when i tell people that i don't eat refined sugars they look at me like i'm insane. they ask WHY? and invariably they insist they eat a low sugar diet. what most people don't realize is that there is sugar in EVERYTHING available in the grocery store. some commonly overlooked things like; bread, butter, pickles, fruit juices, "natural" cereals, everything marketed to children, meat (lunch meat and "butcher counter" meat), frozen foods, and even WATER.

i'm going to give a quick summary on why sugar is bad for you, what names sugar goes by, what the different types of sugar are, how you can avoid it, and some basic info on how to switch to a refined sugar free diet. i quit refined sugars to combat post partum depression when my son was 16 months old, and i was at the end of my rope. within two weeks i was feeling more normal and stable than i had in years.

why sugar is bad for you

It is estimated that the average American consumes an average of between 100 to 160 pounds of refined sugar per year. That estimate is even more shocking when you consider that the human body was designed to consume exactly zero pounds of refined sugar each year.

The World Health Organization recommends that sugar consumption should not exceed 10% of a person’s total daily calorie intake. That’s about 200 calories a day for a person consuming a 2000-calorie daily diet.

Studies show that high consumption of sugar plays a role in the increasing development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, hyperactivity and tooth decay. The over consumption of refined sugar and flour often causes hypoglycemia, which causes blood sugar to fall below normoglycemic levels. The result is hunger, loss of balance or dizziness, rapid heart beat, weakness, anxiety and excessive sweating. Hypoglycemia can lead not only to overeating and fatigue but also obesity and diabetes.

these hypoglycemic symptoms can act like ppd, social anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. if you whip your diet into shape, you may find your mental/emtional stability improved.

High consumption of refined sugars can also cause learning disabilities in children and adolescents and even violent or aggressive behavior in adults, some experts believe.

Regular intake of refined sugars makes you more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections and other ailments because sugar (sucrose) weakens the immune system suppressing the protective functions of cells.

Aspartame and saccharin are just plain harmful, may even cause birth defects or cancer over time if consumed too much. Another problem is that these artificial sweeteners are not even effective for weight loss. Americans are increasingly consuming many artificially sweetened foods and diet soft drinks to cut calories, but people just keep getting heavier.

While eating too much sugar of any type is bad for you, white table sugar, brown sugar (white sugar mixed with molasses... though there are brown sugars available that are less refined white) and high fructose corn syrup have absolutely no redeeming qualities from a health point of view -- they are truly empty calories devoid of any nutrients.

Refined sugar has no nutritional value. Zero. The refining process of sugar cane or sugar beets eliminates all vitamins and minerals. Refined sugars are harmful for the digestive system and cause abnormal acid and enzyme levels.

everything marketed to children has sugar in it. just because it's a common child-food and labeled natural does not mean it's not packed with bad sugar. i'm reffering to very common items such as capri suns, fruit snacks, cereal bars, granola bars, trial mixes. small packaged yogurts. etc.

source:
http://www.vegetarianorganiclife.com/20.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-is-Refined-Sugar---Known-As-White-Sugar---Bad-for-You?&id=119462

what names sugar goes by

There are many types of sweeteners (sucrose, glucose or dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose and sugar alcohols sorbitol and xylitol) depending on the source and varying from naturally occurring such as the sugar in fruit to highly refined such as white table sugar.

*artifical sweeteners are BAD for you. it is always better to eat nonrefined naturally occuring foodstuffs than a chemically altered version of something. please check out the following articles info on aspartame and splenda.

source:
http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweeteners.html

what the different types of sugar are

good sugars in food are things like; honey, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, molasses, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrates. there are more, but these are the most common.

how you can avoid it

read labels!!! at first it will make your shopping take a few minutes longer, but you will quickly learn what is "safe" and what is not. a few basics that are found in regular grocery stores are:
health nut bread
ezekiel bread
mountian high yogurt
nancy's yogurt
unsweetened applesauce
raisens (only raisens, all other comemrical dried fruit has sweeteners)
plain oats/quick oats (ALL instant oatmeals are packed with sugar, and no cereals found in conventional stores are bad-suagr free)
fruit juice sweetened jellies/jams
natural pb (it will have oil seperation)

how to switch to a refined sugar free diet

if you decide to switch to a refined sugar-free diet there will be a detox period. you will suffer some degree of withdrawls. easiest thing is to start small. start shopping smarter. but more fresh fruits for you sweet cravings, cut down/cut out the use of sauces/salad dressings. prepackaged foods and frozen foods are the worst. cut these to an absolute minimum. within two weeks you will have more energy, feel more refreshed and feel more stable.