Do you have cravings for sweets that you see as treats?  Do you think indulging in a pint of ice cream is your reward for making it through the day?  Are you looking for something sweet to overcome that 3pm slump?  For some, sugar is just as addicting as caffeine, tobacco or alcohol and it keeps us from losing the pounds we long to shed.

The United States is the largest consumer of sweeteners and one of the largest global sugar importers. We started in 1689 when the first sugar refinery was built in New York City.  Colonists soon began to sweeten their breakfast porridge with refined sugar, and within 10 years, individual consumption had reached 4 pounds a year.  The average American now consumes more than 100 pounds of sugar and sweeteners per year.  The USDA recommends we get no more than 10 teaspoons per day, yet most Americans eat about 30 teaspoons per day—that’s three times the liberal recommended daily value.

Humans love sweet things. Even before we started refining sugar, we sought out foods with sweet tastes.  Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that occurs naturally in foods such as grains, beans, vegetables and fruit.  When unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins.  When brown rice or other whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules.  These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff.  Read more…

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