It's natural, therefore it's healthy
Many people say they haven't consumed sugar for years…
…because they replaced it with "natural and healthy" alternatives (like they like to say): honey, agave syrup and maple syrup.
However, as you will discover below…
They probably consume just as much sugar today.
Maybe even more than before.
✅ NATURAL SUGAR
A good chunk of those people who have replaced sugar with honey or maple/agave syrup are still obese today.
Many of them have fat or obese children, avoid white sugar, but offer them, as an alternative, all sugar, in the form of honey, maple syrup or agave.
Others have a fatty liver, prediabetes, increased levels of triglycerides and uric acid and don't understand why.
They say they don't even put sugar in their tea anymore!
The answer is simple: because they still consume sugar, just under a different name.
✅ THE TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR
Sugar is 100% sugar.
Honey is 82% sugar. The rest? Water.
Agave syrup is 76% sugar. The rest? Water.
Maple syrup is 67% sugar. The rest? You guessed it: water.
You might not believe it, but this is also where “sugar-free jams” come in.
If it’s sweet, it has sugar. Period.
Sure, it’s “natural” sugar blah blah blah.
I never eat:
grandmother’s jam, made in the countryside;
100% natural plum jam;
“no sugar added” jams from the store.
I know it sounds strange when I say this, but..
Sugar, whether it's from honey, beets, cane or fruit, is just beautifully packaged solar energy. So it has calories.
Yes, natural sugar has calories. You know, the ones that stick to you.
By the way, are your kids fat, but they still drink sugar with a straw?
Diabetes in a bottle
I developed an expert eye after having met with thousands of people. I can spot a diabetic or a pre-diabetic from 30 meters away.
✅ BUT IT’S NATURAL!
Maybe you'll say that sugar from honey or fruit "doesn't make you fat" because it's natural.
Did you know that the brown bear's diet is made up of 80% fruit?
And have you ever seen a skinny bear?
✅ OVERPRICED SUGAR
My kids don't consume bee products, agave syrup or maple syrup either.
Tell me, little bear, do you like honey?
In fact, in a way, honey is more dangerous than sugar.
Everyone knows that sugar is bad.
(It's not actually bad, but if it helps you eat fewer empty calories, it's great.)
Honey is praised as an "elixir of youth," which makes many people consume it without measure.
Honey = sugar + water
✅ NOTHING HEALTHY
"Natural" honey is like "clean, countryside” wine or "homemade" cookies.
There is nothing healthy about consuming honey, just like there is nothing healthy about consuming alcohol or homemade cookies.
Honey is 82% sugar;
Commercial or country wine still contains 13% alcohol and 1,000 calories per liter.
Homemade or commercial sweets contain 95% similar ingredients: sugar, flour and oil / butter.
If you like drinking alcohol, read here:
The Truth about Alcohol
My home country of Romania is number 1 in alcohol consumption in Europe. And number 10 in the world. As a reference, Russia, the usual suspect, is #16.
✅ PROBABLY OK
It's probably ok:
to eat a slice of cake on the weekend;
to drink a glass of wine on Saturday night with a good steak;
or to put a teaspoon of honey in your coffee (knowing that it's sugar, but doing it for taste).
I don't do any of these.
At most, I eat a scoop of pistachio ice cream twice a month.
✅ PROTEIN BARS
If I want something sweet, I eat sugar-free protein bars and give them to my kids at school too.
How I choose a protein bar
The first thing I want to mention from the beginning is that I DO NOT RECOMMEND protein bars for daily consumption. Also, I am no affiliated with any commercial entity of any sort.
✅ EXAGGERATING?
Some say I "exaggerate".
Yes, I want to live long and well, to be healthy and strong even at 90 years old.
I'd rather have strangers tell me I'm exaggerated, obsessed, a tyrant or strict…
…than have my kids laugh at me for being skibidibop.
But you don't have to be as concerned as I am and prepare for the last 10 years of your life from the age of 30.
It's absurd to think that your old age is built from your youth, isn't it?
You only have one life, you know better.
Maybe you’ll start taking care of yourself at 50, when you’ll already have done some irreparable "damage".
✅ FOR 15 YEARS
I was lucky enough to start laying the "groundwork" at 28 years old.
I have almost 15 years of training and I regret nothing.
At almost 43 years of age, I'm in a shape I couldn't even dream of 15 years ago.
And the good progress in the 30-40 years old range gives me solid hopes for the 40-50 years old range.
✅ MINDSET
To be functional at 90 years old, you have to be fine at 80.
To be fine at 80, you have to be in decent shape at 70.
To be in decent shape at 70, you have to be in top notch shape at 60.
To be in top notch shape at 60, you have to be in tip top shape at 50.
So at 42 years of age I act like I want to be at the "super top notch level" at 50.
See? My behavior is in line with my goals.
You? What are your plans? Just asking.
Do you really want to do the work, but don't know where to start? You’re in the right place.
Thank you for your attention!