From the desk of John Dicey, Worldwide CEO & Senior Therapist, Allen Carr's Easyway
John Dicey
Sugar is something we all take for granted. It's in our diets. It's always been in our diets. It's just….there. Unless we're specifically trying to lose weight or improve our fitness it never really dawns on us to question whether it has a valid place in our daily food intake.
We need to learn the difference between 'good sugar' and 'bad sugar'. Good sugar occurs naturally in food which is unprocessed such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and nuts. Bad sugar comes in many forms - all of which are the result of processing. Whether it's refined white sugar, brown, demerara, or foods with high sugar content such as cakes, pastries, confectionery and chocolate - it all comes under the 'bad sugar' label. So far - I'm only winning prizes for stating the darn obvious! What is far less known though is that processed carbohydrates such as pasta and starchy carbohydrates such as potato are also serious sources of bad sugar. If you have a sugar problem - those foods are as much as a problem for you as a tub of Ben & Jerry's.
You'd find it hard to find a single well-informed doctor (aside from those employed in the food and drinks industry) who would claim that bad sugar is a positive thing. But why is it so bad for us?
There's a global Type 2 Diabetes epidemic. It's happening right now! The cause? Too much bad sugar in our everyday diet - for too long. You don't have to be overweight to become a victim of Type 2 Diabetes and when you contract it you face a choice i) a lifetime of medication and ongoing health checks (diabetes causes organ failure, blindness, and amputation amongst other things) ii) change your diet so that it excludes bad sugar. It's far better not to suffer the lifelong damage that is caused by undiagnosed diabetes - so don't sleep walk into it.
You don't need bad sugar for energy. Look at the animal kingdom. The fastest, the fittest, the most lethal animals boast incredible physiques, power, strength, and stamina without ever indulging in a plate of pasta, bar of chocolate, or a so called energy drink. There are no dietary advantages to bad sugar - only downsides.
It's not just Type 2 Diabetes that is caused by bad sugar - the massive fluctuations in blood sugar levels cause violent, unpleasant mood swings. If you recognise this trait in yourself - or your family - the chances are you or they have a sugar problem.
Everyone knows that sugar rots your teeth - but did you know that huge swathes of the population are suffering from record levels of tooth decay. It's the 21st Century but our kids' teeth are in a mess!
Surprise, surprise, bad sugar causes obesity. And that is no fun at all. It impacts on our mood, our general fitness and health, our sex lives, and our self-esteem. If you claim to like chocolate more than sex then perhaps you need to change more than just what you eat?
Sugar has zero nutritional benefits. That's why you eat so much of it. The reason you can eat a huge bowl of pasta (and then some) is because the body detects low levels of nutrition and doesn't prompt you to stop eating until it thinks it's got enough. The only quality nutritional element of a pasta dish is the fresh vegetable ingredients put with it to make it taste good and to make it edible (try eating a plate of plain pasta without oil or sauce and see how inedible it really is).
All that pasta, rice, bread, pastry, and processed foods (yes even ready-made sauces) cause horrific bloating. You know the feeling. Getting bad sugar out of your life means you literally never have to feel like that (or look like that) again.
Tiredness. Yes - tiredness. Stuffed full of empty carbs you feel slow, slovenly, and fatigued. Ironic that the same food companies who sell you processed foods drenched in sugar and salt that made you feel so tired, fed up, and fatigued - also con you into thinking that buying one of their energy drinks is a great remedy. It isn't. Sugar is the problem - not the solution.
It causes wrinkles. I know - who KNEW? It damages and distorts collagen that leads to skin looking tired, jaded, and wrinkled. The great news - it's reversible! No - you don't need Botox or a face-lift - just cut out bad sugar for a month and look in the mirror. It costs - nothing (in fact you'll save a fortune by avoiding buying bad sugar).
It's expensive. You're paying a lot of money for cheap, tasteless, base 'foods'. The only way the food suppliers can make it taste remotely food-like is to saturate it with sugar and salt. Can you imagine eating that rubbish - day in - day out - all your life - paying through the nose for the privelage? Unfortunately - that's what you've been doing.
Think of your kids. If you want the very best of health for them, a long, active, rewarding life, it's time to re-educate them about eating.
It's no fun being addicted to anything. Any addiction controls your life, your mood, your health, and your physical and mental fitness. There is no gain - only pain.
John Dicey is the co-author and editor of the new book from Allen Carr's Easyway 'Good Sugar, Bad Sugar'. Available from 15th August in Paperback: £8.99, eBook: £6.99 and Audiobook: £9.99. Available from a variety of retailers including Amazon.co.uk and via www.allencarr.com .