On the advice of a friend, I watched “That Sugar Film“. The movie is about an Australian guy, Damon Gameau, who has been sugar free for 3 years. He decides to consume 40 teaspoons of sugar a day for 60 days to see what effects sugar would have on his body. He kept up with his usual exercise routine during this time.
Damon doesn’t just choose your typical sugary foods, he chooses the ones with hidden sugar, the ones we think are good for us like yogurt, smoothies, fruit juices, health bars, etc. I was amazed at how many foods that I think are healthy and are advertised as healthy, are loaded with sugar. Even if there is just a minimal amount of sugar, the sugar we consume throughout the day really adds up.
Damon reported the effects on his body. He started having liver damage, he gained weight (even though he was still exercising), he gained inches around his stomach, he started to feel less stable emotionally and felt tired alot. Food did not satisfy him as he rarely felt full. I was really surprised to see how much fat he gained in his stomach area while “eating healthy”.
At one point during his experiment, he went to the United States to talk to some experts. He had a hard time staying under 40 teaspoons of sugar a day. Sugar was everywhere. In the US, ads are everywhere pushing candy bars, smoothies, sodas. We can’t get away from the sugar! He noticed that while driving around, it was hard to find “real” food to eat. Everything was fast food. I can’t even fathom any other type of place to eat at. I only know fast food when traveling.
As the movie ended, I felt sick to my stomach over the adverse effects of sugar on our diets. And I felt a little hopeless. I don’t eat a very sugary diet in the “traditional” sense with lots of candy, ice cream, desserts, etc. I do eat alot of the “healthy” sugary foods – like crackers, chips, granola bars, yogurt, etc. This is all I know. I don’t know what it’s like to not eat these things. That doesn’t mean I can’t change, but I have no vision for what this looks like. How does one eat “healthy” in our society of processed & convenient foods? You think you’re doing good feeding your family a not-sweet item like spaghetti sauce from the store, but come to find out it has sugar in it! Sugar is everywhere
Our nation is addicted to sugar and we are a very sick culture. We live in a developed country, yet we’re still sick – our diets help us become sick. We have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, etc. We are sick, but we don’t care because we are addicted to it. We need the “high” of sugar.”
I like sugar, so this is very hard to hear. I don’t really want to give up sugar. I can’t image a world without it. It’s easier to give my kids sugary snack when their hungry – like granola bars. BUT, I want to be healthy. I want my kids to be healthy. I wonder about the effects of sugar on their brains. Would they be more calmer and focused if they ate less sugar? Probably. I like that idea.
