Column #63

Sugar and carbohydrates are major drivers behind numerous chronic diseases (obesity, diabetes, liver issues, heart disease, cancer, to name a few) that are literally shredding our lives, health, well-being, treasure, and productivity. With so much debt in our society, ballooning healthcare costs caused by sugar and carbs may be the final nail in the coffin for our country.

Obviously we can’t decrease sugar and carbohydrate consumption to even tolerable levels when traditional celebrations call for sugar and carb binges on top of a steady diet of sugar and carbs. So, what kind of people are we if we offer more addictive poison (sweets) to children on Halloween? And what about our own youngsters? Should they be allowed to participate in Halloween traditions? We must ask ourselves, can we alter tradition? The short answer is “yes we can.”

Today’s traditions are rooted in more austere eras when people typically had gardens, ate grass-fed meats and fewer pastries and sweets. In the “old days” treats and deserts were rare additions to a diet of mostly whole foods. But today’s per capita consumption of refined sugar is over ten times higher than 200 years ago. And even that’s an understatement because sugar masquerades as syrups, honey, fruit, dried fruit, etc.

Grain consumption has also increased. Breakfast cereals were invented in 1863 and by 1920 they were replacing healthier breakfast alternatives. Grain used to be relatively expensive compared to home grown vegetables. Today modern commercial farming enables a single farmer to harvest over 1,000 acres of grain per year making it so cheap it’s a primary feed for livestock and pets. Gardens are mostly gone.

The end result is a grain-based (carbohydrate-based) food system. Carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fibers found in fruits, grains, and vegetables. Grain is another sugar source saturating our food supply with breads, pastries, cereals, etc.

Since 80% of our foods are laced with sugar, very deliberate steps are required to avoid it. Even Whole Foods promotes honey-injected turkeys. So beware!

How can we alter tradition? It starts with involvement. Yes, it’s like pushing on a string. But we can keep pounding the drum about the dangers of sugar which is worse than many illegal drugs.

It starts at the local level. Provide information to social clubs, churches, and schools. Contact local medical professionals and try to get them on board. Write editorials and communicate directly with newspaper editors and writers. Recruit the help of health activists at the local gyms. Don’t be silent.

This Halloween consider giving coins, small toys, glow stick bracelets, novelty assortments, or other nonfood items that appeal to youngsters. Encourage your friends and neighbors to follow suit. And when your kids come home after Halloween, buy their candy from them on a per piece basis then dispose of it. In the process explain to them why their health is important and how sugar chips away at it.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword by Loren Cordain

Sugar Consumption in the US Diet between 1822 and 2005

Is Sugar to Blame for Our Chronic Disease Epidemics?

15 Amazing Things That Happen When You Quit Sugar

Too Much Can Make Us Sick

Sugar: Killing us Sweetly. Staggering Health Consequences of Sugar on Health of Americans