| What would you say if someone told you that | | | | of these foods are not whole grain, have been |
| alcoholism has its roots in sugar addiction? Problems | | | | enriched, are not a natural source of vitamins or |
| with overconsumption of alcohol often begin with | | | | nutrients, and contain added sugars and other |
| eating habits as children. Since all alcoholic drinks | | | | chemicals that are dangerous to consume. Even if we |
| contain sugar, it is a wonder that this association is | | | | did consume all whole grains in those servings, which |
| often overlooked. A 12-ounce beer has about 13 | | | | would be difficult at best, we would be consuming far |
| grams of carbohydrates in it. So if you have five beers | | | | too many carbohydrates for our own good compared |
| over the course of one evening, that's 65 grams of | | | | to other important nutrient, mineral, and |
| carbohydrates in four to five hours (or less, depending | | | | vitamin-containing foods such as fresh fruits and |
| on how fast you drink). | | | | vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy |
| If you believe this line of thinking to be faulty, it is | | | | proteins like antibiotic and hormone free meats and |
| imperative to see the film "SuperSize Me". In | | | | raw dairy products (in moderation, of course). And that |
| documentary style, this movie shows what happens | | | | doesn't even include all the junk-related and refined |
| when one person goes on a binge for 30 days and | | | | sugar foods we consume on a daily basis, nor sugary |
| eats nothing but McDonald's food. You may be | | | | beverages (alcoholic beverages included). |
| wondering about the connection between alcohol and | | | | The body requires proper nutrition and support to |
| McDonald's (aka sugar and chemical overload). Keep | | | | function on an optimal level. Most of what people put in |
| reading. The man in the film is monitored by three | | | | their mouths does not support the complex system |
| different doctors during his journey into destroying his | | | | that is the human body. When a person is working at a |
| body. Although the example put forth in the film is an | | | | stressful job and does not have time to prepare |
| extreme one, it shows why this diet or anything like it is | | | | wholesome, nutritious meals, a decline in health is |
| a poor one to undertake. During day 22 of the | | | | inevitable. Many people believe that what they are |
| experiment, his doctors conduct blood tests on his liver | | | | eating is healthy when it isn't because consumers have |
| to determine the extent of the damage. The results | | | | been repeatedly lied to and mislead about nutrition. |
| are unbelievable. His liver is in the same condition as | | | | Corporations have in their best interest to sell what |
| someone who had been on a long alcoholic binge: thus | | | | tastes good to consumers, not what is nutritious. Even |
| firmly establishing the sugar-alcohol connection. | | | | though there is a wealth of information available about |
| McDonald's foods are highly processed, full of | | | | sugar and alcohol consumption, people tend to |
| chemicals, and most importantly, wrought with simple | | | | overindulge since food and drink containing sugar is so |
| carbohydrates which are the same thing as sugar. | | | | prevalent and easy to come by. |
| Alcohol in all forms also contains...you guessed it, sugar. | | | | Everywhere we look there are more temptations to |
| Studies have shown that people who display unhealthy | | | | purchase and eat the things that we shouldn't, and not |
| eating habits and abuse sugar have similarities to those | | | | nearly enough emphasis on organic, whole, healthy |
| who are so-called alcoholics. Many people who | | | | foods. When you go to a restaurant or bar and order |
| become alcoholics in their adult years regularly kept | | | | a drink, how often do you stop at just one? How often |
| unhealthy diets as children and adolescents. The | | | | do you have two, three, four, or five? When you go to |
| pattern is a predictable one that is often also | | | | a restaurant to eat, think about how many items on |
| underpinned by unstable emotional environments. | | | | your plate are full of refined carbohydrates versus a |
| When a child is allowed to consume refined sugar | | | | whole, natural food. When the server comes to take |
| "foods" that regularly replace nutritious foods, this sets | | | | your plates at the end of a meal, how many times are |
| up the perfect beginning to a life of poor choices for | | | | you offered dessert as an ending to your visit? Almost |
| health. | | | | every time. |
| Children are easily made to believe by their parents | | | | Anxiety and depression, the two basic human |
| and other authority figures that various foods regularly | | | | emotional disturbances, are perpetuated by unhealthy |
| eaten by the whole of society are actually good for | | | | lifestyles such as lack of activity, overloads of stress, |
| them and contain substantive nutrition. Although sugar | | | | improper rest, and you guessed it -- eating poorly. |
| is not technically in the same category as alcohol or | | | | When people encounter stress, their bodies respond |
| drugs, food with refined sugars and processed flour as | | | | by telling them they need more support - sleep, |
| well as candies and desserts represent the initial | | | | exercise, healthy food and whole food supplements, |
| stepping stone to sugar consumption that can plateau | | | | plenty of purified water, and adequate stress relief. |
| out as alcohol abuse in adolescents and adults. On a | | | | The average American lifestyle fails to include the right |
| fundamental level, all are addictive substances | | | | combination of these important components. For |
| because they each contain one key ingredient - | | | | stress relief and boredom, many people turn to eating |
| carbohydrates or simple sugars. When sugar is | | | | refined sugar foods and beverages, drinking, and drug |
| introduced into the body, a reaction occurs where the | | | | use. Unhealthy snacks and foods are so convenient |
| blood sugar achieves a high point causing the body to | | | | and readily available, people have a tendency to load |
| go into hyperactivity mode. This process often leads to | | | | up on those kinds of foods rather than taking time to |
| the mistaken diagnosis of ADD or ADHD. Drugs such | | | | prepare a healthy meal or snack instead. The more |
| as Ritalin are often prescribed to level out the | | | | we consume these kinds of foods, the more we |
| chemicals in the child's brain that are considred | | | | crave them. |
| "abnormal". What is not addressed are the large | | | | When you visit the grocery store, notice which foods |
| amounts of refined sugars consumed by these same | | | | are the most visible and prevalent on the aisles. Just |
| children, as well as lack of adequate physical activity | | | | pick up a box or a can of any food and read the |
| and supportive emotional relationships with famliy | | | | ingredients. If you cannot make heads or tails of what |
| members. Children who consume large amounts of | | | | they are, why should you be eating or drinking it? Any |
| refined sugar in their diets are much more likely to go | | | | food or drink product that contains more than three or |
| on and become drug or alcohol abusers later in life - | | | | four ingredients should automatically be a red flag to |
| especially when these other conditions are present. | | | | any consumer. When we consume such massive |
| Here's something interesting: the food pyramid tells us | | | | amounts of sugar, run ourselves into the ground with |
| that we should eat 6 to 11 servings of whole grains | | | | stress and busy schedules, fail to get adequate |
| each day. But the vast majority of "whole grain" | | | | exercise and rest, it's no wonder our bodies fail. |
| choices in our food environments are far from whole | | | | Patients would rather end up at the doctor asking for |
| grains. On a continual basis, we are lied to on labels | | | | medication to deal with symptoms they experience as |
| about what is contained in many foods we buy in the | | | | a result of the abuse their bodies are receiving than |
| store. Simply taking the time to read the list of | | | | commit to making a real, healthy lifestyle change. |
| ingredients will immediately reveal that a good majority | | | | |