Most of us are addicted to sugar. We may not admit it; in all probability, we do not recognize the symptoms. This addiction is costing us our health, and contributes, for the major part, to weight gain. Sugar upsets the body chemistry, causes mineral imbalance, destroys the digestive enzymes and devastates the immune system. The toxicity caused by undigested food can result in allergic symptoms. A host of diseases follow: diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, headaches, allergies, asthma, obesity, periodontal diseases, and more.

When cane sugar is refined, minerals such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, B1, B2, B6, niacin, calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper, and chromium are stripped off. The difference between fructose, the natural sugar in fruit, and processed sugars is that fructose retains its chemical bonds intact. The body takes longer period of time to break down the different chemical bonds and releases sugar slowly. But the refined sugar quickly passes through the system and causes a quick surge of blood sugar, insulin and then sudden ebb. Continuous large doses of sugar cause brain to slow down production of endorphins. The lack of sufficient endorphin leads to depression ('sugar blues').

To maintain a normal level of endorphins in the brain the individual must eat more sugar to get out of depression. The process is quite similar to what happens you use excessive alcohol. Continuous large doses of sugar cause brain to slow down production of endorphins. To maintain a normal level of endorphins in the brain the individual must eat more sugar to get out of depression. The process is quite similar to what happens you use excessive alcohol.

The packaged food world is sugar-laden. When you eat packaged cereals, bakery items and soft drinks, you are consuming loads of refined sugar in the form of glucose, which the law doesn't require to be listed on the labels.

Nancy Appleton, the author of 'Lick the sugar habit', describes how her own addiction to sugar caused symptoms like running nose, constant itching in the ears and throat and tooth decay, pneumonia, constipation and headaches in the childhood. Doctors she went to routinely prescribed antibiotics for her condition, but none told her or seemed to realize these were being caused by excess sugar. Then she read 'The Pulse Test' by Arthur F. Coca. The book suggested that one could test if they were allergic to a substance by measuring their pulse before and after eating it. If the pulse increased by ten to twelve beats per minute, it was probable the person was not metabolizing the food properly and has developed an allergic sensitivity to it. Nancy realized that she had developed allergy to sugar and was also addicted to sugar. Finally, she sought to treat herself by cutting down sugar and experimenting with different foods.

Another book worth reading is by David A. Kessler, the former FDA Commissioner who has fought several battles on health issues. His recent book 'The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite' shows how the food industry has designed food through a combination of salt, fat and sugar to trigger the pleasure centers of our brains, releasing opioids that cause us to lose control and overeat. Once the pleasure-seeking part of the brain gets saturated with these offending key ingredients it is difficult to turn it off. The author also describes how nutrition information on packaging is manipulated by the food industry.

Controlling sugar consumption is a biological challenge, since the packaged food short-circuits the body's self-regulating mechanisms. We need to devise ourselves a food rehab program to fight back against the industry's relentless quest for profits.

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