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Lee Benson: Cutting sugar is sweet idea

Interesting. All those years we were gobbling "low-fat" foods and what was really killing us was the higher sugar content of those foods. Evidence: Fat consumed by Americans has decreased over the years, while sugar consumption has increased, and so has obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Veedub makes an excellent point. It is about time that the media recognized that overindulgence in sugar consumption is causing a great deal of harm to our society. Rates for obesity, diabetes, and other weight-related diseases are at all time highs. If our society is to remain strong, it must give up its addiction to sugar and other forms of gluttony and it must return to the old fashioned practices of moderation, prudence, and self-control.

Michael Pollan's books "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" have absolutely changed my life. I started reading them 6 months ago and switched to a whole foods diet immediately: fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, organic meat and whole dairy products. I was amazed how quickly my body started feeling better and dropping weight. When we depend on food scientists to create flavor from artificially created and processed ingredients, we do our bodies a tremendous disservice, because the cost of these sweeteners, biologically speaking, is huge. In 6 months I have lost 60 lbs., my frequent digestive problems have cleared up, my blood pressure has returned to a normal range and have more energy than ever.

We don't need to rely on nutritional and medical research to know that we have been eating garbage in this country for 50 years. Eat food the way mankind always has and you will reap the benefits.

Thank you for this insightful article! I'm going to read Michael Pollan's books and try to cut out my sugars. Practically speaking, though, what do you eat for breakfast most mornings? Usually I have a sugary cereal. What about after meal sugar cravings? Any tips for how to deal with the detox cravings?