For years I have been hearing people say sugar is the new bad thing. So I finally got around to reading up on this claim. Here is what I learned.

Nutrition

Food is composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals. Of course, I sometimes swallow stuff that is not on that list but the list is comprehensive in the sense that it covers everything my body needs. Notice that sugar is not in the list. My body breaks down carbs and fats into glucose (sugar) which can be used by my body as energy.

This means sugar has zero nutritional value. There is no reason to ever eat any. Humans do not require sugar.

I have always been smug about the fact that I don’t throw away my money on a caffeine addiction. But suddenly I realize I have been foolishly spending my money on sugar.

No dessert forever

As part of my long term plan to someday somehow acquire a svelte physique, I hereby reject and repudiate the harmful cultural ritual known as dessert. The rules are:

• No dessert forever. No ice cream, no cake, no pie.
• No candy forever. No free candy or chocolate from the nice people at the office.
• No fruit juice forever.
• Exceptions
  • 85%+ dark chocolate
  • Honey
  • Fruit
  • Small quantities of desserts that I have never had before.

Sources:

• Wikipedia: Food energy
• Evidence for sugar addiction
• Abundance of fructose not good for the liver, heart
• Nick Winter