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'We’ve long known that processed sugar is bad for kids.' Why 'for kids'? It's bad for everyone. People don't realize sugar is the most socially accepted and leg

'We’ve long known that processed sugar is bad for kids.' Why 'for kids'? It's bad for everyone. People don't realize sugar is the most socially accepted and legal drug ever and with more addicts I would say. There's plenty of studies that talk about how bad are added sugars. Governments don't do enough to contain this drug. WHO recommends free sugars to be less than 10% of daily calorie intake. And suggests going down to 5%. Source: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/guidelines/sugar_intake_information_note_en.pdf http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/guidelines/sugar_i... An adult that takes 2000 calories, should not take more than 25g of free sugars. Now tell me if it's easy for you to not go over the limit. Kids and todlers food has more sugar than adult processed food, maybe so they create a dependency on sugary products since they are babies? And so they buy these products when they are older. We've all seen kids asking cookies and shitty food instead of vegetables (or unprocessed food), they get angry and parents have to say 'no, you've to have lunch now'. Isn't that strange? We are so used to this. Food is not only calories. Quality of ingredients matter. Plenty of studies relate refined oils, flours, sugars to cancer, diabetes, heart problems. Cheap, easy to get != healthy. It's cheap and unhealthy because ingredients are low quality. Was processed food in supermarkets a hundred years ago? Humans don't need it. Of course food is safer than 100 years ago, but also processed food has pulled apart healthy and unprocessed food from our diets. Nestle, Coca-Cola, Unilever, they are in universities, associations, etc... we see plenty of cases here in Spain. They do courses for professionals... and they are the brands with the best public perception. And we say advertising doesn't work? So many inputs when you go to a supermarket and so easy to fall for a chocolate bar, for some cereals, sweetened yogurts, refined flours white breads... Then, they try to sell you some (supposedly healthy) food because it has some part of bio unrefined flours, but it's the same disguised as healthy. To avoid all these games they play you just have to look for vegetables, fish, (some) meat, dairy products, eggs, fruits, dried fruits... just unprocessed food or foods like canned peas and other minimal treated foods were a physical process like boiling has been applied.

croon 8y ago
This has become increasingly vivid for me since having a child. I've only been "health conscious" for half a decade or so, and went sugarless for at least a year of that, but got off that mainly for social reasons and difficulties finding food when not at home. But to the point: We have thus far made all her food from scratch, and would never in a million years entertain the idea of feeding her soda, cookies, or ice cream, when she's already super happy with cinnamon oatmeal with mashed apple or brown rice carrot chicken with cumin and black pepper. Because why not? That stuff is super tasty. What's weird and really scary is realizing the effect sugar has on your own psyche. I know sugar only do bad things to my body in the long term, and yet I stuff my face with a chocolate bar for the immediate euphoria. Stepping back and reviewing the ingrained cultural tradition of sugar becomes fascinating when we consider it only does harm, and it's extremely addictive. If we (hyperbole, I know, or is it?) substitute heroin for it, and then discuss it like we do sugar? "It's his/her birthday, we should celebrate it with a cake (heroin). Just this once" "Heroin is fine in moderation, if you otherwise live healthy and eat well". "I only use heroin sometimes, and I'm in control of it." I mean, I guess all of those can be true, but it's keeping something really bad in your life that probably takes a heavy mental toll, rather than just avoiding it. And I'm as guilty as anyone. And I'm sure my daughter will be exposed in time regardless of what we as parents do. Maybe it's not as dire as I portray it, but does it have any redeeming qualities, at all?
- mseebach 8y ago
  The irony is that heroin probably is fine in moderation (provided that it's clean product, known concentration etc). And sugar certainly is fine in moderation. We're relatively mature and thoughtful people. We can be cognisant of the fact that we, and especially children, eat too much sugar, without going radical fundamentalist and cutting out every last gram of sugar from everywhere. Yes, there shouldn't be added sugar in everyday meals, no, having a cake for a birthday isn't bad.
  - croon 8y ago
    You are probably right, and that this is the rational and pragmatic approach, but for sake of argument: Isn't this a rationalization borne from the premise that sugar already is everywhere? If we were discussing something not yet introduced into our lives, would your conclusions be the same? Like starting now celebrating a birthday with... huffing paint? Smoking a cigarette as a non-smoker? Sugar, like some drugs, isn't particularly appealing the first time you try it, depending on the delivery method. Or more statistically probable, the first time after a period of absence. We get used to it, and then we "crave" it.
    - mseebach 8y ago
      > Isn't this a rationalization borne from the premise that sugar already is everywhere? I don't think our current societies' rush to outlaw everything that's unhealthy if used immoderately is a particular high ideal. If weed was introduced into our lives today, it would be made illegal, and it was, and nothing good came out of that. The fact that we'd probably outlaw sugar tells us more about the quality of our political systems than it does about sugar, in my opinion. Sugar and sweets has been a fixture of life for hundreds of years, but two major things have happened: cheap, processed food, which of course is a boon especially to poorer families, but which has way too much sugar to make it taste of anything, and a radical transition in modern lives away from hard, physical work. As long as you burn it off again through physical work, sugar isn't terribly bad for you. It's when you consume hundreds of calories more than you burn every day sustained that the wheels come off.
Regardsyjc 8y ago
Do you have any book recommendations or resources for eating healthier?
- gerardnll 8y ago
  I would love to give you some resources but what I usually read is in Spanish. Anyway, here they are, you can try to translate them with some online services: - Carlos Ríos started the 'Realfooding' movement in Spain and this is kind of a manifest. https://realfooding.com/queescomidareal/ https://realfooding.com/queescomidareal/ In 'blog' you can find more posts. He always provides studies for all his statements. He also uses his Instagram account so it's easier to reach more people: https://www.instagram.com/carlosriosq/ https://www.instagram.com/carlosriosq/ https://www.instagram.com/academia.realfooding/ https://www.instagram.com/academia.realfooding/ - Aitor Sanchez (Mi dieta Cojea) has 2 books, unfortunately also in Spanish... He has a youtube channel and also provides scientific base to all his statements. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcClZ5Rshy94OnnJ-ixEgw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcClZ5Rshy94OnnJ-ixEgw https://www.instagram.com/midietacojea/ https://www.instagram.com/midietacojea/ They are both dietist-nutritionist, Aitor is also 'food technologist'. Other interesting (but also Spanish) twitter accounts: https://twitter.com/pzjarana https://twitter.com/pzjarana (love him, highlights interesting studies) https://twitter.com/fitrebelde https://twitter.com/fitrebelde (food and sport/fitness) I read a lot of stuff in English but not about food right now ^^'. The first link is great and as a tip to get started I would say: go for whole foods, the raw foods, kind of avoid food with 'stickers'. In your fridge there should be veggies, fruits, dairy products (yogurts <without added sugars>, cheese..), some meat (like twice a week), fish, dried fruits, legumes... In the instagram links you'll find plenty of daily examples of great foods/meals.
- jm__87 8y ago
  I just read "Always Hungry" by David Ludwig and it is pretty good. I like the fact the book has a number of recipes as well. If you're trying to lose fat, then really the key is just eat a diet that keeps insulin low. There has been a lot written on this topic, so you should be able to find information on this very easily if you haven't come across this idea already. With that being said, I've found that cutting out sugar and fast digesting carbs isn't hard due to not knowing what foods to eat, but it is hard because you have to plan meals and it can be psychologically difficult, especially at first. You have to plan meals and cook since it is near impossible to find food that aren't packed with sugar or fast digesting carbohydrates. This requires a time investment and potentially clearing up some time in your schedule. If you are someone who rarely cooks, this is a huge change. Some psychological barriers that I have personally experienced: - Dispelling beliefs like "Life is not worth living without beer". - Finding healthier ways of managing stress than eating sugary food, fast digesting carbs or drinking. - Not just eating or drinking something because you're out with friends/family and they are doing it. - Turning down offers from coworkers for unhealthy snacks at work. - Having a reason to continue on the diet such that you won't just quit when things get tough. - Getting through the initial stress of taking sugar and fast digesting carbs out of your diet since your body and brain will be used to using that as fuel and you have to initially feel worse before you feel better. If only we lived in a world where most of our food wasn't garbage and most people didn't eat garbage, then all of this would be so much easier.

croon 8y ago

This has become increasingly vivid for me since having a child. I've only been "health conscious" for half a decade or so, and went sugarless for at least a year of that, but got off that mainly for social reasons and difficulties finding food when not at home. But to the point: We have thus far made all her food from scratch, and would never in a million years entertain the idea of feeding her soda, cookies, or ice cream, when she's already super happy with cinnamon oatmeal with mashed apple or brown rice carrot chicken with cumin and black pepper. Because why not? That stuff is super tasty. What's weird and really scary is realizing the effect sugar has on your own psyche. I know sugar only do bad things to my body in the long term, and yet I stuff my face with a chocolate bar for the immediate euphoria. Stepping back and reviewing the ingrained cultural tradition of sugar becomes fascinating when we consider it only does harm, and it's extremely addictive. If we (hyperbole, I know, or is it?) substitute heroin for it, and then discuss it like we do sugar? "It's his/her birthday, we should celebrate it with a cake (heroin). Just this once" "Heroin is fine in moderation, if you otherwise live healthy and eat well". "I only use heroin sometimes, and I'm in control of it." I mean, I guess all of those can be true, but it's keeping something really bad in your life that probably takes a heavy mental toll, rather than just avoiding it. And I'm as guilty as anyone. And I'm sure my daughter will be exposed in time regardless of what we as parents do. Maybe it's not as dire as I portray it, but does it have any redeeming qualities, at all?

mseebach 8y ago
The irony is that heroin probably is fine in moderation (provided that it's clean product, known concentration etc). And sugar certainly is fine in moderation. We're relatively mature and thoughtful people. We can be cognisant of the fact that we, and especially children, eat too much sugar, without going radical fundamentalist and cutting out every last gram of sugar from everywhere. Yes, there shouldn't be added sugar in everyday meals, no, having a cake for a birthday isn't bad.
- croon 8y ago
  You are probably right, and that this is the rational and pragmatic approach, but for sake of argument: Isn't this a rationalization borne from the premise that sugar already is everywhere? If we were discussing something not yet introduced into our lives, would your conclusions be the same? Like starting now celebrating a birthday with... huffing paint? Smoking a cigarette as a non-smoker? Sugar, like some drugs, isn't particularly appealing the first time you try it, depending on the delivery method. Or more statistically probable, the first time after a period of absence. We get used to it, and then we "crave" it.
  - mseebach 8y ago
    > Isn't this a rationalization borne from the premise that sugar already is everywhere? I don't think our current societies' rush to outlaw everything that's unhealthy if used immoderately is a particular high ideal. If weed was introduced into our lives today, it would be made illegal, and it was, and nothing good came out of that. The fact that we'd probably outlaw sugar tells us more about the quality of our political systems than it does about sugar, in my opinion. Sugar and sweets has been a fixture of life for hundreds of years, but two major things have happened: cheap, processed food, which of course is a boon especially to poorer families, but which has way too much sugar to make it taste of anything, and a radical transition in modern lives away from hard, physical work. As long as you burn it off again through physical work, sugar isn't terribly bad for you. It's when you consume hundreds of calories more than you burn every day sustained that the wheels come off.

Regardsyjc 8y ago

Do you have any book recommendations or resources for eating healthier?

gerardnll 8y ago
I would love to give you some resources but what I usually read is in Spanish. Anyway, here they are, you can try to translate them with some online services: - Carlos Ríos started the 'Realfooding' movement in Spain and this is kind of a manifest. https://realfooding.com/queescomidareal/ https://realfooding.com/queescomidareal/ In 'blog' you can find more posts. He always provides studies for all his statements. He also uses his Instagram account so it's easier to reach more people: https://www.instagram.com/carlosriosq/ https://www.instagram.com/carlosriosq/ https://www.instagram.com/academia.realfooding/ https://www.instagram.com/academia.realfooding/ - Aitor Sanchez (Mi dieta Cojea) has 2 books, unfortunately also in Spanish... He has a youtube channel and also provides scientific base to all his statements. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcClZ5Rshy94OnnJ-ixEgw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcClZ5Rshy94OnnJ-ixEgw https://www.instagram.com/midietacojea/ https://www.instagram.com/midietacojea/ They are both dietist-nutritionist, Aitor is also 'food technologist'. Other interesting (but also Spanish) twitter accounts: https://twitter.com/pzjarana https://twitter.com/pzjarana (love him, highlights interesting studies) https://twitter.com/fitrebelde https://twitter.com/fitrebelde (food and sport/fitness) I read a lot of stuff in English but not about food right now ^^'. The first link is great and as a tip to get started I would say: go for whole foods, the raw foods, kind of avoid food with 'stickers'. In your fridge there should be veggies, fruits, dairy products (yogurts <without added sugars>, cheese..), some meat (like twice a week), fish, dried fruits, legumes... In the instagram links you'll find plenty of daily examples of great foods/meals.
jm__87 8y ago
I just read "Always Hungry" by David Ludwig and it is pretty good. I like the fact the book has a number of recipes as well. If you're trying to lose fat, then really the key is just eat a diet that keeps insulin low. There has been a lot written on this topic, so you should be able to find information on this very easily if you haven't come across this idea already. With that being said, I've found that cutting out sugar and fast digesting carbs isn't hard due to not knowing what foods to eat, but it is hard because you have to plan meals and it can be psychologically difficult, especially at first. You have to plan meals and cook since it is near impossible to find food that aren't packed with sugar or fast digesting carbohydrates. This requires a time investment and potentially clearing up some time in your schedule. If you are someone who rarely cooks, this is a huge change. Some psychological barriers that I have personally experienced: - Dispelling beliefs like "Life is not worth living without beer". - Finding healthier ways of managing stress than eating sugary food, fast digesting carbs or drinking. - Not just eating or drinking something because you're out with friends/family and they are doing it. - Turning down offers from coworkers for unhealthy snacks at work. - Having a reason to continue on the diet such that you won't just quit when things get tough. - Getting through the initial stress of taking sugar and fast digesting carbs out of your diet since your body and brain will be used to using that as fuel and you have to initially feel worse before you feel better. If only we lived in a world where most of our food wasn't garbage and most people didn't eat garbage, then all of this would be so much easier.