Is sugar poisonous? According to UCSF researcher and pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, very. Though most people are quick to condemn sugar as an unhealthy choice, Dr. Lustig took sugar slandering to a new level when he asserted in February that sugar is toxic and should be regulated similarly to alcohol and tobacco.

On Sunday in an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on 60 Minutes, Dr. Lustig argued that sugar, more than any other substance, is to blame for the skyrocketing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

New research backs up Dr. Lustig’s claim. UC Davis nutritional biologist Kimber Stanhope has found that people who consume high-fructose corn syrup have increased levels of LDL cholesterol and are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease than those who consumed the name number of calories without the added sugar.

For years, science has supported the theory that sugar can be as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. Does it then follow that this commonplace but potentially harmful substance should be similarly regulated?

According to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), absolutely.

In their study, "The Toxic Truth About Sugar," published in the scientific journal Nature, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to children under 17.

According to their statistics, reported on CBS New’s HealthPop, worldwide sugar intake has tripled in the last 50 years, and the average person is taking in a whopping 500 calories from added sugar in processed foods alone.

But is sugar really "toxic," like the authors of the Nature article say? In those quantities, yes.

You know it’s bad when researchers defend table sugar as the healthier choice.

High fructose corn syrup, a highly processed sweetener that has primarily replaced sucrose in the food industry, is found in everything from soda to ketchup to salad dressing to cereal. It’s cheaper, yes, and you may not have tasted the difference, but more and more studies show that high fructose corn syrup is really bad for your health.

One Princeton research team found that high-fructose corn syrup causes significantly more weight gain and body fat increase than normal table sugar, even when caloric intake is the same. Other study found that it contains mercury. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma (recommended in this summer’s reading list) blames high fructose corn syrup as a major contributor to the American obesity epidemic.

There’s a war going on out there, and some Philadelphia parents are taking matters into their own hands.

School lunch reform is something that we are in dire need of in this country. People know it and steps are being taken, but the pace is slow and special interest groups are doing their best to inhibit real change. But schools are not the only places where kids are eating junk.

Parents and school officials in one Philadelphia school district noticed that children are often stopping before school to get sugary, fatty snacks at corner stores. 

Enter: renegade parents.

Donning bright safety vests and wielding walkie-talkies, community members have set up a neighborhood watch-like operation to get kids to skip buying a snack – or shame them a bit if they do.

Research shows that adults only need to consume an extra 200 calories per day to be overweight. But a recent study out of Temple University shows that children are routinely getting 360 calories per day from chips, candy, and sugary drinks.

Vest-clad parents are hoping to cut some of those junk calories with their efforts outside of local stores. But they are up against even bigger adversary than store owners: biology.

Humans have a sweet tooth, but tolerance (and preference) is something that diminishes with age, meaning our nation’s children like things even sweeter than the average adult.

In an age of high-fructose corn syrup and aspartame, foods can deliver a sweet punch that is far, far higher than anything Mother Nature can come up with. This results in an ever-higher desire for sweet foods, and makes cutting back very difficult. Plus, studies have shown that foods high in fat and sugar activate similar reward systems in our brains as cocaine. They can also set off the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that can override the natural ‘stop eating’ signals our bodies send us.

It’s hard to say whether or not this particular strategy will work in Philadelphia, but one thing is for certain: The only way to beat childhood obesity is for parents and schools to work together. After all, a little education can go a long way.

Do you think the junk food vigilantes will work to curb those cravings?

Do you have cravings for sweets that you see as treats?  Do you think indulging in a pint of ice cream is your reward for making it through the day?  Are you looking for something sweet to overcome that 3pm slump?  For some, sugar is just as addicting as caffeine, tobacco or alcohol and it keeps us from losing the pounds we long to shed.

The United States is the largest consumer of sweeteners and one of the largest global sugar importers. We started in 1689 when the first sugar refinery was built in New York City.  Colonists soon began to sweeten their breakfast porridge with refined sugar, and within 10 years, individual consumption had reached 4 pounds a year.  The average American now consumes more than 100 pounds of sugar and sweeteners per year.  The USDA recommends we get no more than 10 teaspoons per day, yet most Americans eat about 30 teaspoons per day—that’s three times the liberal recommended daily value.

Humans love sweet things. Even before we started refining sugar, we sought out foods with sweet tastes.  Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that occurs naturally in foods such as grains, beans, vegetables and fruit.  When unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins.  When brown rice or other whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules.  These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff.

Refined table sugar, also called sucrose, is very different.  Extracted from either sugar cane or beets, it lacks vitamins, minerals and fiber, and thus requires extra effort from the body to digest.  The body must deplete its own store of minerals and enzymes to absorb sucrose properly.  Therefore, instead of providing the body with nutrition, it creates deficiency.  It enters swiftly into the bloodstream and wreaks havoc on the blood sugar level, first pushing it sky-high—causing excitability, nervous tension and hyperactivity—and then dropping it extremely low—causing fatigue, depression, weariness and exhaustion.  Health-conscious people are aware that their blood sugar levels fluctuate wildly on a sugar-induced high, but they often don’t realize the emotional roller-coaster ride that accompanies this high. We feel happy and energetic for a while and then suddenly, unexplainably, we find ourselves arguing with a friend or lover.

Sugar qualifies as an addictive substance for two reasons:
1. Eating even a small amount creates a desire for more.
2. Suddenly quitting causes withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, cravings and fatigue.

Today, sugar is found in many of the usual suspects, like cakes, cookies and candy.  But, you will also find it in canned vegetables, baby food, cereals, peanut butter, bread and tomato sauce.  It is often disguised in fancy language, labeled as corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose or fructose. 

Integrative Nutrition graduate and author Connie Bennett was a self-admitted sugar addict with over 44 negative health symptoms including severe fatigue and headaches.  But, after a diet overhaul, Connie is now a shining example of health and radiance.  Hear about her popular book Sugar Shock, her successful health counseling practice, and her top sugar tips on January 7, at 3pm. 

Nearly everyone has tried some type of diet to lose weight.  There’s the Grapefruit Diet, The Lemonade Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet and now there’s a Cookie Diet.

The New York Times reports on a recent fad diet that permits six prepackaged cookies a day, plus one “real” meal, for example, skinless chicken and steamed vegetables. The diet restricts the dieter to between 800 and 1,000 calories a day. 

The nutritional content is quite vague. The reported cookies contain protein derived from meat, eggs, milk and other sources. They also contain microcrystalline cellulose — a plant fiber that acts as a bulking agent, emulsifier and thickener — and are sweetened with sugar.

For those who find cookies irresistible perhaps a diet centered around the sugary sweet is perfect. However, if you are concerned with getting the proper amount of nutrition are cookies and an 800 calorie restriction the best choice? Is this weight loss plan sustainable?

Critics of a cookie diet are not convinced. Weight-loss plans that center around a diet of below 1,000 calories do not lead to long-lasting weight loss and can result in potassium deficiency, heart palpitations, and weakened kidney function, among other serious problems. Why not try lifestyle changes, such as increasing leafy greens, regular exercise, and water? 

Have you tried a cookie diet or another similar fad diet? What were your results? For more information read, the article in The New York Times.

Sports teams and clubs in New York City schools will need to pack up with their baking supplies and come up with new ways to fundraise this year. The Education Department has taken drastic measures to limit unhealthy foods and has banned most bake sales throughout city schools.

According to an article in the New York Times, approximately 40% of New York City’s elementary and middle school students are overweight or obese. In an attempt to cut empty calories, excess sugar and fat, a new wellness policy was put into place, eliminating bake sales and overhauling foods sold in vending machines and school stores. While schools all over the country are cracking down on sweet treats, policies in New York are the most severe.

The response from students: confusion and irritation. Many found the tried-and-true bake sale to be easy and profitable. One student claimed to profit nearly $500 during one day at a bake sale. School and department officials are urging students to get creative when it comes to raising money. They want to incorporate more healthy and active ideas such as walk-a-thons and races.

What do you think about the bake sale ban? Will a reduction in processed baked goods lower childhood obesity rates and raise productivity? Or will students have trouble raising funds for uniforms and trips? 

We all have a sugar craving from time to time. For some it’s early in the morning, in hopes that a caffeine fix or a sweet pastry will get us through the day. For others, the hankering pops up around 3pm when our blood sugar starts to drop off after lunch. Or perhaps some of us raid the fridge or pantry for a late night treat. These sugar cravings are simply our bodies asking for energy. It’s important to listen to these cues and provide ourselves with naturally sweet foods to help alleviate these intense cravings.

Reducing sugar in one’s diet can be quite challenging. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average American consumes up to 355 calories, or more than 22 teaspoons, of sugar a day. The biggest culprits - soft drinks, candy, and desserts like cookies and cakes. However, added sugars also creep up in many perceived healthy foods such as yogurt, fruit juices and whole-grain cereals. The American Heart Association recently released a statement, urging consumers to drastically cut back on the amount of added sugars in their diet – women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; men should limit to 150 calories, or about nine teaspoons. A 12-ounce soft drink can have up to 8 tablespoons of sugar!

Where should you begin? Look very carefully at the ingredients on a nutrition label. Sugar comes in many forms and can be disguised as corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, sorbitol or evaporated cane juice. Try substituting sugar with natural sweeteners like agave nectar, honey or brown rice syrup.  Swap processed products for foods without a nutrition label attached – like whole grains, fruits and veggies, which contain high amounts of fiber to slow the digestion process. Finally, coach yourself to be more mindful and aware of your body’s messaging. If it’s energy you need, a chemicalized, sugary snack will only lead to a crash in a few hours. And if you’re satisfying an insatiable sweet tooth, enjoy a healthy treat. Your body will thank you later.

Have you ever noticed that eating certain foods just have you wanting more? According to Dr. Louis Aronne author of The Skinny there are certain foods that trigger your hunger instead of relieving it.

These include:

• Juice
• Sugary cereals
• Alcohol
• Bread
• Pasta
• Sweets

While these trigger foods may be different for everyone, this list doesn’t seem far off. Dr. Aronne is probably not talking about 100% fruit juice or whole grain bread, but rather bread made with white flour and juice made from concentrate. You can still enjoy these foods, but just stick with the less processed variety. Opt for whole grains for your pasta, bread and cereals, 100% fruit for your juice, dark chocolate or fruit for your sweets, and limit alcohol intake.

Are there other foods that trigger your hunger that you don’t see on this list?