Sugar Blues

You Probably Have Sugar Blues

I’ve been re-reading the classic book, “Sugar Blues” by William Dufty.  This book, written in 1975, remains the definitive crushing indictment of sugar every one of us should read and read again. We should read it to save ourselves and our families, to help solve the challenges of weight gain, cancer, depression, other mental diseases, diabetes and so on.

“Sugar Blues” delves deep into the history and impact of sugar on health and society. Dufty suggests that the very addictive white crystal, which is consumed in vast amounts in our modern diets, is a primary factor in numerous health problems faced by many of us today. He tells the story of how sugar was first introduced to the Western world and how it gradually became a staple, changing dietary habits and health outcomes over centuries.

Did you know diabetes was once the disease of only the wealthy? It’s true, and it’s because only the wealthy could afford sugar! Let that sink in for a minute.

Drawing from personal experiences, historical events, and scientific studies, Dufty paints a grim picture of the health consequences of sugar consumption, ranging from minor ailments to serious diseases. The book is both an exposé on the sugar industry and a call to action for all of us to reconsider our dietary choices and eliminate or greatly reduce our sugar intake.

Last night I was reading in the book about Dr. John Tintera who, in the 1940s, rediscovered the importance of the endocrine system, particularly the adrenal glands.  He found a direct correlation between patients with endocrine challenges and patients whose systems could not handle sugar; patients who had sugar blues.  The similarities in the symptoms of patients with both complaints were so startling that he finally insisted his endocrine patients submit to a four hour glucose tolerance test to find out if sugar were an issue for them.

I’ve had a glucose tolerance test, and it’s not a lot of fun. First you have to drink a sickish sweet sugary solution (redundant, I know, but that’s how sweet it is…). Then, they test your blood and your urine for several hours depending on how long a test your doctor has ordered. The results will tell you and your health care provider about your tolerance, or not, to sugar.

Dr. Tintera’s first prescribed method of treatment was always diet, and he made a sweeping permanent statement against sugar in all forms. In fact, he ultimately believed no one should begin any form of treatment for any psychiatric disorder unless they had had a glucose tolerance test to determine if they could handle sugar or not.

We all know people who struggle with mental illness… bipolar, autism, chronic depression from which I suffered for decades until I changed how I eat… can you imagine if just getting sugar out of our diets would help us banish or at the very least improve these afflictions? It worked for me.

The challenge is that sugar is addictive. It’s not as easy as it sounds to eliminate it. It’s also in EVERYTHING!  And in so many different forms and with so many different names. On my website in the resources section, you can download a list of 60+ different names of sugar.  I took the time to alphabetize them to make it a bit easier for you to check out your food ingredient labels.

Here’s another factoid for you:  Back to the rich and famous getting diabetes before any commoners did because they had greater access to sugar.  Thomas Willis, in the seventeenth century, became private physician to King Charles II of England.  Charles was heavily vested in the very lucrative sugar trade. To protect his neck in a time of beheadings, Willis, who was aware that sugar might just be the cause of this new disease decided there was wisdom in naming the new malady in a language few would understand.  In this case, Greek.  “Diabetes” in Greek simply describes the passage of inordinate amounts of urine. “Diabetes mellitus” is a combination of Greek and Latin: “mel” is Latin for honey, and “itis” is Latin for inflammation.

“The passage of inordinate amounts of extraordinarily sweet-smelling urine” became a description of a new symptom in a combo of two foreign languages.  Clever boy, and he managed to keep his head.

Seriously, whatever ails you, what is the down-side to getting rid of your sugar blues…getting off sugar to see if it makes a difference in your life.  My life of no depression for more than ten years tells me it is so worth it!

If you need/want to discuss further, I am available to you.  You can email me: Cheryl at ThinStrongHealthy dot com.

How may I serve you in your quest for optimal mental and physical health?

Cheryl A Major

Cheryl A Major lives in Westford and is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Her TV show, Thin Strong Healthy, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of her blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com   Cheryl offers ongoing information, live and online courses and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier.  Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylAMajor.  She is also a full time residential Realtor with Coldwell Banker with more than 25 years experience.