Suicide by Sugar

*I finished this book last night, what a fast read! It addressed the issue of Stevia. It recommended it as a safe sweetener. It talked about a specific diet you would go on for 7 days depending on your level of addiction. I think this is wise. I've done things similar to this before and not only lost up to 10 lbs within a week but also expelled my cravings considerably! It is not something to be maintained for more than a week. However, it is a good "cleanse", I believe to go on especially when you find yourself eating more sugar and craving it more. I really liked how Nancy Appleton explained the difference between GI and GL (Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load). She talked about how our bodies process glucose and fructose (natural sugars contained in fruit). It was all very interesting. I love that she recommended moderation in all things. However, sugar just shouldn't be allowed in our diets AT ALL! I agree with her...what a hard thing to do, I'm not gonna lie! I really look forward to my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies once a month.

I'm reading this book right now. Wow...I know that I've known how bad sugar can be, but this is opening my eyes even wider. I'll say this right now. I'm a sugar addict. I am. You know, in my weight loss journey, I relied a little on aspartame and artificial sweeteners. They are just as bad, if not worse. Yes, I knew this too, but I thought that I would use them just until I lost the weight. I decided a few weeks ago to stop all artificial sweeteners and let me just tell you, my appetite has been insane! Sugar in any form completely messes with your appetite! When I eat sugar, it increases it. When I am going off sugar, my cravings for sugar and food in general is through the roof, and if I can avoid sugar for a good two weeks, then it improves greatly. Well, since my diet sort of declined through Christmas, it's been hard to stay away from the sweet stuff entirely. Oh...I'll have a few good days but then the weekend hits. Which brings me to a very good question a friend asked of me. "I do well with my eating and will have a cheat on the weekend, but then I end up cheating every day, all weekend..." I agree. I have had a hard time with this lately. I think the thing that worked for me before is the fact that my cheat was one meal once a month. I know that seems crazy, but that one cheat meal made me so sick! Some of those cheats, I didn't even look forward to, because I knew how sick it would make me. This goes back to the sugar addiction that Nancy Appleton talks about in her book "Suicide by Sugar". This is such a good book and I believe every word of it. The addict in me says I can still enjoy a it a little, but the common sense says to me, why would you poison yourself, even if it's only a little?

Here are a list of all sugars or foods that are considered sugar:

• Agave syrup or nectar
• Barley Malt
• Beet sugar
• Brown sugar
• Cane sugar
• Cane syrup
• Confections sugar
• Crystalline fructose
• Date sugar
• Evaporated sugar-cane
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Galactose
• Glucose
• Granulated sugar
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Liquid cane sugar or syrup
• Maltose
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Powdered sugar
• Raw sugar
• Rice syrup
• Sugarcane syrup
• Table sugar
• Turbinado sugar
• Unrefined sugar
• white sugar

Let me just say that a few of these really popped out at me; honey...yes I know this is a form of sugar but that it still does to your body what sugar does, was an eye opener. Molasses, is high in potassium but again, it is still considered sugar and should be monitored. Fruit juice concentrate - this was a huge surprise because even if the only ingredient is Orange juice fruit concentrate and no other added sugars, it is still in a concentrated form and your body will treat it so. Raw sugar and Turbinado sugar, unrefined sugar...all of which I thought was "healthier" sugar. LOL! Healthier sugar...like that is any better for me?!

This is a really good book, I checked mine out at my local library. I would really like to know what you think about this book. Do you think you could give up sugar for good? Or...do you think you could give it up with a few exceptions throughout the year, or how about just having it once a month? Do you have artificial sweeteners like aspartame, Splenda and others? Could you give those up as well? (Nancy Appleton explains in her book that rats were tested given saccharin and cocaine and the rats would choose saccharin over cocaine, every time!)

I'm still reading....I want to know about Stevia. I've heard that it regulates blood sugar, that it isn't considered a "sugar". I'd like to know more about it. I would die without my Stevia! Let me know your thoughts!