I just heard a very disturbing statistic: over 60% of American women wear a size 14 or larger.
I’m sure there are many reasons for this unhealthy and unfortunate fact, but I have gained new insight into one major reason for our obesity epidemic in the past few months.
I have been engaged in a difficult but amazingly revealing experiment since mid-April when I began cutting all sweets from my diet for health reasons.
That includes all types of sugars, honey, maple syrup, fruit and fruit juices, cane sugar, agave, most dairy, potatoes, white flour, and most artificial sweeteners. Stevia is my only exception, and I try not to use very much of that.
The most important fact I have discovered is that some form of sugar hides in almost everything we eat, even those products you might never suspect!
For example, did you know that you cannot buy a cracker or any type of sausage without sugar in them? Even at the “health food” stores? If you start looking very closely at the ingredient labels you will see some type of sugar is truly everywhere! Even in the salty snacks you thought you were eating just for a salt fix!
BTW, dairy products are also full of milk sugars!
I’ve heard all the debates about whether sugar is worse for you than high fructose corn syrup and how honey or agave is better. I don’t buy any of it anymore! Just cut it all out and find out who you really are then! See how well you can cope when your mood altering addiction to sugar and dairy (read as ice cream this time of year!) is no longer an option. And no more fake sugars either to tide you over!
Imagine everyone in America giving up sugar at the same time! I was doing fine for a while and then I got into a very stressful situation. I was upset, hot and miserable and ALL I WANTED WAS SOME ICE CREAM!!! This is how I cope and I would venture a guess I am very much not alone in that behavior pattern. Time to learn some new and healthier coping skills.
I would also venture a guess that sugar is the number one killer in America and most of us are at least as addicted to it as a heroin addict is addicted to his/her regular daily fix.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I envy you the willpower to forgo all Sugar…not even something I would attempt, as a perpetually overweight child and adult I am thrilled to be in a size 14…yeah a 12 or 10 would be great but I will leave that to two of my overly thin sisters in their 2 and 4’s..it averages out. As a recent widow eating is one small comfort and it is unfortunately a “social” event in our society. I think you can be healthy and not a fanatic, exercise and things in moderation…I don’t think my weight will be on my tombstone or be what others remember about me…sure hope not! Anyway congratulations on superb willpower and patience to rid ALL sugar from your diet, are you enjoying it??
Deb:
I never would have chosen this path, my body and health demanded it. It was this or have weeping sores on my feet and hands indefinitely with a Candida overgrowth (see previous posts). Eczema is excruciating at times! BTW, 75% of Americans will be effected by Candida at some point in their lives. Most will not know that their problems are caused by it.
But this has been a fascinating experiment in how BAD our diet has become. Food should be a health giving force in our lives not a form of addictive entertainment or a way to stuff our feelings.
LLC
I wrote a similar article last year, altho I haven’t been able to kick the sugar habit. Manufacturers counter with Americans love sweet and that’s why they give it us. They made us love sweets because it’s a cheap ingredient.
It’s going be interesting to see what happens in the future as the obesity epedimic grows in gargantuan proportions.
Thanks for your comment Cathy! Who could ever totally give up sweets in this culture? They are truly everywhere and very well hidden sometimes! Why does my green chili sauce have sugar in it???
My point is that we either start learning about this and change our behavior or else it really will kill us!
Time to deal with the underlying reasons why we self-medicate with sugar instead of going out and getting what we want out of life!
Laura Lee