SUGAR! ITS EVERYWHERE! and in EVERYTHING.  Sugar is a DRUG! No different than heroine or cocaine.  New research is actually PROVING that the body registers sugar NO different than heroine.  Google it and find out for yourselves!

Funny thing is….we are actually delivering babies that are already sugar addicts at birth because of the diet we’re eating during pregnancy.  Then we go on to define their limbic food imprint by feeding them foods that are NOT real foods.  They are processed CRAP!  The majority of fast food and processed, packaged and canned items are NOT FOOD at all.  They are something else entirely and, to be honest, I’m not even sure what they are. 

An example would be a twinkie!  Really….it actually scares me that it can sit on a shelf for YEARS and never go bad.  Or hopefully all of you have seen the movie “SUPERSIZE ME.”  If you haven’t, WATCH it.  Its extremely foul to see how McDonald’s french fries NEVER go bad.  Days, weeks even MONTHS go by without a change in the fry.  Its FOUL!  There’s no other word for it.  Then we go on to consume these items and call them food. 

Sugar effects the human system NEGATIVELY in every way possible.  It affects every organ of the body but even more importantly it affects the BRAIN that sits in our digestive tracts.  Yes, we actually have a digestive system brain!  Its called MICROFLORA or good bacteria.   Sugar kills, similar to antibiotics, our internal flora that helps to feed the rest of our bodies in a POSITIVE way.  Beneficial bacteria feeds and strengthens the immune system PROFOUNDLY.

The problem we’re currently at is with the rate of sugar consumption and antibiotics our health as humanity, as a whole, is decreasing in EVERY way imaginable.  I still remember when I learned all the AWFUL effects of sugar on the human system and then went and looked at all the products in my kitchen.  Every single that was packaged, processed or canned had some form of sugar in it.  I was SHOCKED!

When people ask me what would be the #1 ingredient that I think should be completely cut out of the human diet, its SUGAR.  You’d think just cutting out one ingredient wouldn’t be that hard but  IT IS!  I was amazed how difficult it was, 12 years ago, to find products that didn’t contain sugar.  Luckily, now times have changed.   People are wising up about the debilitating affects of sugar consumption.  They are learning how to read labels and make good choices for them and their families.

I think the saddest part about the video above is when Jamie asks the school kids about different fresh foods.  I know I live in a healthy eating world but I was VERY surprised to see that children didn’t even know what tomatoes or potatoes were.  What a SAD state for those children and their families!  But I am VERY EXCITED to see Jamie striving to make a difference in public schools and around the nation.

Though I am a HUGE proponent for a raw foods diet, but I also believe we should be educating ourselves about what whole foods and raw foods are.  We should KNOW where our food is coming from to guarantee freshness and high nutrient content.  We should be understanding the increased health and vitality you and your family can receive by eating fresh, organic, and raw fruits and veggies.   But most importantly, as we shift to a healthier way of eating, she should LISTEN to our own intuition of what foods and herbs are BEST for us and our families.

We have inside of us this WONDERFUL ability to have ALL the answers for ourselves and our lives.  Intuitive living comes from self experimentation and exploration.  This means TRYING new foods regularly!  Educating yourself on what foods contain the HIGHEST nutrient contents and start incorporating those into our diet.

A BIG part of conscious parenting means we expand our own ideas and views of our world and think of ways we can make it better for ourselves and our children.  By doing so, we create MORE conscious and aware beings who LONG to take care of themselves and the people they LOVE in a healthier way.  They are willing to deepen their ability to make wise food choices, along with healthy lifestyle choices. 

Its UP to US!  Do what you can to make even a small change…TODAY!  Cut sugar out of your diet.  FOREVER!  I promise you won’t regret it.  I haven’t.  Not ONE bit!  In fact, as soon as I cut sugar out of my diet, my health increased GREATLY!  I was surprised how much better I felt immediately.  One of the most profound effects I saw was more vibrant looking skin.  Any discolorations on my skin or weird bumps or acne, almost immediately cleared up.  It was WONDERFUL!

Below I have posted 2 articles on sugar and the effects on the brain and the effects on baby in pregnancy.   I hope you enjoy them both and feel inspired to COMPLETELY let go of your strong addiction to sugar.  Oh, and don’t be afraid to say it….you are an addict.  But fortunately, once you make the decision to save your life and the life of your children….you’ll find its the EASIEST addiction to KICK!

In Peace,
Rachel

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Sugar makes you stupid

UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory

Attention, college students cramming between midterms and finals: Binging on soda and sweets for as little as six weeks may make you stupid.

A new UCLA rat study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning — and how omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the disruption. The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology publishes the findings in its May 15 edition.

“Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. “Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

While earlier research has revealed how fructose harms the body through its role in diabetes, obesity and fatty liver, this study is the first to uncover how the sweetener influences the brain.

The UCLA team zeroed in on high-fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive liquid six times sweeter than cane sugar, that is commonly added to processed foods, including soft drinks, condiments, applesauce and baby food. The average American consumes more than 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We’re not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants,” explained Gomez-Pinilla, who is also a member of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center. “We’re concerned about high-fructose corn syrup that is added to manufactured food products as a sweetener and preservative.”

Gomez-Pinilla and study co-author Rahul Agrawal, a UCLA visiting postdoctoral fellow from India, studied two groups of rats that each consumed a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks. The second group also received omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which protects against damage to the synapses — the chemical connections between brain cells that enable memory and learning.

“DHA is essential for synaptic function — brain cells’ ability to transmit signals to one another,” Gomez-Pinilla said. “This is the mechanism that makes learning and memory possible. Our bodies can’t produce enough DHA, so it must be supplemented through our diet.”

The animals were fed standard rat chow and trained on a maze twice daily for five days before starting the experimental diet. The UCLA team tested how well the rats were able to navigate the maze, which contained numerous holes but only one exit. The scientists placed visual landmarks in the maze to help the rats learn and remember the way.

Six weeks later, the researchers tested the rats’ ability to recall the route and escape the maze. What they saw surprised them.

“The second group of rats navigated the maze much faster than the rats that did not receive omega-3 fatty acids,” Gomez-Pinilla said. “The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity. Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier.”

The DHA-deprived rats also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates synaptic function in the brain. A closer look at the rats’ brain tissue suggested that insulin had lost much of its power to influence the brain cells.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood–brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” Gomez-Pinilla said.

He suspects that fructose is the culprit behind the DHA-deficient rats’ brain dysfunction. Eating too much fructose could block insulin’s ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar for the energy required for processing thoughts and emotions.

“Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning,” he said. “Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new.”

Gomez-Pinilla, a native of Chile and an exercise enthusiast who practices what he preaches, advises people to keep fructose intake to a minimum and swap sugary desserts for fresh berries and Greek yogurt, which he keeps within arm’s reach in a small refrigerator in his office. An occasional bar of dark chocolate that hasn’t been processed with a lot of extra sweetener is fine too, he said.

Still planning to throw caution to the wind and indulge in a hot-fudge sundae? Then also eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds, or take a daily DHA capsule. Gomez-Pinilla recommends one gram of DHA per day.

“Our findings suggest that consuming DHA regularly protects the brain against fructose’s harmful effects,” said Gomez-Pinilla. “It’s like saving money in the bank. You want to build a reserve for your brain to tap when it requires extra fuel to fight off future diseases.”

The UCLA study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Gomez-Pinilla’s lab will next examine the role of diet in recovery from brain trauma.

The UCLA Department of Neurosurgery is committed to providing the most comprehensive patient care through innovative clinical programs in minimally invasive brain and spinal surgery; neuroendoscopy; neuro-oncology for both adult and pediatric brain tumors; cerebrovascular surgery; stereotactic radiosurgery for brain and spinal disorders; surgery for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease; and epilepsy surgery. For 20 consecutive years, the department has been ranked among the top 10 neurosurgery programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

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Sugar and Pregnancy

Everyone knows that sugar is not good for them but most people do not know the real toll that sugar can take on their health. The health effects of sugar are unfortunately compounded during pregnancy for a number of reasons. Excessive or even moderate sugar intake during pregnancy can have a very direct and negative impact on the health of you and your baby.

Why women eat sugar during pregnancy
The biggest problem with sugar intake during pregnancy is that it is socially acceptable, unlike drugs, alcohol or smoking. Many if not most women will quit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine as soon as they find out they are pregnant due to social pressures and concern for their baby’s wellbeing. It is not only socially acceptable for pregnant women to eat sugar, but they are often encouraged by family members to eat more sugary treats and give in to their cravings.

Women also believe they are finally entitled to eat whatever they please as a benefit of being pregnant. While they may deny themselves Krispy Kremes and Haagen Daaz normally, during pregnancy anything goes because nobody will say anything and they plan on gaining weight anyway.

In addition to the lack of social restraint, pregnant women also experience powerful cravings for a variety of foods, and sugary treats are often on the list. The reason for these cravings is not a physiological need for sugar however, but a need for regular meals and snacks throughout the day. You have a much greater blood supply and extra hormones in your body during pregnancy and that means that you feel dips in your blood sugar more so than when you are not pregnant.

Skipping meals is a no-no for non-pregnant people because they will reach for the first candy bar or soda they can get their hands on a few hours later. This is even more true during pregnancy. It may feel like an overpowering craving but it is simply your body crying out for fuel. Regular, small meals are the answer, not a piece of chocolate cake.

Why Sugar is Worse During Pregnancy
Eating foods with refined sugar is bad for everyone. Even in healthy people, sugar causes weight gain, tooth decay, gum disease, rapid fluctuations in blood sugar that tax the body, reduced immunity, displaced minerals, elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and premature aging.

The sugar story gets worse for pregnant women. During pregnancy, sugar is rapidly absorbed into your blood and in order to regulate this sugar, your body requires larger amounts of insulin which is released by your pancreas. If you are eating excessive or even moderate amounts of sugar, your pancreas is going to have a difficult time keeping up. If your pancreas falls short of its job, then your blood sugar levels stay elevated. This is a problem even if you not develop full blown gestational diabetes (which is insulin intolerance).

Excessive sugar intake and elevated blood sugar levels will also cause you to gain excessive weight while pregnant. While you should gain a moderate amount of weight during pregnancy, it should be due to the weight of your fetus, increased blood volume and uterine contents, breast size and other pregnancy related weight, not just growing a fatter butt. When you are simply taking in more calories than you need, you are not the only one who gains excessive weight. Your baby may also grow too large.

Macrosomia is a condition where a baby grows excessively large due to a constantly high level of maternal blood sugar, generally due to gestational diabetes. This condition increases the risk of birth complications such as shoulder distocia and cesarean section. In addition, large babies of mothers with elevated blood sugar levels also have a higher risk of childhood obesity.

In addition to packing unnecessary pounds on yourself and complicating your pregnancy and birth with an overly large baby with a propensity for health problems, you will also run the additional risk of pregnancy related dental problems if you engage in excessive sugar consumption. Oral health during pregnancy is extremely important because toxins from periodontal disease have been proven to cross the placental barrier and reach your fetus, potentially causing both premature birth and birth defects. In fact, women with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have a premature delivery than those with healthy gums.

In addition, women and society in general like to use the term “eating for two” which is actually nonsense. During your first trimester you do not require any extra calories and your body only needs an extra 300 calories during the second and third trimester, which should consist of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals because your body is literally building another human being. If you are not eating the proper nutrients to build a little human being’s bones, blood, fingernails and hair, then the necessary nutrients will be sucked out of your nutritional stores, putting you at risk for lifelong health problems, osteoporosis, postpartum depression and a number of other health conditions that are entirely avoidable by eating well before, during and after pregnancy.

In addition, it makes sense to get the sugar out of your house before your child is born. Children who regularly eat sugar experience raised adrenal levels, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, low immunity, crankiness, sleep troubles, tooth decay, obesity and weight problems and lifelong health problems and disease. Do you think it is easier to get the sugar out of your home before they are born or when they are 10 and addicted to Fruit Loops or other such nonsense?

“It doesn’t matter what disease we are talking about, whether we are talking about a common cold or about cardiovascular disease, or cancer or osteoporosis, the root is always going to be at the cellular and molecular level, and more often than not insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally controlling it.” Healingdaily.com

Forms of Sugar
Sugar is more than that white stuff you put in your coffee. Sugar is everywhere and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and it is imperative that you know the sneaky forms that sugar comes in if you plan on avoiding it. First and foremost, virtually anything in a bag, box or can has added sugar. There are a very few exceptions to that rule, such as a bag of frozen vegetables, but by and large, any pre-packaged, prepared food is going to have added sugar, period.

If you insist on buying packaged foods, read the labels. Anything with a label is bound to have sugar anyway, but read for yourself. Look for any ingredient ending in ‘ose’. Fructose, dextrose and glucose are all sugars. Bread has sugar. Pizza has sugar. Sodas, pastries, cakes, cookies, and other goodies all have sugar. Almost everything has some form of sugar in it.

In addition, other foods such as dairy and starches will convert to sugar in your body more rapidly than high protein foods and vegetables. It is important to become familiar with the glycemix index if you wish to lower your sugar intake.

Sugar Alternatives
Ideally you will simply forgo fast food, packaged foods, drinks and baked goods while pregnant for high quality protein and raw produce but it may be very unrealistic for you to change your eating habits cold turkey especially if your family and friends tend to indulge in the foods you are trying to avoid.
White sugar is processed with chemicals and all the good nutrients are stripped from it. It is nothing short of poison and you should not touch it. Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances, substitute chemical sweeteners. They are even worse than sugar. Nutrasweet, Aspartame, Sucralose and Splenda. Poison, poison, poison. They are man made, chemical toxins. Do not dream of touching them while you are pregnant if you value your health and the health of your unborn child. They are linked to a myriad of long term, health conditions. Don’t even think about it. If the package says, “low sugar” or “sugar free”, run don’t walk the other way.

If you would like to still have a little bit of sweetness in your life go ahead, in moderation, by choosing sweeteners made by mother nature. Enjoy these options in their raw, natural forms and keep in mind that they are still high on the glycemic index and can also contribute to tooth decay. Blackstrap molasses is exceptionally healthy and will add delicious maltiness to coffee and baked goods. Raw, organic honey with propolis is also considered an amazing health food and is an excellent sugar replacement. Stevia is another natural sugar alternative but has not been tested on pregnant women, so you may wish to err on the side of caution. Even sugar itself is loaded with nutrients if it is raw, organic and untouched. If is is just a sugar fix you crave, get some high quality organic, fair trade chocolate. It will load you up with antioxidants and potentially keep your stress level down if you are a real sugar addict.

Women quit smoking when they find out they are pregnant. Women stop drinking when they find out they are pregnant and women should also stop eating sugar when they find out they are pregnant if they value their health and the health of their beautiful, unborn child.

More resources about sugar dangers:
Healingdaily.com
Pregnancy: High-Normal Blood Sugar Risky – WebMD.com
Sugar in Urine During Pregnancy – Drspock.com
Dr. Greene recommends blood test for glucose, called HgA1C

Image source: http://flickr.com/photos/pinkspleen/471510638/