts, contain no nutrients like vitamins or minerals and are all highly processed foods even if they come from plants. Sugar has also been linked to an increased risk for cavities, heart disease and diabetes.

So why does the food industry add sugar to so many unlikely foods? They do it because their extensive research has shown the exact amount of sugar that increases the likelihood that consumers will like and therefore, buy, their products.

If you are as concerned as I am, what can you do? As I always say, you are better off cooking your own food than using boxed, canned or prepared foods. That way, you know exactly what goes into your food. Also, try cutting back on sugar wherever you can. Third, contact food manufacturers and let them know how you feel!