Sugar is roughly 50 per cent fructose, 50 per cent glucose. It’s fructose that’s the problem; the glucose part is fine. (And actually forms the building block of most food we eat.) So why is sugar so bad? Here’s what the science has to say:
Sugar makes us fat
Turns out, fat isn’t the devil we thought it was when it comes to weight gain. Sugar, on the other hand, is contributing to the obesity epidemic in a very real way.Why? Every molecule we ingest has corresponding appetite hormones. And when we’ve eaten enough of said molecule, these hormones tell our brains, “we’re full now, stop eating”. We’re designed to eat only as much as we need.Every molecule, that is, except fructose. When we eat fructose, it’s like our body doesn’t notice it. It goes undetected. And so we can eat and eat and eat it, but our bodies don’t feel full. In other words, we have no fructose “off switch”. After eating fructose, most of the metabolic burden for metabolising it rests on your liver. The way that fructose is converted in our body means it’s not used straight away as energy, but converted directly to fat.
Sugar makes us sick.
More and more research is being done on the effects of fructose on our bodies. Numerous studies have shown that fructose: Inhibits the immune system and increases inflammation throughout the body.

• Messes with hormones and fertility.
• Speeds up the aging process.
• Increases our risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
• Causes tooth decay.
• Messes with our gut health and promotes the growth of bad gut bacteria.
• Can cause mood swings, hyperactivity and anxiety.

Sugar is a poison
We’re not using that term loosely either. A bunch of scientists from the University of California have called for sugar to be treated as a poison, in much the same way as alcohol and nicotine. They suggest it be taxed, labelled and integrated into education campaigns to warn people of its dangers. Yeah, but how dangerous is it really?
Sugar is killing us.
The same scientists say sugary food is responsible for 35 million deaths worldwide. Those are some serious numbers!They point out that at the levels consumed in the West, sugar alters metabolism, raises blood pressure, disrupts hormonal signalling and causes significant damage to the liver, leading to a whole host of metabolic issues and diseases.

Want to know more? Watch the YouTube lecture “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” by Professor Robert Lustig, a highly regarded endocrinologist and arguably the world’s leading expert in childhood obesity. You can also check out the New York Times science writer Gary Taubes’ essay Is Sugar Toxic.

But sugar is natural, so why is it so bad?

Well arsenic is also natural, but you wouldn’t want to eat it! Ditto with sugar.
The problem is we’re designed to eat VERY LITTLE fructose. When we were cave people, it was both highly valuable (as insta-energy for chasing wildebeest) and extremely rare (a few berries or some honeycomb here and there).
Sugar is too easily attainable for us now that when we eat it, our body freaks and turns it immediately to fat, thus wreaking metabolic havoc. Which takes us back to the no “off switch” thing. It’s a massive liability.

Can’t we just eat it in moderation?

We’re all for balance. And we like to advocate a low-sugar, rather than no-sugar, life. But for many of us moderation is difficult. We can’t help but binge on sugar. Humans are programmed this way. We are programmed to seek it out, obsessively so.

Sugar is an addiction.

That’s not us exaggerating to get your attention. While it’s still very hard for scientists to compare different types of human physiological experience, there’s definitely evidence that sugar can be as rewarding and attractive to us as addictive drugs like cocaine site útil. And perhaps even more so.

And it’s not just a physical addiction either. Many of us have a deep emotional attachment to sugar, which makes it even harder to break our dependence on it.

Consider this final thought. Isn’t it odd that while we all eat more low-fat products than ever before, and join more gyms, we’re only getting fatter and sicker?

Dare we mention that this increase is directly proportional to the rate of our increased sugar consumption? Are you convinced yet?

Visit I Quit Sugar for more information, recipes and updated health information.

Eggs and Avocado Toast 

2 organic free-range eggs

2 slices of Free Bread

1 quarter of an avocado

1 slice of lemon

A pinch of salt, pepper, and red chili flakes

Kelapo Extra Virgin Coconut Oil Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Fresh Parsley

Toast the bread. While it’s toasting, fry two eggs using coconut oil spray on medium/low heat. Cover with lid site útil.

While toast is finishing, cut a slice of lemon and a quarter of avocado and place on plate.

Using a fork, mash the avocado onto the toast and squeeze the lemon wedge on top. Alongside (or on top) place the eggs.

Sprinkle eggs and toast with chili flakes, salt, and pepper to your liking. A dash of olive oil on the toast is also delicious.

Garnish with some fresh parsley.

McHugh Media is a new integrated media company. It is privately owned by husband-and-wife team Michael and Michelle McHugh. For them, owning their own media group and launching both a magazine and online integrated media concept is a dream come true.

MiNDFOOD is an integrated media brand delivering local and global information. The magazine and website feature television, podcasts, electronic newsletters, recipes, quotes, brain teasers, features, photographs and daily news.

The core editorial platforms of Think, Community, Health, Beauty & Style, Home & Travel, Food & Drink, Technology, Motoring and Puzzles & Competitions can be accessed online and through the pages of the magazine.

Launched in March 2008, MiNDFOOD is innovative in that you can choose how and when you want to access the content, either through the pages of the magazine or daily interaction with MiNDFOOD online. We’ve done the work for you.

Michael was the creator and founder of Notebook: magazine. Notebook: went on to win MPA Australian Launch Magazine of the Year 2005, Marketing Campaign of the Year, MPA Editor of the Year, and Special Execution. Notebook: has successfully launched in Australia and Italy.

Michael also launched the successful magazine Delicious, winning MPA Australian Magazine of the Year and Launch of the Year 2003, and Best Epicurean Magazine in America 2004. Delicious has also successfully launched in the UK and Holland and is currently being trialled in the Asian marketplace.

MiNDFOOD magazine boasts a total circulation in New Zealand of 36,800 copies, making MiNDFOOD the fastest-growing magazine in the country, according to the NZ Audit Bureau of Circulation.

In addition, mindfood.com attracts more than 280,000 visits each month, receives more than 450,000 page impressions and delivers more than 295,000 email Newsletters every week. In October 2012 MiNDFOOD launched a digital app which includes everything you love about the magazine, with great new digital features, videos, podcasts and more. The APP has received 100,000 downloads to date and was awarded Best New Apps of 2012 and 2013 by Apple.

“A society is defined not only by what it creates but also by what it refuses to destroy.”
– John C. Sawhill (1936-2000)

Frustrated by the dull and uninspiring range of Gym-wear available for women, Lorna took matters into her own hands and started sewing her own outfits while working as a fitness instructor in Australia. Her designs quickly gained a following, with the women in her classes queuing to place orders for her custom-made pieces.

After quitting her day job, Lorna began designing full-time. Demand increased and in 1990 she opened the first Lorna Jane retail store in Brisbane, Australia with her husband Bill Clarkson by her side. As awareness spread about Lorna’s technical yet feminine approach to designing active wear, the brand expanded with new stores opening across Australia every year.