Recently, a few men have told me they are on no-sugar diets. I am used to hearing this from women, but for some reason I have been even more disturbed when hearing it from men. They all tell me it’s a competition with other guys and they stay with it out of pride, not necessarily because they think sugar is bad. However, some of them do think it’s bad.
I submit sugar is not bad!
Here’s the low-down on what sugar actually does in the body: Sugar starts breaking down in your mouth, then is broken down further in your stomach and small intestine and then is absorbed into the bloodstream in the form of glucose. Glucose fuels your body’s cells, including your brain, heart, and red blood cells. What happens if you cut table sugar out of your diet completely? Your body still converts other carbohydrates to glucose. It just may be a longer process.
Some people might argue that sugar causes diabetes or that sugar spikes your blood sugar faster than other forms of carbohydrates. First, sugar does not cause diabetes. Overeating in general, being overweight, and genetics all play a role in contributing to the onset of diabetes. Second, sugar spikes your blood sugar faster, yes, but it doesn’t stay that way. For those with diabetes, this can be a problem, but it’s a problem that can be remedied by moderate amounts of sugar at a time and by supplementing a source of sugar with a source of protein in order to stabilize their blood sugar. For the rest of us, if we eat too much, we may just feel crappy but then our insulin takes care of it.
So I get that men have that drive to win a competition. But why not have a competition to eat everything in moderation and not become crazy about sugar contained in cookies, or spaghetti sauce or yogurt for that matter? Seriously, it’s a carbohydrate and your body will use it as long as you don’t overeat.
Or, instead of cutting sugar out of your diet, why not have a competition to eat 5 fruits and vegetables every day? It’s not sugar that causes bad diets; it’s lack of certain nutrients or overeating.
