Sugar

Most of you know I'm a bit of a health geek. I'm often ask what sugar (or artificial substitute) I consume? Basic answer (as with anything we put in our precious bodies) Don't deviate from the natural state. My sweet of choice?

1. Agave syrup (slow processor in the body) as my liquid sugar when maple syrup is needed (and calories for a good long bike ride); NEXT
2. Stevia (natural leaf that fools our tongue) in tea, cooking, etc (when I don't need calories and there are other great nutritional elements to the food I'm eating). Newer versions have less after taste and I recommend Sweet Leaf Liquid with Vanilla Creme.

What about Splenda????
DUMP IT! Its a chemical! What? Yeah...that's right its actually a chlorine derivative. Chlorine? But wait, it's just sugar that has been modified. Modified? This is crazy speak! Can't you remember those summer days in the highly chlorinated pool that made your eyes burn? Well, drink it...its just water!?? So why does Splenda (or Sucralose) get to claim its just sugar when saccharin (pink packet) also started with sugar as did aspartame (blue packet).

Sucralose (Splenda) is a chlorocarbon (chlorine has been added to sugar molecule - therefore not its natural state). Chlorocarbons have long histories of causing organ, genetic, and reproductive damage. Sucralose use is linked to 40 percent shrinkage of the thymus: a gland that is the very foundation of our immune system. Sucralose causes swelling of the liver and kidneys, and CALCIFICATION of the kidney. So I tell you....DUMP IT!

Oddly, our nation is getting fatter since the widespread introduction of artificial sweeteners into the food supply. Why? Fact: When we eat something sweet, but do not take in any calories, our bodies crave more calories than if we ate real sugar. Thus with artificial sweeteners we run the rat race of unsatiated hunger. For many people, the more they eat of the artificial stuff, the more weight they gain, and the more they crave sweet foods. Further, these artificial sweetened foods are usually empty calories (no nutritional value - at bleached wheats and simple starches). Hunger continues and is never satiated because the body is not getting nutrients it needs.

FEED your body the good stuff and moderate what you eat!
Okay...I'm off my soap box now.