Sugar - Part 3
The Ugly
All of these sugars used to be prevalent in my diet, and at that time my health was atrocious. I had tons of brain fog, inflammation, and uncontrolled asthma. While refined sugar wasn’t my only dietary issue, it certainly played a role in how badly I felt.
Over a few years I slowly switched out the sugar I eat and I haven’t looked back! In the next section I’ll tell you more about how to do that, but first, let’s look at why…
Refined Sugars
Agave Syrup –
You might be surprised to see this one on the “ugly” list. Relatively recently it was raved about by most nutritionists…but, it was a processed sugar disguised as healthy (and a ton of marketing $).
Its healthy label was because it’s “low glycemic”, which means it doesn’t raise blood sugar and was promoted as being diabetic-friendly. This is technically true…but most of the agave syrup on the market is highly refined and very high in fructose. The level of fructose is so high (up to 90% fructose) that it can easily cause weight gain and liver issues. This is why it’s not a type of sugar I recommend.
(Fun fact about agave – one of the reasons it was so heavily promoted was because it has a HUGE profit margin. It’s usually more expensive than local unpasteurized honey…and comes from the remains of the tequila industry. Plants that would have been tossed into the trash were used to extract agave nectar.)
Refined White Sugar (sugar cane or sugar beet) –
These sugars have been fully refined and stripped of all nutrients. It’s 99.9% sucrose and it’s missing all of the nutrients needed to digest it…so the body has to steal it from your cells. A diet high in refined white sugar can cause B vitamin, magnesium, and chromium deficiencies. Sugar beet is also highly genetically-modified.
“Sugar in the Raw” (found in many coffee shops) –
The manufacturers of this product have done a wildly fantastic job packaging this product. Even I was fooled the first time I saw it and I’m always on the lookout for questionable food marketing practices. Sugar in the Raw is a trademarked name, not a description of the process. It’s really just white cane sugar with a touch of molasses so it stays brown, it’s 99% sucrose. So deceptive!
Icing Sugar –
This is white sugar that’s been finely milled to create that beautiful sweetness that brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. Be careful with this type of sugar, the extra milling causes it to digest extra fast and can cause big blood sugar highs. It’s also the main sweetener in mainstream peanut butter, like Kraft and Skippy.
(Fun fact about icing sugar: you can make it at home by putting regular white sugar into a food processor, high-speed blender, or coffee grinder. I’ve made it using my Magic Bullet)
The Ugliest of Ugly Sugars
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) –
This highly refined sugar is made in a lab behind closed doors. Very few people know how this sugar is processed, and due to its very cheap price, it has been added to all sorts of foods; from drinks to yogurts, and seemingly healthy processed foods. HFCS been linked to weight gain, diabetes, and liver issues…stay away from this sugar! It’s also labeled as “glucose/fructose”.
Anything that ends with “-ose” –
Usually found in ingredient lists, these types of sugar are so refined that they go by their chemical names (glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, etc). Many products that contain these “-ose” sugars frequently use multiple types of sugar to deceive you into thinking there’s less sugar in the product.
All Artificial Sweeteners – Research is finding a link between these sugars and metabolic issues. And, research has found that you might gain more weight using artificial sweeteners than refined sugar! Be especially careful when these sweeteners are added to drinks.
If you want to check out Lisa circa 2011 or so, check out this vintage video about the research behind artificial sweeteners in pop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrHX0KGNM80
This includes: Saccharin, Aspartame, Sucralose (Splenda), and all other chemical sweeteners.
It also seems that high consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked to higher risks of cancer. Also, studies have shown that artificial sweeteners may increase cholesterol levels, contribute to neurological problems, promote metabolic syndrome (diabetes and heart disease) and may have bad effects on liver metabolism.
Always remember, you are replacing your sugar with sweetness from a chemical source. These are the ugliest of ugly forms of sweet.
If your body prefers your sweetness to come from 0 calorie sources, consider monk fruit, stevia, or sugar alcohols (xylitol, etc). These are going to be MUCH easier on your body.
Now that you know why they’re best left on the store shelves, hop over to Part 4 to learn how to switch them out :)
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :).