People eat it daily (no it's not food addiction although that is high on the list) and what you are addicted to is in just about every item on the grocery store shelf... Canned, frozen, prepared foods, breads, pastas, legumes, etc... You can't imagine how much you are really eating of this substance. But it is a proven fact that if we can overcome this addiction you can improve your health and the health of the world...

More illness and disease has been traced to this very problem!!!

SUGAR...A carbohydrate… If you don't think you are, think again... A very minute number of people do not get sugar in their diet at every meal.... "Sugar consumption is off the charts," reports Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Added sugars-found largely in junk foods such as soft drinks, cakes, and cookies-squeeze healthier foods out of the diet. Sugar now accounts for 16 percent of the calories consumed by the average American and 20 percent of teenagers' calories." A government study found that back in 1977-78, added sugars provided only 11 percent of the average person's calories.

Not only is sugar a major culprit, the consumption of refined carbohydrates that quickly turn to sugar in our blood is equally damaging.

Next time you go grocery shopping read the labels and find out what has sugar... Just about every thing you buy... It may not say sugar, it can be listed as corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, honey and molasses... One listed product is so innocuous that you would never expect it to be a sugar and in its regular form isn't but becomes sugar when digested and that is Corn Starch.... Sadly a lot of food products has more than one of the above ingredients making it even more dangerous to our health...One of the worst cases of sugar abuse in products, I have found to be; those usually labeled Fat free or Low fat... Especially baked goods... These have been loaded with sugars to add taste, to make up for the fat loss, thus adding to your sugar addiction.

According to the USDA, people consuming 2,000 calories a day should eat no more than about 10 teaspoons of added sugar. But USDA surveys show that the average American is consuming about 20 teaspoons of sugar per day.

Another high sugar problem stems from sodas, coffee and tea drinkers who add sugar. Soft drinks, which contain about nine teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce can, are a leading contributor to increased sugar consumption. (Must add here, sugar is safer than the substitute sweeteners that are in vogue. Sugar problems can for the most part be corrected when discontinued but artificial sweeteners are causing far worse problems. That's another column.)

We live in a Prozac society, which is a bit out of sink most days... If you suffer from mood swings, cravings, inability to lose weight along with a host of other symptoms. You are probably a sugar addict... Some of the most common symptoms of gross sugar addiction is rooted in carbohydrate craving obesity (CCO), premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) according to the "Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge." These problems are generally preceded by high carbohydrate cravings (sugar). Those cravings only tend to elevate the problem rather than help!"

More sad news for sugar addicts.... The "Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Hans Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark" writes, "At least three categories of atypical depression have been described. The hysteroid dysphoria is characterized by repeated episodes of depressed mood in response to feeling rejected, and a craving for sweets and chocolate. Two other issues are characterized by a cyclical occurrence of changes of mood and appetite, i.e., the late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (DSM-III-R, appendix), or "the premenstrual syndrome" (PMS), and the major depression with seasonal pattern (DSM-III-R), or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The reactive mood changes are frequently accompanied by features as hypersomnia, lethargy and increased appetite, particularly with a preference for carbohydrates. Central serotonin pathways participate in the regulation of mood and behavioural impulsivity, and modulate eating patterns qualitatively and quantitatively. Depressives with PMS or SAD benefit, in general, from treatments with serotonin potentiating drugs, suggesting that brain serotonin plays a role in the pathophysiology. Ingestion of carbohydrates increases the plasma ratio of tryptophan to other large neutral amino acids in man and animal, and the serotonin synthesis in the rat brain. Based on these findings it has been suggested that the excessive carbohydrate intake by patients with PMS and SAD reflects a self-medication that temporarily relieves the vegetative symptoms via an increased central serotonergic activity."

Walt Stoll, M.D. http://www.bcn.net/~stoll/index.html writes, "When it comes to battling chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), supplements are only part of the picture. Medical experts agree that the overall quality of your diet also makes a big difference in how you feel. Here are a few dietary changes that might prove helpful."

Go easy on sugar. "Eating too much refined sugar weakens the immune system and may inhibit the ability of white blood cells to stay active," says Allan Magaziner, D.O., director of the Magaziner Medical Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. "Both of those factors play roles in CFS."

Some research suggests that people with CFS are deficient in an enzyme needed to metabolize sugar, says Paul Cheney, M.D., a CFS specialist and director of the Cheney Clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. The result is a buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream, which can lead to muscle pain, vascular headaches and neuropsychiatric disorders such as panic attacks, all of which are associated with CFS.

Last but not least is Diabetes... My grandmother used to say eat too many sweets and get diabetes... The medical profession for 60 or more years say no but the latest studies say yes. Sugar kills the ability of the pancreas to function properly setting you up for diabetes in two ways... 1) Obesity shuts the pancreas down and 2) the pancreatic over-production leads to eventual non-production

My plea to each and every one is watch the intake of sugar and if you cannot do that look for help to kick the sugar addiction...

REMEMBER READ LABELS AND CHOOSE THOSE WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OR NO SUGAR AND SMALLER AMOUNTS OF REFINED CARBOHYDRATES... Do not substitute with aspartame, nutrasweet or other chemical sugar replacers as they carry hefty latent side effects with them.

Include in your diet as much fruits and vegetables as possible… The recommend amount is 5 servings of ½ cup of each daily.

Meals should be small and frequent in order to keep blood sugar at a normal level. Protein should be included with each meal.

Good eating and a healthy world is my wish for all!!!