We went from eating about 10 pounds of sugar per person per year in 1800 to 152 pounds of sugar (and 146 pounds of flour) per person per year today. ⠀ ⠀ Think about it: On average, we eat about one pound of sugar daily!⠀ ⠀ Those sugar-loaded foods hijack our metabolism and make us fat and sick.⠀ ⠀ I have a simple yet radical proposal: Let’s send the trillion-dollar junk food industry a message and eat real food. That means foods nature-created that don’t come with barcodes, fake ingredients, or an ingredient list at all. ⠀ ⠀ To do that, we need to rewire our brains. ⠀ ⠀ A researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told me that the real regulator of our weight and metabolism isn’t our stomachs but our brain chemistry. ⠀ ⠀ The right foods send a message to your brain to shut down hunger and cravings, so you burn fat and feel great. Sugary, processed foods send the opposite message.⠀ ⠀ Making the right choices to opt for natural, whole, unprocessed foods becomes crucial to ditching the junk food habit, as do your emotional triggers and health.⠀ ⠀ Whenever you get a strong desire for a chocolate chip cookie or other junk food, ask yourself two questions:⠀ ⠀ - What am I feeling?⠀ - What do I need? What we need does not involve stuffing your face, I can assure you of that. ⠀ ⠀ We have a chance today to stop and detox, not only from junk food but also from junk thoughts. We must de-clutter our bodies and our minds.⠀
1 of 2 FACT CHECKS - first on math, next on shaming. MATH: we don’t eat CLOSE to 454g (~2000 cal) of added sugar per day. We’re closer to 60-70g/day (almost 300 cal). Second, Mark’s “out” is deceptive math as he, oddly within parentheses, said “and 146 lbs of flour” (starch). Hmmm 🤔 So benefit of doubt, maybe by “1 lb of sugar daily” (with his exclamation point added for “shock n fear!”😧) he meant: 1. refined added sugars + 2. natural but “free” sugars - ie “freed” from being in a fiber matrix/cage - eg fruit juices, honey, agave nectar etc + 3. refined starch - since, after all, starches are long molecular chains of glucose that, due to their long chain molecular structure don’t taste sweet, but are ultimately digested down to sugar Maybe so? But even THEN his math doesn’t add up: 1. average US TOTAL of ALL ingested carbs (from minimally to highly processed/refined) is only 275g/day 2. 1 lb = 454g, not 275g 3. And not ALL of the 275g are refined starches & sugars, let alone just literal sugar I’m ALL for cutting WAY back on Farm Bill facilitated CRRAHP (calorie rich, refined and highly processed) foods/beverages, whether rich in added/purified fats and/or refined carb. But with good math and minus the shaming.
A percentage of my patients belong to the underserved or socioeconomic poor population. Most don’t understand what healthy food means nor have access to healthy choices, children still “grocery shop” at gas stations. I believe a big message would be to educated that protein is fuel for our body while sugar is damaging to the tissue, that illness feeds off sugar. It could be as simple as having conversations that soda pop and coffee does not equal hydration and that food is medicine?
FACT CHECK #2/2 - this was another appeal to shaming 😔 First, who’s this “NIH researcher“ used to buttress credibility without attribution? Show of hands… who truly believes “metabolism is regulated by the stomach”? What does that even mean? If an “expert” needs an “NIH researcher“ to clarify their hypothalamus regulates their metabolism, be skeptical. And confusing metabolism with the physiology and psychology of hunger and cravings, respectively, along with using false authority to guilt people into making the “right” choices to not “stuff our faces” because he all knowingingly “assures us”? Sounds like guru gobbledygook rather than a compassionate coach and or expert speaking IMO. So if you feel like a “wrong” and “bad” person for what Mark well knows is heavily driven by zip code and Farm Bills that have been facilitating our living in tsunamis of CRRAHP (calorie rich, refined and highly processed) foods and beverages? Don’t. You’re fine. One nice laudable? The mindfulness tip. Good 👍🏽 Here’s more👇on cravings vs hunger. I believe in you. Just do your best & love yourself❤️ https://www.facebook.com/100061239531679/posts/pfbid054mprVS748vt2UNXswgzm9um1fLcGWTDowAJH9aWdimCgWtyn78VX2qrSHXVLX8Xl/?mibextid=cr9u03
The sad truth is the general doctors are all for the demise of healthspan and they keep emphasizing a limit on calories and fat. They are clueless at best, but more likely negligent. I did the Function Health blood panel and my LP(a) is stupid high yet all other “typically” measured cholesterol tests were normal. I took this to my cardiologist and he said, you’re fine, stop taking aspirin, come back in a year or if you start to have chest pain… NOT AT ALL CONCERNED. These “doctors” need to be re-educated with regard to the Hippocratic oath and actual science…NOT whether or not there is money to be made by helping one and not the other. I would still be oblivious to my LP(a) and the associated risks had not been for Mark Hyman, MD and Function Health. I am not at all shocked to find out that one of the few ways to combat high LP(a) is a keto diet…drastically limiting SUGAR.
Not only do they make us fat and physically sick they also hurt our mental cognitive ability and moods. I have recently changed to a carnivore diet (99.9%) cutting out all processed foods, refined sugars and carbs. When I have anything with sugar in it I can almost immediately feel my brain frog come back and the physical pain can be unbearable especially in my hands and joints. My ADHD (food related) was off the charts and I have always found it challenging to focus on just one thing but now with a clean body I can focus for hours getting more done inserter periods of time. I encourage everyone to take a 30 day no sugar challenge and see how you feel. You don't have to go full carnivore but make sure you stay away from ALL sugars. Most will not fully notice a change until you introduce the food back into your system. My daily pain threshold was so high before I never knew what it was like to not have pain. Now I know when I have consumed something wrong as it shows up as pain and brain fog. I take no medications and feel amazing. It is all your food and can be fixed without prescriptions. Thanks for sharing Mark Hyman, MD, more people need to understand the repercussions of their food choices.
You sound like you live a comfortable middle class existence in a developed nation and don't have to make tough food and economic choices. Good for you! Not everyone gets to enjoy that luxury.
Mark Hyman, MD Thought provoking post! The Ayurveda system alludes to this thinking as well. The Six Tastes in Ayurvedic Cuisine 1. Sweet (Madhura) 2. Sour (Amla) 3. Salty (Lavana) 4. Pungent (Katu) 5. Bitter (Tikta) 6. Astringent (Kashaya) Toxic vs. Cleansing Tastes The first three tastes - sweet, sour, and salty - are considered heavy, dense, and potentially toxic or addictive in excess. They tend to increase the Kapha dosha (one of the three Ayurvedic mind-body types). In contrast, the latter three tastes - bitter, pungent, and astringent - are lighter, drying, and cleansing. They help balance Kapha and are important for overall health and detoxification. These tastes are often lacking in processed, packaged foods. Balanced Meals An ideal, balanced meal in Ayurvedic cuisine incorporates all six tastes. This helps ensure proper nutrition, digestion, and balance of the doshas. A traditional South Indian meals often exemplifies this balance. 🙏🙏🙏 continued 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
Considering that some individuals don't consume sugar or flour at all, the average consumption figures for those who do could be even higher than reported. These numbers highlight the extent to which sugar and flour are integrated into many people's diets and underscores the impact of these ingredients on metabolic health and obesity. Reducing intake of these highly processed foods and choosing whole, unprocessed options can lead to better health outcomes and help send a strong message to the food industry about consumer preferences for healthier, more natural foods. The message that is worth repeating.
Great perspective and vision Mark Hyman, MD. To do this, healthy foods need to become more affordable and accessible rather than the ultra-processed junk that fills the store aisles and the online listing's.
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1moGlucose processing, gut biome and mitochondrial damage and its resulting inflammation are the culprits in both early childhood neurological disorders as well as elderly neuro-degenerative disorders. Evidence will continue to confirm this as technology and research progress forward. Getting our kids off of not just sugar but generally anything white that’s not natural is the key. I have had many of the kids in my practice coming in with a dx of ADD and ADHD and all we did was change their diet in this manner (while adding good fats and other things) and hade seen dramatic improvements in not just their symptoms but in other areas of their lives as well.