Sugar, sugar – more toxic than alcohol?

This article reports on research published in Nature by Dr Robert Lustig and colleagues on the toxic effects of sugar. They are claiming that added sugar in the diet is more toxic to us than alcohol and that it has a bigger impact on public health than either tobacco or alcohol. They are calling for regulation and a ban on sugary foods in schools claiming that it leads to fatty liver, insulin resistance and is the underlying factor leading to obesity and diabetes and is a slow killer.

The article also points out that there are those who disagree with these views and claim that sugar is not the problem and is not as toxic as alcohol. There is no doubt however, that man’s consumption of sugar has dramatically increased since the days it was limited to natural sources in fruit and honey. Over the same time period the rates of obesity have also dramatically increased along with the development of processed foods. Indeed according to WHO there are now more obese people than those undernourished!! 

There is also growing awareness around the harm of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)  or cane sugar in particular and it is found in many soft drinks, cereals and processed foods. This study in rats showed that they all became fat and developed fatty liver with HFCS, much moreso than those given sucrose or fat diet. One of the dangers with HFCS is that it is empty calories – so no matter how much of it we have, it doesn’t make us feel full unlike protein/fat/carb diet. 

In addition this article discusses whether salt or sugar is worse for one’s health and concludes that both are harming. They point out that prior to 200 years ago both salt and sugar were not readily available and we now consume far in excess quantities that have a significantly detrimental effect on our health. 

These reports support what is already known from an esoteric and energetic perspective and can be known by anyone who is willing to listen to their own body – that sugar, salt and alcohol are harming to our physical health. All have an instant effect on the body that can be felt. They stimulate the body making us racy or excited and take us further away from our true nature.

So why do we like to consume foods and drinks that in fact are harming us?? Not only that, we do not need a scientific report or research to know this – we can if we so choose, listen to the body and it will tell us itself that these substances are harming. 

However, we live unaware and in ignorance to what our true nature is – that it is love, joy, harmony and stillness. We live unaware that we are energetic beings that are affected by all that we consume and indeed by all our choices on a daily basis – every thought, word, deed, movement, action and interaction. In that unawareness and the daily process of living we often give our power away, don’t honour what we feel, don’t speak our truth, react emotionally to daily events. All of that depletes and drains us energetcially and thus we reach for the sugar or alcohol to give us a boost, a hit, to stimulate or exicte us and take us away from the misery we are living or existing in. 

The key then is not just to stop drinking alcohol or taking sugar but to address the underlying causes for being drained, depleted and unfulfilled that lead us to seek some outer stimulation. To begin to make more conscious self-caring choices, like going to bed early, eating healthy noursihing foods, honouring what we feel, being able to say no, not reacting emotionally, not giving our power away and a myriad of other ways that can help us live in a way that does not drain and deplete us. 

This is a journey and an unfolding and it has been that way for me. I use to eat and drink everything and anything with few exceptions. I would have easily dismissed any of the above points as ‘rubbish’ or ‘nonsense’ or ‘new age psychobabble’ whilst consuming another drink or eating junk food. I was quite dismissive of people who said they couldn’t eat this or couldn’t eat that – the so-called ‘picky eater’ and I never imagined I would one day find myself choosing to not eat certain foods and become in the eyes of some people a ‘picky eater’ myself! 

However, as I have eliminated certain foods/drinks from my diet I have become more aware of how different foods affect me and more able to FEEL how they affect my body. Instead of ignoring and dismissing the messages my body is giving me and overriding the body with my mind as I use to do all the time, I am more able to listen to it and honour it on a more regular basis.  If I now have a food containing sugar I can usually feel it in my head, making me racy, and sometimes even giving me a headache. That said, whilst I have eliminated alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, gluten and dairy – sugar is the one that sneeks a peek into my diet every now and then! So whilst it is not yet eliminated, it is far, far reduced compared to the days when I would easily consume several bars of chocolate a day. 

Hence the unfolding continues – the more self-caring I become, the more I honour what I feel, go to bed early, speak my truth, stop reacting emotionally or getting stressed at work then I will have less need for a sugar hit or boost at the end of the day to give me a lift or as a reward/treat. The other week I was like a kid in a sweetie shop when walking around St George’s market in Belfast (enjoy the video on site) I came across a host of fresh fish, fruit, olives and vegetables but also a stall with dairy and gluten free cakes! So yes, there is more for me to do before sugar is eradicated but that is all part of the journey of becoming more self-loving and allowing the time and space to let it unfold without judgment, criticism, ‘must-dos’ or ‘shoulds’. So now and again I am having my gf/df cake and eating it – fancy a slice? 

Feel free to share your experiences with sugar/diet etc and what you have noticed in your own journey.