Diabetes and The Sugar Problem In America

My father was a hard-working, generous man who didn't have a great upbringing. I always looked at him with nothing but respect and we were very close. As great of a life as he lived, he ate what he wanted when he wanted and smoked cigarettes for close to 35 years of his life. On March 17th, 2015, he died of a heart attack, it was devastating to me. I found out he hadn't disclosed his health issues with us and he had diabetes for the last few years and it really did a number on him. There is a strong connection between diabetes and heart disease and it is a major killer.

His death made me really reflect on my own mortality. 

The reflecting didn't come after he died, I happen to be in recovery from drug addiction and was an active addict when he passed away. I got sober 2 months after on May 17, 2015. I had a real hard look at my life when I turned 30 last year, however. I had ballooned up to 300+ pounds and was a major emotional eater. My sugar intake was immeasurable as I just ate what I wanted when I wanted. Just like my father. I know him and I both don't want me to have the same fate he did. 

About 30.3 million people have diabetes in America according to the National Diabetes Statistics Report for 2017. That's nearly 10% of our country. I was feeling very lethargic all the time last year and that's when I made the scary but correct decision of getting tested for diabetes. The results came in.

Negative.

A tremendous relief but it was such a scary experience that I immediately dove into research about sugar consumption in this country. The average American consumes 126.40 grams of sugar per day. The American Heart Association recommends 25 grams a day for women and 38 grams a day for men. Staggering numbers no? I truly wanted to find out why this is happening and while it's not the only reason, the one I found was that sugar is in nearly everything these days. 

Some products that have a surprising amount of sugar include:

- Low-fat yogurt

- Condiments

- Fruit Juices

- Pasta Sauce

- Sports Drinks

- Protein Bars

- Bottled Smoothies

- "Healthy" branded cereals

I made the decision a few months ago to try out a sugar detox. I first had to educate myself. The easiest way to educate myself was to pick up an invaluable simple new habit.

Reading food labels. 

The labels don't lie, boy was I surprised at what some of the things I considered healthy actually contained. Reading food labels can change your life if you have the intention of living a healthier lifestyle. 

In the 90's America hit a big diet fad, it was the 'low-fat' era and it was easy to market, fat = bad, I mean it has the word fat in it. So major food companies started making tons of 'low-fat' options to follow along with the trend. There was only one problem, the low-fat options tasted terrible. 

After some experimenting, it was discovered that if you throw some sugar in these low-fat varieties, it tastes a lot better! So while the sugar number skyrocketed on the food label, that mystical fat number stayed low and it became a major success for the industry. 

It's no wonder we consume so much sugar in this country. Sugar is put in too many products that perceive themselves as healthy. It's wrong but it's just the way it is and I knew I had to do something about it. 

The sugar detox was not a pleasant experience, I've come off of hard drugs before and while it wasn't as bad, it was certainly comparable. For myself, who I can only speak for, I realized a completely sugar-free lifestyle was not for me. I liked being able to treat myself sometimes, we need those moments in life in my opinion. 

I did, however, sharpen up on my sugar awareness as I like to call it. I am well aware of what I put in my body and have seen results because of it! It's been about 2 and a half months of keeping sugar at a very low minimum and making other healthy choices and I've lost 25 lbs. It almost feels better than getting sober, almost. 

I'm writing this to bring awareness to anyone who may be in the dark. Maybe you are trying to improve your eating lifestyle and are having trouble with results. You could be getting tricked by the brands and products you buy and there is a simple solution to it. 

Food labels are your friends. 

If you do have a worry about diabetes then you must go get tested and find out. If you have it you want to catch it early and if you don't then you can get some peace of mind. 

You can make the right changes starting today.