I’ve been advocating ridding your diet of sugar for years now as it is one of the most powerful single physical actions you can take for your health. New evidence of sugar’s devastating health effects keep rolling in at regular intervals, adding to the previous consensus.  

Table sugar is made of glucose and fructose, also known as simple sugars, and limiting sugar in your diet is a well-known key to longevity. Your blood glucose levels actually rise slightly every time you eat. This is natural. However, the average American now eats about 2.5 pounds of sugar every WEEK, which is far from natural. With this kind of diet, your blood glucose levels may very likely become excessively elevated, and stay that way.

It is a well-proven fact that sugar increases your insulin and leptin levels, and decreases receptor sensitivity for both of these vital hormones. This can lead to:

• High blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Weight gain
• Premature aging

Controlling your insulin levels is one of the most important things you can do to optimize your overall health, and avoiding sugar is essential to doing this.  

However, what many people forget is that there are other sources of sugar, many of which are far more predominant in your diet than table sugar.

Don’t Forget About these “Hidden” Sources of Sugar! 

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is present in virtually all processed foods, not just soda (which is now the number one source of calories in the United States). A quick look at the labels of the foods you have in your pantry; from crackers, to jams, to fruit juices and processed meat products, will give you an idea of just how widespread the use of this dangerous sweetener really is.

Part of what makes HFCS such an unhealthy product is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar, and, because most fructose is consumed in liquid form, its negative metabolic effects are significantly magnified. Despite this fact, the delusion that fructose is an acceptable form of sugar is quite prevalent in many nutritional circles.

HFCS has also been linked to:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Metabolic Syndrome

Adding insult to injury, nearly all the corn that the high fructose corn syrup is metabolized from comes from genetically modified corn, which is fraught with its own well-documented side effects and health concerns.

And, lastly, although not as dangerous as sugar or HFCS, high-carbohydrate foods in the form of flour, grains, legumes, fruit, milk and starchy-vegetables also put a dent in your health.

In fact, most age-related diseases could best be described as "Excessive Carbohydrate Consumption Syndrome,” because the scientific evidence is clear; foods high in carbohydrates turn to glucose, which raises your metabolism and trigger the release of disease-causing hormones like insulin, cortisol and adrenaline.

Keeping your metabolism low is key for long life and optimal health. A high metabolism excites hormones in your body that eventually cause age-related diseases.

The pathogenic effects of carbohydrates are slow, but sure. The "20-year rule" was coined to describe the length of time between the start of the high-carbohydrate diet and the onset of disease. The number of diseases, severity and time to develop is directly related to the percentage of carbohydrates in your diet.

One reason for this is that carbohydrates displace essential protein and essential fats in your diet, which causes a double health reversal. The carbohydrates themselves cause disease, and the deficiency of protein and fats contribute or cause other diseases.

The consumption of carbohydrates generally begins showing the disease effects in either one of two directions.

• Body fat accumulation leads to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gallbladder disease, degenerative bone diseases and many others.
• Damage to the intestinal tract leads to leaky gut syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases and a medical textbook listing of autoimmune diseases. These illnesses generally make the sufferer underweight and deficient in vitamins and minerals caused by poor digestion.

Avoid Getting Caught Up in Whole Grain Myth

Many people are surprised to learn that even whole grains can cause disease in both humans and animals. While whole grains are clearly superior to processed ones, they ultimately still break down relatively rapidly, and raise your insulin levels. About 15% of the population actually does well with them, but if you are one of the 85% of the population that struggles with insulin issues like being overweight, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, then you will want to radically limit your consumption of whole grains.

Whole grain breads and bagels are not the healthy food that people are lead to believe. All grains have high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory. Grains are a poor source of protein, and they are also the most allergenic of all foods.

Following my nutrition plan is a simple way to automatically reduce your intake of both grains and sugars, which can increase your longevity, help you avoid chronic diseases, maintain normal sexual health and function, and keep your mental faculties sharp.

How to Kick the Sugar Habit 

As I’ve reported previously, sugar can in fact be MORE addictive than cocaine, which would help explain why it’s so hard to just quit indulging in it. The sugar industry seems well aware of this fact, running a shrewd, well-oiled machine that will hook your children on their product right out of the cradle, if you let them.  

Fortunately, energy psychology tools like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be enormously helpful in ridding yourself of sugar cravings. It includes a marvelous technique called Turbo Tapping, which is one of the best solutions I know of for this particular challenge.

Also, instead of focusing on what you will be losing (negative focus); it helps to look at all the things you will be gaining, such as increased energy and a lower risk of many diseases. Meanwhile, you can enjoy healthy foods that are in-line with your nutritional type, such as meats, raw dairy products, fresh veggies, nuts and seeds, and much more.