The Cost of Sugar

I consider sugar one of the worst drugs available. Why? Because it seems harmless enough. Anyone can and does buy it everywhere. You don't have to go looking for an alleyway junkie/dealer.

I've had lunch duty with young students every school day for years. EVERY DAY, students are drinking chocolate milk, often with a lunch that has very little nutritional value and sometimes includes other items with sugar. That's because sugary foods are often cheaper than healthy ones.

In addition to desserts, sugar is found in sauces, dressings, ketchup, low fat yogurt, baked beans, protein bars, dried fruit, and so much more. Start reading labels. If sugar, fructose, glucose, or sucrose are one of the top two or three ingredients, it may be time to reconsider what you're buying.

Sugar is addictive. When is the last time you ate just one M&M? Probably never. Sugar sends that wonderful dopamine to your brain, which tells you, "more, more, MORE!"

And yet, it is slowly killing millions of people. No, it's not as fast acting as cocaine or heroin or who knows what is out there now, but it can be just as deadly, especially for those who are inactive.

Reasons why sugar is bad.

1. Acne. Skin issues can be caused or exasperated by sugar at any age. Maybe not deadly, but it may be symptomatic of another condition.

2. Energy Drain. Sugar may give you a quick burst of energy, followed by a longer, more pronounced collapse.

3. Obesity. Sugar in large quantities puts on pounds that are difficult to remove, especially if it has become a long-term habit.

4. Tooth decay. Not only are cavities expensive, but if you ignore your teeth, the bacteria can spread, causing infection.

5. Depression. Sugar has been linked to mental health issues.

6. Heart disease. High sugar diets are known to cause greater risk of heart disease - the most common cause of death worldwide.

7. Accelerated skin and cellular aging. You want to keep your skin and cells young? Back off on sugar!

8. Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes has been on the rise for years. It's no wonder. There was probably sugar in your morning coffee and sugar in almost everything you ate throughout the day. It adds up.

9. Cancer. People on a high sugar diet are 60-95% more likely to get certain forms of cancer. Scary.

10. Liver and kidney issues. Sugar can affect most of your internal organs.

I realize this reads like a pharmaceutical drug warning list. Shouldn’t that tell you something?

Just one 12-ounce can of soda contains up to 50 grams of sugar and 155 calories, which equates to 8% of your daily recommended calorie consumption and your full recommended sugar intake.

Diabetes runs in my family. All of my grandparents had it. My mom has had Type 2 since she was 40. We're a bunch of sweet tooths, which doesn't help. Having homemade sweets at gatherings was standard. If it was a holiday, we could expect trays of a great variety of delicious homemade desserts.

I switched to zero sugar soda years ago. I've really scaled back on the sugar in the last year. It's not easy, because sugar is less expensive than alternatives. Check prices of Stevia, Splenda, and similar replacements. Sugar free chocolate chips generally cost twice as much as sugary counterparts. It's more expensive to buy dried fruit chips than potato chips. Frozen, prepackaged meals, laden with sugar, are easier and cheaper than cooking from scratch.

This is where I've had fun becoming inventive.

Below is the recipe for the mousse in my cover photo. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can choose your flavors. I've made this with pistachio and vanilla puddings, adding pistachio nuts instead of peanut butter. The entire batch as listed below has just 4 grams of sugar, good for several servings. Plus, it tastes great!

Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse

Ingredients:

One box sugar free chocolate pudding

One box sugar free cheesecake pudding

3 1/2 C. Unsweetened almond milk

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

About 1/2 C. sugar free whipped topping

Blend together for two minutes. You can use a whisk, mixer, or blender. Be careful, it may spatter.

Refrigerate until firm.

Top as desired. I used a dollop of sugar-free whipped topping, nuts and sugar-free chocolate chips.

*

Next recipe:

Vegetable Bake

Two large carrots, or three medium ones (not mini)

Two small or one large zucchini

One medium or two small potatoes, any color

4 or 5 eggs

Small amount of flour (about 1/4 C.)

Seasoning (I use Italian seasoning, Cheyanne pepper, black pepper, salt)

Cheeses (I use mixed Italian cheese, parmesan, and feta)

Corn Meal

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.

Shred all vegetables and potatoes into a large mixing bowl.

Stir in eggs, flour, seasonings, and Italian cheese.

Spread in a baking dish.

Top with parmesan and feta, if desired

Top with corn meal.

Cook for approximately 30 minutes.

Cool slightly, slice, and serve.

So good!

I hope I have inspired you to cut back on sugar. I'm not saying never indulge. Just try not to make it daily. Your body will thank you for it. If not now, then certainly in the future.

Source:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar#heart-disease