What percent of you is sugar?
I don’t know about you, but I keep going on and off of health kicks. This next likely-to-be-failed round has to do with reducing my amount of sugar intake.
Why?
The WHO recommends less than 12 teaspoons of sugar per day. That’s about 50 grams or 200 calories. 10% of the usual 2,000 calories per day diet.
But for most of us, on average, we eat over 94 grams between each moonrise.
200 years ago, sugar wasn’t a commodity, it was treated as a luxury. According to records, a typical American only ate about 2 pounds per year of the sweet stuff. Today, that number is closer to 75.
75 pounds! We’re basically eating a Mila Kunis in sugar every single year.
No wonder diabetes rates are through the roof. But there’s hope to escape the clutches of the powdery evil.
Instead of completely eliminating it from your diet, we’re all human, after all, try reducing some of the biggest offenders.
We can start by replacing these sneaky foods to make a huge impact and get on track to a healthier tomorrow.
While the nuance behind why sugar and corn syrup have created an ongoing health pandemic in some parts of the west is complicated, to say the least, that doesn’t mean we have to suffer the consequences.
Everywhere we look in today’s supermarkets, we see sugar. Or some version of it anyway. More than 60% of all the products in stores contain an added form of the stuff.
60%. That’s insane.
Whether it's called sugar, dextrose, maltose, glucose, corn sweetener, lactose, molasses, corn syrup, corn sweetener, sorghum, sorbitol, fruit juice concentrate, fructose, or 100% low fat <insert marketing lie here>— it’s there, and it’s hidden.
Just be aware of the problem and try cutting out some of the bigger offenders. Especially the ones like these:
Tonic water
Ketchup
Flavored yogurt
Cereal
Salad dressing
These have a habit of slowly sneaking up on you and adding pounds of unhealthiness every year.
And none of us really want that, unless your Mila Kunis, perhaps.
For alternatives to the above, check out my original article on it. I always love extra views! :D
I also came across a crazy telegram that was sent back in 1917 that likely changed the entire course of WWI. It’s called the Zimmerman Telegram, and in 2021 hindsight, it seems like an incredibly stupid course of action taken by the Germans.
Lastly for this week, in case anyone wants to know where some of my weird views/humor/face come from, I wrote about 10 of the biggest life lessons I’ve learned traveling the world all these years.
There’s also some fun quotes in there, ‘cuz I can’t write my own.
Thanks for reading everyone, I’m off to go work on my side project now…and trying to avoid the snack aisle on my way home.
J.J. Pryor
Extra points for anyone that hits the like button on this post! (Disclaimer: The points are probably worth nothing. Except for my eternal gratitude.)
So true, J.J. Eliminated sugar almost completely about 3 years ago. All kinds including fruit and most vegetables. What a difference it has made in my life. I typically now have maybe 10 to 12g per day, when I consume xylitol for my coffee, and evaporated milk for my tea (contains some form of sugar). I also consume sugar when I eat bread (one food I cannot resist), popcorn (ditto), and occasionally french fries--turns to glucose once you digest and process. Results for me have been phenomenal. Joint issues gone, headaches gone, skin issues gone, digestive issues gone, energy higher. I noticed when I ate waffles with maple syrup at a family do the other day that I was WIPED right after the meal. Sugar is poison to the human body. I like my poison in very small quantities. My buddy used to have two HEAPING teaspoons of sugar with his 4 coffees per day. Once he eliminated that habit his body transformed itself from pudgy to slim. Doesn't take much.
Eternal gratitude? I'll settle for a few nights in your guest room if I can get to your place before the Chinese do. I'm starting to restrict my sugar intake by removing tonic from gin and tonic. More room for gin. No more ketchup on my hot dog - just Sauer kraut. No more Black Russian cocktails - just Burbon on the rocks.
Maybe we could collaborate on a diet book? "How to be Healthy, Happy, and not give a Shit."
We could target all the anti-maskers and non-vaccine takers. At least the ones who will still be alive and able to charge their credit cards.