Sweet Savvy

Verne Varona is the author of Nature’s Cancer-Fighting Foods (Prentice Hall Press/Reward Books) and currently involved in documentary filmmaking. He divides his time between California and the mid-west.

"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."  — Abraham Lincoln

"I Never Met a Carbohydrate I Didn't Like"

If there was any 'recreational' substance I came close to injecting intravenously during my adolescence, it was probably refined sugar. Loved the stuff, couldn't get enough. While my high school buddies in the late 60's were dropping acid in back rows of deafening concerts, I was devouring deluxe hot fudge sundaes and planning my next fix before the third scoop melted.   

I attributed my overwhelming passion for sugar as nothing more than a well-deserved treat to relish. However, as I grew older I realized boredom might have played some part. In more philosophically reflective periods, I rationed that perhaps some remote cellular memory, genetically inherited from my sugar cane loving Cuban father might have an influence.

That was then.

After thirty years as a nutritional consultant, I now look back at my youthful naiveté with a sense of awe and wonder. I was simply a sugar addict. A big time sugar addict. Though my choices in nourishment and lifestyle, I had become so dependent on being jump-started by sugar that the potentiality of sugar deprival seemed like the mother of all tortures.

And who really needs torture?

Pass the chocolate covered almonds, please.

When Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Since 1990, Americans have consumed over 150 pounds of sweeteners per year. Add non- caloric sweeteners to that number and it leaps to 165 pounds. If you dare compare these numbers to the consumption of less than 10 pounds of sugar in the late 1700s, you'll find that sugar consumption has risen more than 1,500 percent in the last two hundred years!

At the root of the problem is a gross lack of education about the physiological needs and tolerances of our body. Essentially, everything we consume has a bearing on the chemical

quality of our blood. If we cannot absorb what we ingest, it becomes waste by-products. Considering the life span of a red blood cell lasts 120 days, everything you've eaten in the past four months has a subtle and increasing impact on the quality of your current blood profile. Our body secretes and houses many different kinds of fluids. Their individual pH (parts of Hydrogen--a measure of a solutions relative acidity or alkalinity) ratios vary, but the most important of these fluids is blood, which must maintain a slightly more alkaline state for normal metabolism. This balance is crucial. A minor variation could spell danger if the blood becomes too acid, or too alkaline. Danger, as in fatal.

And that could ruin your entire day.

All natural foods contain both acid and alkaline forming elements. Sometimes acid is predominant, other times alkaline prevails. As you read these words, you're generating acid. You're also eliminating it since your cells produce acid as they function. Your lungs discharge it every time you exhale. Just the simple act of deep breathing with a concentrated exhalation (as in yogic breathing exercises) can help alleviate some of the fatigue caused by mild acid buildup. That's because exercise, stress and food produce acid compounds. While exhalation helps discharge acid waste, your daily diet can end up promoting more acidity.

One way the innate wisdom of the body helps to neutralize acids in order to maintain  alkaline blood is by releasing mineral buffers. Buffers are alkaline minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium that are borrowed (actually, stolen is a more appropriate word) from the resources of cell fluids, digestive fluids (particularly bile), and bone. To create life-sustaining balance, our body is always ready to adjust acid or alkaline balance—at the risk of sacrificing our mineral stores.

Smart body.

Carbohydrate: A Simple Story About a Complex Child

Lately, the public press has been giving carbohydrates a major beating. Suddenly, every magazine and diet book-of-the-month is 'exposing' the dangers of a high carbohydrate diet and emphasizing protein. Of the top three macronutrients, Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins, our focus will be on carbohydrate and in the process, hopefully clear up some popular nutritional misconceptions and myths.

We make an unforgivable nutritional mistake by lumping different classes of carbohydrates together. Here’s the short lesson: There are two basic types of carbohydrates: Simple and Complex. Now, stay with me, this will be brief and painless: Simple carbohydrates are simple molecular structures consisting of one, two or three connected molecules of sugar. By contrast, the complex category has hundreds, even thousands of connected sugar molecules. Because of their elongated structure, complex sugars are gradually broken down and gradually absorbed into the blood, whereas simple sugars are absorbed almost immediately on your tongue, and as they travel down toward the stomach. Think of simple sugar as newspaper in a fireplace igniting quickly with a blaring heat, while complex sugars, think of a burning hard wood, render a more even and enduring flame.

Another distinction about simple sugars is that they offer an immediate sweet in contrast to the bland flavor of complex sugars. A partial list of simple sugars include, white, brown and raw sugar, honey, grain malt syrups, maple syrups and fruit.  Naturally, white sugar is more concentrated than fruit; however, all simple sugars share the common trait of being quickly absorbed and one of the quickest ways to upset blood chemistry. Fruit is a double sugar so while it might result in an eventual digestive acidifying effect (because of its sugar content), it doesn’t raise blood sugar in the same and immediate way as refined sugar.

Complex sugars include whole grains (brown rice, barley, millet, oats, etc.); products made from whole grains (breads, pasta's crackers, etc.), vegetables and beans.  Typically, whole grains and grain products are talked about in the same breath. This where “experts” blunder. Commercial whole wheat bread will sometimes even have a stamp on its packaging that boasts, "Made with Whole Grains!" This, of course is deceptive and merely a marketing tactic. Bread is not a whole grain. It's a grain product. When you grind a grain (or bean) into flour it increases available calories. According to the degree of refinement, it will elevate blood sugar causing a swing in insulin levels resulting in fatigue and sugar cravings. The end result is not only manipulative to blood sugar, but acidifying to the blood.

Whole grains are also classified as “mildly acid producing.” In fact, one of the tired arguments for limiting whole grains is erroneously based on assuming that phytic acid in the grain fiber bonds to important minerals to create mineral deficiencies. What is generally overlooked is the four kinds of alkaline elements whole grains contain that naturally cohabit with the fiber acids; essential elements of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium, in fact, help maintain the alkaline quality of the blood and intercellular fluid even though the body metabolism produces lots of acid. The existence of these alkaline elements automatically aids cell vitality and resistance to bacteria. Phytic acid also can be compensated for by soaking grains, thorough chewing, adding a pinch of sea salt in the cooking process and in combination with more alkaline (such as vegetable) foods.

Modern nutritionist's frequently attempt to bolster minerals by prescribing calcium and other essential minerals, but overlook the main source  of mineral leeching--blood acidity! With stressful lifestyles (stress increases cellular acid by-products), consistent caffeine intake (highly acid-forming), increased sugar volume, over 20% of our diets as fat (creating acetic acid residues) and high protein diets (protein breaks down into uric acid) our mineral reserves are constantly on the defensive. They are forced to work overtime  buffering excess acidity.

Simply prescribing minerals and trace mineral supplements to attempt combating mineral deficiencies is purely symptomatic. We go three steps forward trying to be mineral conscious, taking supplements, eating whole grains and green vegetables, even sea vegetables and then travel eight steps backward by consuming a high volume of simple sugar, whether natural or from artificial sources.

To help neutralize residual acidity in whole grains, most traditional culinary styles included an alkaline substance, such as a salted fermented food as an additional balancing, or neutralizing agent. Some American Indian tribes used wood ash in the maize before cooking; various South American cultures prepared tortilla with limestone; rural Japanese often used a small piece of seaweed (commonly kombu), while in North America, a "pinch" of salt was a cookbook staple phrase. In northern Japan, grain was frequently cooked with a small quartz stone (obsidian) stone in the water. From an acid and alkaline perspective, these strategies were highly effective.

Call it traditional wisdom.

Most of this country eats its weight (and wears it) in grain products; morning muffins, puffed or processed cereals for breakfast, sandwich bread for lunch, pasta for dinner, popcorn at the movies and cookies as a snack. It's a non-stop flour, or grain product, jamboree. The problem with an excessive amount of dietary flour is that it can trigger blood sugar imbalance because particalized grain is absorbed quickly. This can create “insulin spiking.” Additionally, too many grain products can create excessive thirst, dry skin and even wrinkling around the thin tissue areas of the eyes. It has been suggested that wheat intolerance has more to do with our sluggish livers from an excess of dairy products and high fat intake. Other reasons for wheat intolerance could also be the combination of yeast and sugar that’s typically added to most commercial breads. Unfortunately, the only way some of us get whole grain in our daily diets is via indirect source--eating the animals that we feed whole grain. Then, the cow’s role becomes relegated to a four-legged grain processor.

Not a very pleasant thought.

I suspect that one of the chief reasons behind bread cravings, aside from practical convenience, is texture. Psychologist Fritz Perls used to comment that chewing gives us the opportunity to work out inner unexpressed aggressions. We get to chew, and thereby crush, grind and annihilate our food. From client feedback, and by paying attention to textures in my personal eating habits, I've noticed that when I include whole grains, a variety of cooking styles and more textured foods, I crave less bread and flour products. I don't walk around feeling crunch-deficient in search of toast.

How to Eat 45 Feet of Sugar Cane in 45 Minutes 

Simple sugars register their sweetness immediately on the tongue. But, complex sugars are a different story—a bland story, at that. In fact, at first complex sugars might seem painfully bland, but the more you chew them, the sweeter they'll become. That's the pleasant surprise. When clients look at me with that familiar frozen look of food preparation-panic and ask, "Grains? Whaddaya put on 'em for flavoring?, "My reply is: "Your teeth."

But now, I’ll bet your wondering just how concentrated are simple sugars?

Marvel at this:

The industrial process sugar refining process takes approximately 3 feet of sugar cane,, which has to be washed, cut, crushed, spun and crystallized, to end up with one teaspoon of white sugar. Let me repeat that: It takes three feet of sugar can to produce one small teaspoon of sugar. Now, the average piece of coffee shop cherry pie, cut into eight pieces, contains nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar. Add one large scoop of ice cream (5-tsp. more of sugar) and voila!: You’ve created 'pie a la mode.' We’re talking about a grand total of 15 teaspoons of sugar! So, through the efforts of modern technology we can, in the course of about six minutes, consume 45 feet of concentrated sugar cane and call it a "snack."

One can of soda pop could have anywhere from 9 to 12 tsp. of sugar. Adding up a day’s sugar total can be a terrifying activity. Based on a national average of 140 pounds yearly, this approximates to  around 33 tsp. per day as a national average. That’s total’s at around 99 feet of sugar cane per day, beyond what you’d be able to fit in a wheelbarrow--excluding, of course, birthday parties, weddings, Bar Mitzvah’s and pie eating contests.

Honey, regardless of its quality, is also a very concentrated food. I once had a nutritional professor claim that one teaspoon of honey was equivalent, in sugar concentration, to five or six medium-sized apples. Maple syrup is also highly concentrated; to make one gallon of maple syrup you may have to boil approximately 38 to 45 gallons of tree sap. And, if you've ever squeezed oranges to make juice, you already know it takes three to four oranges just to fill a small cup. This does not mean these substances are across-the-board bad, it just emphasizes their concentration. Often, clients that I tell to reduce their sweet consumption will lament, “but it’s organic! Natural!” I point out that this is not a “quality” argument. What would be your response to someone asking you, “May I hit you over the head with this 2x4 of wood—it’s not cheap pine wood—it’s imported mahogany! The quality is not a concession. It’s still sugar and it still acidifying.

By the design of our intestinal tract, digestive secretions and tooth structure, our bodies require complex-carbohydrate fuel on a daily basis. We might all have varying needs of percentages, however, our physiology demands this food group be consistent in our daily eating. Lack of complex sugar in the daily diet is one of the most common reasons behind simple sugar cravings.

Over the past twenty-five years of nutritional counseling, I've looked at thousands of three-day dietary records clients bring to their appointment. After a while, it became clearly evident that where low complex carbohydrate existed, high sugar, protein and fat cravings flourished. Where an ample amount of whole grain existed, protein, sugar and fat cravings were usually lessened. 

The One-Minute Blood Sugar lesson 

In the early 1900s two thirds of the carbohydrates came from complex sources such as whole grains, grain products and vegetables. Today, half of all carbohydrates consumed come from refined and concentrated simple sugars. We are carbohydrate animals with distinct alkaline enzymes in our saliva that initiates carbohydrate digestion. Carnivores, like ordinary house cats, lack this enzyme. That's why it's useless to yell at your cat about the need for thorough chewing. Their predominantly canine tooth structure is designed to tear food into smaller parts for their uniquely potent stomach acids to finish the job. Additionally, they have no carbohydrate digesting enzymes in their mouth.

In humans, carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth, becoming absorbed into your blood almost immediately. This is why, in most cases, you might feel like tap dancing right  after eating sugar--it's already in your blood. When the body’s blood sugar level abruptly increases, the pancreas shoots off insulin as a protection response. If the blood sugar is too high, you end up in coma-ville--a quiet place where lying motionless is the order of the day. Before any potential of lapsing into a high-blood sugar coma can occur, insulin response is swift and plentiful.

It might help to envision insulin as small pick-up trucks that load the sugar and drive the artery highways to the storage warehouse we'll call “Liver Central.” We're talking about a lot of work here since the insulin is not regulated and continues to pour into the blood. Eventually, as the sugar is shuttled from the blood and into the liver, sugar levels continue to lower.  

This means a lot of work for the Liver. It has to separate the water molecules from the sugar and convert it into a starch for tight storage. However, the liver has limited storage (60-90 grams), so the excess is farmed out to artery linings, around the organs and to inactive body areas such as the buttocks, thighs, hips, etc. This unfortunate fact some of us already know. With all this sugar distribution, blood sugar decline takes anywhere from 11/2 to 3 hours.

And guess what you end up craving after this time?

More sugar!

Concentrated substances such as sugar take no prisoners. They can lead to nutritional deficiencies, mood swings, hormonal dysfunction and circulatory problems if taken regularly. By reducing the amount and frequency of simple sugars, while including complex whole grains into your daily eating plan, you'll better control your blood sugar levels, naturally reduce sweet cravings and find that you have more energy as well as endurance.

Some Bitter Truths About Artificial Sugars

The use of artificial sugars has not managed to reduce American's sugar consumption. Fact is, since artificial sweeteners became widely used sugar intake has increase by more than fifteen percent. Weight-loss hasn't been such a bonus, either; Americans have become 30 percent fatter despite the escalation of artificial sugars. The list of problems, frightening research and consumer complaints with artificial sugars continues to grow. The human body was not designed to deal with such unnatural chemicals. Organs that especially suffer the brunt of damage are the liver, kidneys, intestines and bladder.

Aspartame

Aspartame is considered to be about 200 times sweeter than sugar and virtually calorie free. Its breakdown products can be neuro-toxic and cause seizures, headaches, mood changes, insomnia, heart arrhythmia, edema, intestinal disorders, numbness and tingling, blurred vision, muscle cramping, eye problems, memory-loss, fatigue PMS, depression, increased appetite, nausea, vertigo, hearing loss, joint pains, fibromyalgia, spasms, EBV, ADD, epilepsy, etc. This partial listing is based on consumer complaints that have poured into the FDA since the early 1980s and from the research of Mission Possible; an organization dedicated to spreading information about problems with aspartame.

The Art of Creative Success

Sugar is a pervasive ingredient in commercial foods. From commercial salt, to soup, to packaged meats, sugar seems to linger as an essential component. It is also a regular ingredient in many non-food items such as vitamin and mineral supplements, prescription, over-the-counter drugs (including aspirin) and in numerous cosmetics.

I once had some boiled corn at a British Columbia roadside stand off a main highway, advertised as "naturally sweet, fresh-cooked corn." It was incredible sweet-tasting and richly yellow. I got a bit of a headache twenty miles later, but attributed it to the fact I hadn't eaten in a long while and figured it was either my falling blood sugar or the fact I’d gorged myself.

A month later, on a return trip, I diligently sought out that same stand and was delighted to find they were doing a thriving business with a long line of parked traffic. As I stood in line and neared the stand, I watched the old woman make a new batch. To each gallon of water, she added two cups of sugar. "Brings out the sweetness," she said smiling with prominent teeth missing. Suddenly, my desire for 'naturally' sweet corn faded.

The list of problems associated with the acid forming effects of sugar and its altering effect on blood chemistry is exhaustive. As little as two teaspoons of sugar can cause the body's micronutrients to change radically, stimulating faulty chemistry and disturbing the delicate ratios of minerals. Consumer alerts and commercial interests are so busy making us paranoid about fat in our diets they forget to tell us that excess sugar in the blood turns to fat.

That's something to chew on.

A partial list of some of the degenerative conditions excessive sugar breeds include: tissue inflammation, tumor growth, yeast development, fatigue, bacterial increase, hypoglycemia, depression, bloating, bone loss, heart disease, high estrogen levels, parasitic infection, PMS, skin conditions, tooth decay, periodontal disease, mood swings, liver enlargement, arthritis, constipation, loose bowel, poor concentration, high triglyceride elevation, muscle cramps, ulcers and weakened immunity--to name a few.

It is very evident, that we are always one meal away from getting our health back on track. The formula for this is to make educated choices and experiment.

And Now a Word from the Chinese ...

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a very unique slant on sugar. Sugar was categorized as the sweet flavor, one of five essential tastes connected to the Five Element Theory--the backbone of TCM. Accordingly, the five essential flavors influence our health by virtue of their thermal  (warming/cooling) nature, their remedial actions (moistening, drying, astringent, purgative, antibiotic, dispersing, tonifying, etc.) and their organ associations (bitter stimulates the heart, sour stimulates the liver, sweet stimulates the pancreas, etc.)

In Oriental Healing Traditions (North Atlantic Books), author Paul Pitchford explains, "In the diet of a healthy person the flavors should be balanced, with the sweet flavor predominating, because the Earth Element (organ systems of spleen, pancreas and stomach) and its associated flavor--sweetness--are considered the most central aspect of the body and its nourishment. Such balancing is quite simple. It means that each day the sweet flavor--the primary flavor of most carbohydrates such as grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and fruit--should be accompanied by small amounts of bitter, salty, pungent and sour foods to bring a person into physical balance and seasonal harmony."

Becoming aware of the many tastes on your plate will help avert sensory boredom,  increase satisfaction and improve digestion.

It's a mistake to prohibit sweets from our diets. The sweet taste should be an essential flavor of a balanced eating plan. In a healthy body, sweet can be enjoyed in moderation frequently. Ceremoniously, it's usually the most fun part of traditional rituals, especially when shared and sometimes it can help to neutralize a salty condition or when eating animal protein; however, we need to become more aware of our individual tolerances and be respectful of our body’s limitations. Otherwise, we invite imbalance and inevitably, sickness.       

Mark Twain once said, "Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." For those in a constant state of food terror, this might be healthy and de-stressing advice. But, our primary responsibility as body owners is to understand how this miraculous organism functions, its basic needs and the range of your personal dietary boundaries so you can exercise flexibility and joy as you nourish yourself or eat socially. By consciously establishing a more sensitized body you'll know, through the trials of experience, what works and does not work.

Years ago, an Asian nutrition professor of mine grabbed my arm as I was leaving class munching on a cookie.

"You eat too much sugar. Stop—not so good." 

"Just like that, stop?," I asked.

"That's right," he offered, shaking his head to confirm such simple wisdom.

I shrugged, walked toward the door, then turned around. He was still looking at me. A wide Buddha grin slowly stretched across his face.

"Make life sweet."

Verne's Top Ten Sugar Craving Strategies

The following could be individual or collective reasons for sugar cravings. Read each suggestion and notice how it applies to your eating or lifestyle. Reducing your desire or addiction for sugar should not require Herculean will power. Becoming conscious of the physiological and lifestyle factors that stimulate sugar cravings should make taming your sweet tooth a piece of cake--so to speak.

1.  Reduce Salt and Products with Salt

The need for dietary salt from natural sources (sun-dried sea salt) is dependent on several factors; a lack of salt can cause fatigue, stimulate a desire to overeat and often result in a craving or animal protein. However, with the availability of good quality sea salt, miso paste, tamari soy sauce and natural pickles, it's quite easy to overdose. Thirst and a craving for sweet foods is one of the most reliable indicators of excess dietary salt.

2.  Reduce Animal Protein

The standard four basic food group propaganda was force-fed to the American public along with the myth that animal protein should be a dietary staple. The meat and potatoes mentality has to re-think its philosophy since established research shows excess animal protein can lead to colon and prostate cancer. If this applies to you eat less in volume (2 to 4 ounce servings) and limit it to three to four times per week (maximum), as opposed to daily.

3.  Reduce Food Volume

Overeating leads to fatigue and sluggishness. This makes a stimulant like sugar (or coffee) more appealing. Eating more frequently (see #4, below) will allow you to reduce overeating with a minimum of effort.

4.  Eat More Frequently Throughout the Day

One of the most common reasons for sugar cravings--especially at night. By skipping meals or waiting long periods you stop supplying your blood with glucose. The blood sugar drops and by the time you finally get around to eating, you're going nuts for simple sugar. You're also likely to end up overeating or craving something fatty as a compensation for sugar. Initially, don't wait more than 31/2 to 4 hours between meals.

5.  Avoid Eating Prior to Bed

If your body's digesting when it requires much needed rest, you'll require more sleep, dream excessively and find it difficult awakening with alertness. Good deep sleep will result in wide-awake days. Eating to close to bedtime creates a groggy awakening craving the stimulation of sugar (or caffeine) the following morning. Eat a light evening dinner at least 21/2 to three hours before retiring.

6.  Avoid Sugar

This might sound obvious, however, continuing to eat simple sugars results in a falling blood sugar. This stimulates a need for more sugar and the cycle continues. Even though fruit is a simple sugar, switching to fruit instead of sugar is a good first step. Eat the skin of the fruit as well since fiber slows blood sugar elevation.

7.  Exercise Moderately but Consistently

Daily aerobic exercise will increase circulation and strengthen will power. Brisk walking, biking, light jogging, etc. naturally increases sensitivity to the effects of sugar. Try to get 20 to 30 minutes of some type of pleasurable exercise at least 5 times per week. Enjoy this. It should not be a chore.

8. Emphasize Natural, Whole Complex Carbohydrates

If your daily diet is includes whole grains (brown rice, oats, millet, barley, etc.), vegetables (roots, greens and round vegetables such as squashes, cabbages, etc.) as a primary fuel, you'll find you automatically crave less sugar. Emphasizing sweet vegetables such as carrots, cooked onions, corn, cabbage, parsnips, squashes, etc., adds a natural sweetness to meals. Introduce some sea vegetables (aka "seaweed’s") for much needed minerals to enrich blood.

9.  Don't Suppress Feelings

This doesn't mean you have to broadcast every feeling--only those that matter and to those who really matter to you. Food indulgence, especially with sweets, is a convenient way to anesthetize feelings. Sugar can consume you with sensory pleasure, temporarily providing mental relief from whatever might be stressful. However, sweets can hinder energy levels and mental clarity so in the long run your emotional coping ability becomes compromised.

10. Beware of Psychological Triggers

The many psychological associations we connect with food have a powerful influence. Beware of family associations, movie rituals, familiar restaurants, childhood habits, etc.

Reference Resources:

·          Calcium Medicine - Dr. T. Karase

·          Lick the Sugar Habit - Nancy Appleton - Avery Books

·          Get the Sugar Out - Louise Gittleman, Crown Books

·          Function of the Human Body - Arthur Guyton, MD

·          Nature’s Cancer-Fighting Foods – Verne Varona – Prentice Hall Press/Reward Books 

Last modified: 02/21/05