IS IT SAFE TO ELIMINATE SUGAR FROM OUR DIET?

God Bless You Dear Readers.

It has become necessary to address this topic in view of the fact that
sugar, a household name, is said to be harmful to health, when used
excessively.

Sugar, a crystalline carbohydrate, a. sweetener, and a preservative of
other foods, is in different forms, e.g. glucose, fructose, lactose,
sucrose, and maltose. Glucose, lactose, and fructose occur naturally
in fruits, vegetables, and other foods. Sucrose occurs in sugar cane
or sugar beets, and maltose in a form of fermentable sugar which
occurs in starch.

Some of the foods we consume contain "added sugars," i.e. adding of
sugar to foods or manufactured products to enhance their flavour,
e.g. fruit drinks, soft drinks, pies, desserts. A can of soft drink
contains about 7 teaspoons of sugar, it is said.

According to Health Experts, "added sugars" is responsible for many
ailments such as poor dental health, high blood pressure, increased
death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and overweight,
alzheimers, etc.

Following the arrays of Studies that reported negative implications of
added sugar, the World Health Organization (WHO) revisited their added
sugar recommendations in 2014, issuing a draft guideline, reducing
their recommended daily free sugar intake from 10% to 5%, in order to
reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases in adults and children,
with a particular focus on prevention and control of weight gain and
dental caries.

A Study reported that consuming added sugars at recommended levels may
be harmful to health, after finding that such levels reduced lifespan
in mice.

Many Health Experts were in support of a "no sugar" bandwagon. But the
question is, is it possible or even safe to completely eliminate sugar
from our diet?

Also it is said that using artificial sweeteners, aspartame,
saccharin, sucralese, as sugar alternatives may still cause diabetes
and obesity, as it was reported that long-term consumption of
artificial sweeteners was associated with increased weight, abdominal
obesity, higher fasting blood glucose levels, and increased
glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Incidentally, the increase in
artificial sweetener consumption, councides with the increase in
obesity and diabetes epidemics.

In March 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO), published new
guidelines, recommending that adults and children alike, reduce their
consumption of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy
intake, with further reduction to below 5% associated with additional
health benefits. The term "free sugars" includes glucose, fructose,
and sucrose added to foods and drinks, as well as sugars naturally
present in syrups, honey and fruit juice. The term does not apply to
sugars found naturally in fresh fruits, vegetables, or milk, and to
date, there is no evidence associating the consumption of those sugars
with adverse effects.

At the same time, Health Experts say it is unhealthy to completely do
away with all sugar from our diet as fruits, vegetables, dairy
products, and dairy replacements, eggs, alcohol and nuts, which
contain sugar, cannot be removed from our diet. If we remove them,
then we have only meat and fats to eat.

Sugars occur naturally in a wide range of foods, including fruits,
vegetables, dairy products, and so can promote a healthy, balanced
diet and active lifestyle. Balance and variety in a diet is the most
important thing for people to remember.

These Health Experts recommend that consumers reduce sugar intake to
within recommended guidelines as follows -

1. You should cut down on sugar you regularly add to your foods and
drinks, such as tea, coffee, cereals, pancakes.

2. You should replace sugar-sweetened beverages with sugar-free or
low-calorie drinks.

3. Always compare food labels and select the products with the lowest
amounts of added sugars.

4. The quantity of sugar in the recipe when baking cakes should be
reduced by a third.

5. Replace sugar in recipes with extracts or spices such as cinnamon,
ginger, almond, or vanilla.

6. You should add fresh fruit to cereals or oatmeals instead of sugar.

7. Avoid fruits canned in syrup and go for fruits canned in water or
natural juice.

Please note that sugar, white or brown, are the same, except that
brown sugar has molasses flavor and slightly more minerals than white
sugar, which does not make it any better than white sugar.

Some common everyday foods and drinks, together with their sugar
content as reported are as follows -

1. Chocolate Bars (per bar) - from 5.5 - 10 teaspoons of sugar

2. Breakfast Cereals (per 100 grams)
(a) Corn Flakes - 2.4 teaspoon of sugar.
(b) Others - from 1 - 14 teaspoons of sugar

3. Fruits contain fructose, a type of sugar. Fresh fruits have no
"added sugar," but as you can see below, it is said that their levels
of sugar range from 1 teaspoon per100 grams in Cranberries to 4
teaspoons in grapes, per 100 grams.

(a) Mangoes - 3.2 teaspoons of suger
(b) Bananas - 3 teaspoons of
suger
(c) Apples - 2.6 teaspoons of suger
(d) Pineapples - 2.5 teaspoons of suger
(e) Tomatoes - 0.7 teaspoons of sugar

In view of the foregoing, please consume very minimal quantity of
sugar, when necessary. Also please detoxify with our Tianshi and
Fohow supplements from time to time, to rid the body of toxins and
accumulated waste matters, including excess sugar. Ensure you and your
family visit your family doctor regularly, check your blood pressure,
blood sugar level, etc. to ensure that all is well. This is very
important.

I will tell you a story. Sometime last year, a man went into coma or
should I say died. As he was being rushed to the hospital, his
family, etc. were in tears. At the hospital, the doctor examined him
and told his family that he lacked sugar, prescribing a bottle of soft
drink for him. This was quickly administered and the man woke up.
This I guess is a case of too little of everything is bad.

Dear Readers always check your blood pressure and sugar level. Your
sugar level must never be less that 70 (preferably not less than 75),
and must never be above 100 (preferably not more than 95). If it is
too low boost it with soft drinks, and if it is too high take Tianshi
or Fohow supplements to reduce it without delay.

Stay Healthy Always And Remain Blessed.