NUTRITION INSIGHT

TOO MUCH SUGAR LEADS TO DISEASE

The body requires no added sugars to function properly. Avoiding sugar, particularly added sugars, is recommended due to its potential negative impacts on weight, blood sugar levels, and overall health. Excessive sugar consumption is linked to weight gain, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. It can also contribute to tooth decay, energy crashes, and premature aging.

In a study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Hu and his colleagues found an association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the course of the 15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar.

Artificial Sweeteners To Avoid

Artificial sweeteners are generally considered worse than sugar when consumed in excess. While sugar is linked to weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease, artificial sweeteners are linked to impaired memory, impaired liver and kidney function.

Aspartame

Phenlalanine

Equal

Saccharin

Alitame

Splenda

Cyclamate

Sorbitol

Dulcin

Sucralose

Neotame

Twinsweet

Glucin

Sweet ‘N Low

Kaltame

Acesulfame potassium

Mogrosides

Stevia

Xylitol

Agave nectar

NutraSweet

Erythritol

Nutrinova

Food Containing Hidden Sugar Or

Artificial Sweeteners

Toothpaste and mouthwash
Children’s chewable vitamins
Cough syrup and liquid medicines
Chewing gum
No-calorie waters and drinks
Alcoholic beverages
Salad dressings
Frozen yogurt and other frozen deserts
Candies
Baked goods
Yogurt
Breakfast cereals
Processed snack foods
“Lite” or diet fruit juices and beverages
Processed meats
Nicotine gum

Best Natural Sweeteners

Allulose- Tastes like sugar with no after taste, low calorie, and is not metabolized by the body. It is excreted unchanged in the urine. Allulose consumption may reduce body weight and body fat by competitively inhibiting how glucose flows into the liver
Dates have a low glycemic index and packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants
Fruit Puree
Monk fruit (without erythritol)

Seed Oils

Seed oils are plant-based cooking oils derived from the seeds of various plants. They are typically found in processed foods such as burgers, fries, and packaged processed foods in stores. Because of how seed oils are produced, they often lead to inflammation and disease in the body.

Canola oil (rapeseed oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed
Grapeseed oil
Soybean oil
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Rice bran oil
Peanut oil

The problem with most seed oils is that they undergo a refining process. This process includes bleaching and deodorizing to improve the taste, color, and shelf life, but it also removes the oils’ antioxidants. In small amounts, the omega-6 fatty acids contained in seed oils can be beneficial, but the levels, combined with the refining process, make them potentially toxic.

Excessive consumption of seed oils has been linked to various diseases and chronic illnesses:

Arthritis
Heart disease
Metabolic syndrome (a cluster of risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, obesity, impaired fasting glucose)
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes

Best Oils For Consumption

Extra virgin olive oil

Avocado oil

Ghee

Beef tallow

Coconut oil

Oxalate

Oxalate is an anti-nutrient organic acid found in plants. Oxalate binds to minerals within our body primarily calcium, also iron and magnesium depleting their absorption and availability for the body. In some cases, oxalate can displace sulfate resulting in hormone inactivation along with abnormal oxalate accumulation in various organs causing damage to the heart, blood vessels and other tissues.

Processed Foods

Examples of processed foods to avoid or limit:

Sugary drinks: Soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened juices, and even some sweetened teas and coffees.

Processed meats: Hot dogs, bacon, sausage, deli meats, and other processed meats.

Packaged snacks: Chips, cookies, crackers, and other snack foods with high levels of fat, sugar, and salt.

Ready-made meals: Frozen pizzas, packaged pasta dishes, and other pre-prepared meals that are high in sodium and unhealthy fats.

Fast food: Burgers, fries, and other fast food items often contain high levels of unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar.

Certain breakfast cereals: Many popular cereals are high in sugar and low in nutrients.

Vegan "meat" and "cheese" substitutes: While marketed as healthy, these can be heavily processed with multiple ingredients and additives.

Why avoid processed foods

Heart Disease
Stroke
High Blood Pressure
Depression
Obesity
Diabetes
Reduced HDL (Good) Cholesterol
Cancer