Sugar: Watch out! It’s Behind You!
By
Nate Rifkin
Posted August 7, 2015
Today, I watched a news story on a man named Damon Gameau who went on a high-sugar diet for 60 days. To be exact, he consumed 40 teaspoons of sugar per day. He turned his journey into a documentary called That Sugar Film.
I bet you can guess how things went for him.
Within 12 days… he was 5 pounds heavier.
Within 18 days… he developed fatty liver disease. We wrote about this before. It’s not good.
Here’s the catch to Gameau’s experiment:
He didn’t literally eat spoonfuls of sugar.
So how did he pack in an extra 40 teaspoons per day?
He must have had something like soda… or candy… or perhaps a heaping bowl of delicious ice cream, right?
No, no, and (unfortunately for him)… no.
Instead, he helped himself to “hidden sugar” in foods most people would consider healthy. For instance, his go-to meals included breakfast bars… low-fat yogurt… and apple juice.
Gameau goes on to say some of the sneakiest sources of sugar are condiments.
In a general sense, he’s correct. Pick up ANY kind of sauce or flavoring in the supermarket and you’re lucky if the first or second ingredient is anything other than high fructose corn syrup. For our purposes, we might as well consider high fructose corn syrup to be sugar, even though the FDA rejected the Corn Refiners Association trying to change its name to “corn sugar.” (You know your product’s awful when your propaganda tries to link it to sugar, rather than distance itself.)
Sometimes, for fun (I have some pretty odd definitions for fun), I’ll go through every condiment I can grab in the aisle… and completely fail to find one lacking in corn syrup.
It’s gotten so bad, even finding actual sucrose (real sugar!) can be a challenge. Last Thanksgiving, while shopping for dessert, I thought to myself, “If I’m going to enjoy an ice cream sundae, at least I want the real deal” and searched for some chocolate syrup made from sucrose and not HFCS.
Guess what?
There wasn’t any. I had to settle for some hot fudge. Which was awful, because the stuff (apparently) has to be heated and mixed first. Otherwise you get hard bits of sugar and some weird gelatinous filler dumped into your bowl.
So disappointing…
Anyway, I’m now realizing if I wanted genuine sugar so much, I could have just piled my cart full of foods the government considers healthy. Good thing to keep in mind for this year.
So what happened to Mr. Gameau?
After just 60 days, he was on the verge of being Type 2 diabetic, showed signs of heart disease risk, and had gained 18 pounds. He even collected 4 inches of visceral fat around his organs.
“Well, hold up,” some skeptics might say. “Of course eating more sugar led to all this! After all, more sugar means more calories!”
Nope. All the while, he ate the same amount of calories.
“Well, then it must have been lack of exercise!”
Wrong again. He didn’t change his exercise schedule.
When interviewed, Gameau said the point of his film wasn’t to demonize sugar.
Why not? You’d be better off drinking an equivalent amount of hard liquor.
Watch out for this stuff. It’s lurking everywhere. Check your labels. And just in case you don’t feel like memorizing the different names for sugar that manufacturers use to sneak the stuff into their products, we’re working hard on a shopping guide. Armed with it, you’ll have X-ray vision for all food labels.
Regards,
Nate Rifkin
Underground Health Researcher
Written By Nate Rifkin
Nate Rifkin is an obsessed health and mind-power researcher and author. To hear more from Nate, sign up to receive Living Well Daily for free, here.
View More Free Articles
Small Moves for BIG Benefits (An Exercise Surprise!)
A patient asked me the other day, “What’s the least amount of exercise I can get by with that still has benefits?” That’s actually a great question. Because, let’s face it, many of us struggle to find time for exercise. And even more of us go out of our way to AVOID it. So, my...
Widespread “Forever” Chemicals Boost Cancer Risk?!
We’ve known for years that the chemicals lurking in many everyday products aren’t as harmless as we once believed… However, new research reveals an unsettling truth about one specific group of compounds that could be flowing straight from your tap into your waterglass. And according to a new study, they could be raising your cancer...
Mailbag: Ease Peripheral Neuropathy Nerve Pain NATURALLY
“What is your position on peripheral neuropathy?” —On Pins and Needles Hi Pins, Peripheral neuropathy is a challenging condition that affects the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often causing pain, numbness, and weakness in the hands and feet. Many folks describe neuropathies as feeling like pins and needles, tingling, or burning. When I...
Pancreas Protector Discovered in the VITAMIN Aisle
Most of us are concerned about our heart health. We also take steps to protect our brains. Even our kidneys and livers get some attention. But the pancreas? It’s seldom given a second thought—or at least, not until something goes wrong. And when it does, it can be serious business. The pancreas is vital for...
Study Reveals New Health Risk in Ultra-Processed Food
New research reveals that ultra-processed foods are even WORSE for our health than we imagined. And the problem isn’t just the sugar, salt, and artificial ingredients. There’s another sneaky threat lurking in convenience foods. And it could multiply their health risks… A recent study published in the journal Globalization and Health uncovered an alarming problem...
A Simple Vitamin Solution Combats Parkinson’s
Our understanding of the gut-brain connection has grown rapidly in recent years. So, it’s no surprise that scientists suspect a connection between gut health and the development of Parkinson’s. However, new research is adding more details to the picture. A groundbreaking study revealed two common nutrients are often critically low in folks with Parkinson’s. This...
The “Cellular Wildfire” Fueling Long-COVID Revealed
A significant number of folks continue to feel unwell after supposedly “recovering” from COVID-19. I have some exciting news if you’re one of the millions battling long-COVID. Scientists from the University of Queensland just uncovered a crucial piece of the puzzle—and all signs point to inflammation as the culprit. Let me explain… ***** This groundbreaking...
Top 9 Nutrients Needed to Maintain Good Health
Let’s face it… the supplement aisle at your local grocery store is kind of overwhelming. Standing there staring at rows upon rows of colorful bottles, each promising better health, increased energy, or miraculous benefits can leave you feeling downright dizzy. With so many options, how can you possibly know which nutrients are truly essential for...
The Mini-Movement Revolution Beats Traditional Workouts
I get it… not everyone loves exercise. But you don’t have to become a gym rat to get major health benefits. New research reveals that those quick trips to take the garbage out or go to the bathroom might be even MORE valuable than your scheduled exercise time. In fact, these mini-movement breaks could be...
Mailbag: Natural Fixes for Stubborn Toenail Fungus
“Is there an actual cure for toenail fungus?” —Feeling Frustrated If you are frustrated because you’ve been battling toenail fungus, I’m not surprised. Toenail fungus is incredibly difficult to treat. But don’t give up. With a combination of natural treatments and patience, relief is possible. Here’s what’s worked for my patients in the past… Tea...