Sugar - in all its glory

I received an email from a dietician right before Halloween. It made me think, I hope it makes you think too. I'll post a recipe I adjusted, but still kept yummy, after considering the information she sent.
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Back in March of 1948, the "Improvement Era" magazine published an article called: REFINED SUGAR: ITS USE AND MISUSE. Since the article is quite lengthy, I will only post some excerpts from it which are most important, and rather interesting being this was in print in 1948:


"The definition of a food is, 'That which sustains life and promotes growth.' Sugar refined to the state of being a pure chemical or drug, has been fed to rats and found to shorten life and stop growth. Therefore sugar can't be called a food. Like alcohol, sugar furnished only calories to the body.

"A drug is defined as 'any substance used as a chemical ingredient in the arts.' Pharmacists agree that sugar meets the requirements of this definition of a drug……

"Like alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and chocolate, sugar is habit-forming. Sugar eaters crave candy or sweet drinks. Cola drinks are doubly habit-forming because they also contain caffeine, in addition to a large amount of sugar……

"…If mothers would improve their own sugar-saturated diets by eating proper nutritious foods instead, they could more easily nurse their babies and would have children less susceptible to disease, both of the infectious type, as well as of the degenerative type. It is doubtful practice to start a child on habit-forming sugar diets in its early days and weeks of life……

"The resulting malnutrition especially in children is one of the strongest arguments against refined sugar. Foods containing refined sugar taken either during or between meals, destroy the appetite for the nourishing foods, which are important to normal life and growth. Parents of malnourished children often use sweets as a reward for eating a small portion of vegetables or milk, and the scene is thus set for repetition at the next meal……

"Children are by no means the only sufferers from excessive sugar eating. The most common unkind blow to middle age is the development of chronic diseases, including arthritis and its allied rheumatic diseases. Sugar eating is a number one predisposing cause of arthritis, neuritis, and rheumatism, as well as many of the other chronic diseases& hellip;…

"From childhood to old age the chronic complaint of gas on the stomach and bowel has been widespread. One of the causes of this condition is the use of refined sugar……

"Sugar irritates the innings of the stomach and intestine…..This results in failure of the normal digestive process and delayed emptying time of the stomach. In the meantime the sugar ferments and forms gas which creates pain and other symptoms of indigestion……

"Lowering of the hydrochloric acid content of the stomach is another result of refined sugar eating…

"Sugar and fats in the diet are now not only probably higher than ever before in the history of the race of man (if they only new???), but fats, sugar, and white flour – a bad combination – are now also used widely in pastries, cake cookies, and many other modern recipes. This is thought to be a chief cause of low stomach acidity frequently confused with 'sour' stom ach and is often even by doctors themselves mistaken for too high acidity…

"Low stomach acidity, resulting at least in part from the use of refined sugar leads to a long list of other degenerative diseases that are seen especially among the middle-aged and elderly people in American where the people have been called the 'sugar gluttons of the world' (still are in 2010!!).

"Obesity is another unpleasant condition justly earned by 'sugar gluttons' (this isn't coming from me). Sugar and other refined carbohydrates lead to a waterlogging of the body tissues.…

"The growth of cancer is accelerated by refined sugar eating. Cancer in America is also on the increase right now when sugar consumption is greatly increasing……

"Colds, tonsillitis, sinus infections, and other catarrhal diseases are worse in eaters of refined sugar…

"Patients do not become allergic to refined sugar, but through sugar eating they have changes take p lace in their body biochemistry that puts them in a position in which their glands are unable to cope satisfactorily with their allergic state…

"Among the conditions included under this heading of allergy are asthma, hay fever, eczema, hives, migraine or nervous headache, and various food allergies, many of which cause stomach and bowl disorders…

"Heart disease – today's number one killer – is another condition made worse by vitamin deficiencies. Especially bad for the heart is deficiency of Vitamin B or thiamine which a person develops from excessive eating of refined sugar…

"Hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure result from the use of refined sugar in the diet. It also causes calcium deposits in the vessels……

"Sugar eating should be avoided by athletes and all those engaged in important physical activities, because of refined sugar's ability to lower physical efficiency…

"Conclusion: If one can avoid eating refined sugar, one can expect more vibrant health, and a longer life with greater freedom from some of the acute and chronic diseases and complaints which many modern doctors are unable to diagnose or to treat successfully."

Wow! They did know a thing or two over 60 years ago! Are we paying attention and doing anything about avoid refined sugar in our diets?

Think about how sugar really does and will affect you and your children, especially since the upcoming celebrations are slathered with sugared treats! You can avoid it!