here is where i talk about sugar endlessly
ok, so here is my new vegan crusade: SUGAR is evil, especially for vegans. here's what i learned in school about sugar:
first, a word on sugar cravings: if you are not getting enough protein, you can crave sugar because protein and sugar are on opposite ends of the food spectrum and therefore balance each other out (white sugar is 99.5% carbs, whereas proteins like meat are almost all protein and fats and water and no carbs. this is why 3- or 5-grain tempeh is a complete protein -- it has carbs and protein!). this is why everyone knows some schmuck who can eat lots of steak and lots of refined sugars and can sort of survive OK, until he has a heart attack and dies, of course. but for you, my little vegan love, sugar will wreck you, because most likely you're not getting a ton of protein (which, is better for you, as too much protein is not a good thing). sugar addiction is stronger in low protein diets and in low calorie diets -- if you're not getting enough calories, your body craves something simple it can digest quickly -- refined sugar fits the bill perfectly. ditto with not getting enough complex carbs. BUT the same is true if you're getting too much protein and not enough complex carbs -- you've swung over to the other side of the spectrum and will again crave the white devil. if you're dehydrated you might crave sugar, so drink some water before you go have a pint of rice dream ice cream. if you're eating really refined, fragmented foods you might crave sugar because you are not getting enough whole foods and your body is searching for fulfillment. if you're macrobiotic and are getting too many contractive foods (meat, salt, miso, grains, nuts, sea vegs) you might crave expansive things like drugs, alcohol, fruit, tea, coffee, and sugar and veggies. if you eat enough whole grains and quality protein sources you will not crave sugar as much.
* here is all that info phrased differently in case you're still confused:
* If sugar is eaten, the missing elements will have to be found elsewhere, or the body will show deficiency symptoms. High-density protein foods (like meat), vitamin and mineral supplements, and large amounts of water are needed to balance the intake of refined sugar (this is why you will find it harder to go vegan if you eat lots of sugar).
* refined carbohydrates (white sugar and flour), if not accompanied by enough protein and minerals, will draw on the body's own protein and mineral reserves. Without these the body cannot function property. for example, anemia can result from the body stripping itself of iron.
* people always say that sugar is "empty calories" but in actuality it is worse than that, it is calories that actively do harm - sugar is negative nutrition! If you think of your body as a bank, sugar is like constantly bouncing checks – you are taking something out without putting anything in.
* so, the outcome of all this longwindedness is that: you should also give up refined carbs when you go veg – a you don’t need them anymore because hopefully you are eating more balanced whole foods, and if you eat too many you will set up a craving for something that is hi protein like meat to balance them. this might be why some people crave meat when they go veg – they are eating high-sugar/carb diets. repeat after me: when you give up meat, you should also give up white sugar and refined flour.
* ok, some sugar facts:
* it lessens germ-killing ability in the body for up to 5 hours, it reduces the production of antibodies
* 9T of sugar need theoretically 28-30oz of water to counterbalance it. This explains the popularity of soda: when it’s cold it numbs the taste buds, the liquid fools the bod into thinking thirst is being quenched, the 7t of sugar in each can or bottle create a need for more water – and thus keep us reaching for soda. i'd rather have coke with real coke.
* it interferes with the transport of vitamin c (don't eat sugar when you're sick!)
* it neutralizes the action of essential fatty acids (like those that are in flax and hemp seed oil and that vegans typically don't get enough of anyway)
* it has been linked to mineral imbalances
* it can cause adult onset diabetes
* osteoporosis is linked to sugar consumption because sugar creates an acid imbalance in the blood. in order to fix it the body takes calcium and potassium from your bones. milk does the same thing because it has so much protein which screws up the acid/alkaline balance. so do caffeine and food in the nightshade family (peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant.) and processed vinegars.
* you know all those mood swings you get with sugar? it's all about your blood sugar. if you have low blood sugar a sugar snack can bring it back up to normal, and if you have high blood pressure it can make it go all crazy. if you are just trucking along trying to maintain homeostasis and you eat sugar your blood sugar goes a little nuts. your body kicks into high gear to try to regulate itself and return to homeostasis. this is what makes you get all loopy. this is why, for example, people eat salty peanuts in bars -- alcohol is a form of sugar and salty foods help control the sugar high.
* in order to deal with the wreckage brought on by sugar, the body depletes its own store of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. without these the body cannot function property, for example, anemia can result from the body stripping itself of iron. so, people always say that sugar is"empty calories" but in actuality it is worse than that, it is calories that actively do harm - sugar is negative nutirtion!
so what can you eat instead of sugar? well, first try to stop eating so much of it, because i know you eat way too much right now. then, after you're broken the addiction a bit (i have read, though, that sugar is highly addictive and the only way to truly get off of it is to stop it all together, like smoking.) here are some alternatives to use and substitutes to avoid:
* substitutes for sugar to avoid:
* brown sugar: stay away -- brown sugar is just white sugar with caramel color added. what a dirty trick.
* florida's crystals and other organic sugars: these are better for the environment than typical white sugar because they are organic, but they are no better for you, really. they are still refined until they have no nutritional value (actually they have negative nutritional value because they actually leach vitamins and minerals out of your bod).
* fructose: very refined fruit sugar. do not use.
* corn syrup: very professed
* powdered/confectioner's sugar: just white sugar with cornstarch added
* cane juice: it sounds so natural but is so refined.
* turbinado sugar -- i used to use turbinado all the time before i found out that it's really just refined white sugar that's a little less refined. it's not raw -- all sugar has been heated to kill insects and bacteria, etc. it's not so great. sugar in the raw is turbinado sugar.
* honey is a good substitute, but it's not because it's not vegan. i just found out yesterday that honey is really bee puke! it's been predigested by bees. only our society would think of stealing poor bee puke and putting it on pancakes. find out tons more on why honey is not vegan here
* obviously, you are a smart little chickie and know that anything with aspartame, sweet and low, and anything else like that is evil and will kill you. so stay away. Let me just talk about aspartame for a second though. the trade names for aspartame are nutrasweet and equal, and it's also in all kinds of other things: diet foods, toothpaste, "sugar free" foods, blah blah. there have been so many studies done on aspartame it's insane. it's been associated with, among other things:
headaches, mood changes, nausea, anxiety attacks, vertigo, hyperactivity,
hearing loss, heart arrhythmia, tinnitus (i don't even know what that is),
edema or swelling, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, numbness and tingling
of extremities, seizures, blurred vision, skin lesions, blindness, muscle cramps,
eye problems, joint pains, memory loss, fatigue, slurred speech, PMS, mild to
suicidal depression, menstrual irregularities, personality changes, chest pain, violent
episodes, increased appetite. it might also mimic or trigger the following illnesses:
fibromyalgia, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, epstein-barr,
ADD, post-polio syndrome, meuniere's disease, lyme disease, alzheimer's disease.
Obviously, this substance should be recalled by the FDA. But since it is not classified as a drug, the manufacturers are not even required to monitor its adverse effets! There was a bill written warning pregnant women, infants, and children against ingesting aspartme, but, of course, the bill got killed. Oh, and did you know that the Air Force has warned its pilots not to consume aspartame because of its connection to grand-mal seizures? Hmm. And, it tastes like shit! The other day I was on the bus and had this rare craving for gum. I think my wisdom teeth are coming in and I was teething. Anyway, I stopped at port authority and got some trident, which i knew was bad and which i never get, but i figured a little bit of nasty sugar and gum base wouldn't kill me. i was chewing away when i noticed that this gum tasted much, much sweeter than i remembered. i was overwhelmed by its sweetness, but convinced myself that it was because i hadn't had white sugar in a while. but soon i realized that it tasted chemically sweet, nastily sweet, and i got a sinking feeling. i checked the ingredients and there it was: aspartame! i threw out the package and the gum i was chewing. the next day (this was probably unrelated, but maybe not, who knows) i felt really ill all day, like i had food poisoning. i felt queasy all day, and weak and really, really tired. who knows what caused it, and i doubt 1 piece of gum could have, but, anyway, the point is that aspartame is the devil.
* alternatives to sugar to use (sparingly!)
* fruit. nature's only natural source of sugar. before you decide that you need a cookie, have a really sweet minneola tangerine and see what you feel like then.
* maple crystals, maple powder and maple syrup -- maple crystals and maple powder are dehydrated maple syrup. m.s. is much less refined than white sugar and is not as concentrated. try to get organic or Canadian maple syrup because otherwise there will most likely be formaldehyde residues. i use maple syrup and maple crystals almost exclusively as sweetners.
* rapidura: a new sugar alternative that i've heard is actually quite good and ok for you -- more info to come.
* barley malt syrup: much less sweet than sugar. b.m.s. is made from sprouted dry barley that's been ground up and cooked with water. it has a kind of molasses-y flavor.
* rice syrup -- like barley malt syrup but doesn't have as strong a flavor. i use it a lot.
* everyone used to think sucanat was so great, but really it's often just sugar and molasses! if you have to use it, use dehydrated cane juice sucanat which is a lot better, and make sure it has a mineral content listed on the label.
* date sugar: very very sweet! very expensive. date sugar is ground dry dates. it's good in baking. it's pretty good for you, it's not too refined.
* blackstrap molasses -- not to be confused with regular molasses which is really refined and not good for you. blackstrap molasses*is a good source of minerals and is very dark and not too sweet.
* stevia: i don't know too much about stevia, but i like it. it's actually an herb.
* organic fruit juice concentrates: sometimes can be a good substitute, but make sure they are organic because otherwise you're just getting pesticide concentrates.
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