WHY SUGAR FREE?

We need sugar to provide energy but it needs to be the right kind of sugar.

WHY IS SUGAR IS BAD?
Refined sugar in biscuits, cakes, pastries, sweets and sweet drinks is easily absorbed into the blood stream. Refined sugar contains almost no vitamins and minerals. The body experiences a sugar rush as large amounts of sugar hits the bloodstream at once. The body responds by dumping insulin into the bloodstream to absorb the excess sugar. The body diverts nutrients to the pancreas for insulin production leaving us without nutrients for other functions. The liver, which might normally store excess sugar for use later, often finds itself without enough nutrients to do so. Because sugar isn’t stored blood sugar levels fall leading to cravings for chocolate and other sweet foods.

People who suffer from low blood sugar often use their adrenal glands for energy (caffeine and nicotine will also stimulate the adrenal glands). Our adrenal glands are designed to help us in crisis situations and long term use of the adrenal glands to produce energy for day to day living can result in adrenal exhaustion where people feel tired all the time.

The overconsumption of sugar also encourages the growth of unfriendly bacteria in the gut. Overgrowth of one particular unfriendly bacteria, Candida Albicans (thrush) is becoming increasingly common (antiobotics, the contraception pill and use of hormone treatments are a further factor).

If Candida overgrows it produces spikes which pierce the stomach wall allowing toxic substances to leak into the blood stream. This causes a range of health symptoms including bloating, thrush, diarrhoea and constipation, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, anxiety, depression and many others.

WHAT ABOUT FRUIT AND NATURAL SUGAR?
Sugar occurs naturally in fruit and sugar cane. When we eat fruit or raw sugar cane we get lots of vitamins and minerals as well as the sugar and this helps us digest the sugar. It is also unlikely that we will eat very high levels of sugar in this way and as these foods are high in fibre they break down slowly in the body and can be absorbed by the body without the need for large amounts of insulin to help. People suffering from an overgrowth of Candida should, however, severely limit the amount of fresh fruit or avoid it altogether in the early stages of treatment.

We also eat sugar in the form of complex carbohydrates such as rice and root vegetables. The body breaks these sugars down slowly releasing them slowly into the bloodstream providing longterm, sustainable energy. Excess sugar is stored by the liver (if it is working properly and receiving sufficient nutrients) and released later when we need more energy.