Fredrik Paulún - 50 Shortcuts to a Sugar-Free Life

CONTENTS

Introduction

Sugar is the primary enemy for many of us in our quest for good health, weight management, and quality of life. Against our better judgment, we consume far too many sweets, and even more of us ingest excessive amounts of hidden sugars often found in our daily foods. As a result, not only do we suffer impaired absorption of essential nutrients, but thanks to sugars high GI value rating, we also run the risk of becoming overweight, of suffering from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. For optimum health, it is imperative that each of us be extra vigilant of our consumption of sugar.

This book is written for you, if you feel that either you or someone near and dear to you consumes too much sugar. Its aim is not only to describe the shortcuts that will lead to sugar-free living, but also to explain the reasons why you should strive for this goal.

It is also about my own struggle with sugar dependency, and how Ias a child and then later as an adultmanaged to break free from the addiction. I dare say that millions of my fellow Swedes find themselves in a situation similar to mine and that most of them would do well to avoid sugar altogether as well. Today, Im happy to report that I am nearly sugar-free and am much healthier for it. My weight is now within normal range, and remains stable without any effort on my part.

My hope is that this book will serve as an inspiration to you. Perhaps it will lead you toward eliminating sugar from your diet, or maybe it will point you in the direction of a life free of serious ailments that are routinely caused by excessive sugar intake. You might even enjoy a longer life span after learning how to avoid sugar. I firmly believe that this is my most important book to date, and hope that in reading it you will learn the truth about sugar and the far-reaching consequences of eating too much of it.

My Relationship with Sugar

Sugar has had me in its thrall for as far back as I can remember. Any time I begin eating sugar with any regularity, I end up wanting it constantly. I quickly become what I call sugar habituated, and crave eating something sweet every day. In order to avoid being pulled into this downward spiral, I have found it necessary to try to abstain from any added sugar in my daily diet.

Of course, some can easily moderate their sugar intake and seem to be immune from cravings. However, this is not the case for me and many others like myself. Individual disposition plays a big part here. Those who are able to consume small amounts of sugar without experiencing an escalating need for more are to be congratulated. Its possible that consuming sugar carries a psychological benefit for some of them.

HOW SUGAR BECAME MY ADDICTION

Periods of my childhood were very traumatic, no doubt about it. In 1975, when I was five years old, my mother Lena was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At the time, interferon betasmodern-day pharmaceuticals that often slow the progress of this particular diseasedid not yet exist. In my mothers case, inflammation-inhibiting cortisone was the only treatment available for serious flare-ups. This medication, in turn, precipitated edematous swelling of tissues and caused my mothers appearance to change dramatically; however, the most damage was done by the cortisones side effects, which included the breakdown of muscle and skeletal tissue. Eventually, when our home renovations to provide a safe environment for my now disabled mother could go no further, she was forced to enter a long-term care facility. By then I was ten years old. Naturally, this was an extremely stressful time for our family, and we all tried to handle the situation as best as we could. I coped by eating sugar.

Sugar provided a soothing balm that lessened my anxiety and made me feel better, albeit momentarily. What I didnt know thenbut know nowis the reason why it worked so well: Sugar stimulates various brain chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain. First, it affects the endorphins, which give rise to a feeling of well-being by suppressing anxiety and providing a sense of calm. Simultaneously, levels of serotonin increase markedly, which lifts feelings of depression. To top this all off, dopamine is released, which makes the act of eating pleasurable, thereby establishing and reinforcing a pattern of comfort eating.

Set in motion this powerful mood-altering process in the mind of an anxiety-riddled ten-year-old, and you can imagine how easily the situation can get out of hand.

THE LESS HARMFUL WAY

Fortunately for me, drugs and alcohol didnt enter my orbit during my teen years, as they would no doubt have inflicted far more damage than licorice and milk chocolate ever did. Hard drugs would have done irreparable harm, had they not killed me outright. Instead, my drug of choice was sugar, and already at seven years of age I understood the impact of quantity on the desired outcome.

Thus, I quickly learned which candy gave me the best bang for my buck; I clearly recall a type of cat-shaped Dutch licorice, because it was fastest acting in its soothing effects. Baking chocolate was another good value item; I could scarf down a seven ounce bar in one sittingthe equivalent of approximately 1,000 calories. This amount of energy alone represents half the daily calorie requirement for a ten-year-old child. When my need for sugar was at its most severe, even the Co-ops blue and white melon ice cream would do the trick. It sold for about a dollar for a 17 ounce cup, a sum even I could scrounge up. When I was broke, I would drink syrup straight out of the bottle out of sheer desperation.

On days when there was nothing but granulated sugar in the pantry, I solved the problem by baking cookies. My parents found this occupation creative and admirable; for me this was just another way to feed sugar into my system.

I had no interest whatsoever in exercise of any kind, and was the only student in my class who didnt participate in sports during my junior high school years.

Strangely enough, despite my sugar addiction and my inactivity, I did not suffer a weight problem. Perhaps I didnt eat enough in general, as the sugar dulled my appetite for proper, nutritious food. Furthermore, I grew up in a time before hours spent in front of the TV and playing computer games supplanted everyday active pastimes, and I always walked to school. In retrospect, daily energy expenditure was a lot higher among children during my childhood and adolescence than it is for todays youth.

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

During my teen years, my family situation deteriorated further and my parents divorced. My new family included a stepmother who, I must admit, became a good substitute for my mother. Meanwhile, my mother, incapacitated and ill, still made her presence keenly felt in my life, which gave me a guilty conscience as I rarely had the courage to visit her. To witness her decline and to feel her empty eyes gaze at me wordlessly was hard to bear. Perhaps she recognized who I was, but I could never be sure. Needless to say, this was a very dark period in my life.