When the process of purification of sucrose was first invented centuries ago, it was carried out by hand and only small quantities of table sugar could be made. It was so expensive, only royalty and other very rich people could afford to eat it on a regular basis. Degenerative diseases from refined carbohydrates were once the privilege of the only the rich. Even 100 years ago, with sugar used moderately in home baking, desserts were balanced with healthy whole foods. Now, processed commercial foods full of sugar are available at every turn. We don’t even have to get out of our car. Now everyone can afford them. Let’s look at something Ethel Renwick wrote in 1976 in “Let’s Try Real Food”:
“We eat more candy than eggs; we eat more sugar than vegetables, fruits, and eggs put together; we drink more soft drinks than milk; and beginning in 1971 we started eating more processed foods than fresh. We do not have to be nutritionists to know that this is a downhill race we are in; unless we make a drastic change, we are leading our children and grandchildren to a higher incidence of degenerative diseases than our present deplorable rate. I think our problem is that we have not added up our diet. We think a little sugar here and there, a soft drink now and then, a little additive to a food, and “enriched” flour cannot hurt. But that is not realistic. Refined foods, sugar, and additives are in almost everything we eat. We talk about bringing up our children in a good Christian home! What we mean is that we have looked after two-thirds of our responsibility to the best of our ability. But we have left out the other third — an abundance of God’s provisions for the bodies of which we are stewards.”
Worldwide health epidemic
My goodness! And that was 30 years ago. Look what progress we have made. In the last 30 years, obesity, and heart disease, stroke and diabetes have more than doubled in the United States, and these same diseases are now a worldwide epidemic. Oops, I really didn’t mean to preach in the dessert chapter, but look where a little refined flour and sugar (and hydrogenated oils) have taken us. What started out as an extravagance – a rare treat – a weekly homemade delight – has gotten way out of hand. Around the world, people in all cultures have been using sugar responsibly at home for centuries. It was not until the commercially available processed foods with excess sugar and hydrogenated fats flooded the world market that the world wide obesity epidemic began.
One response to the global explosion of fast foods was the Slow Food Movement, stated in the 1980’s, to celebrate local foods and their traditions. And that includes wonderful homemade desserts!
We can look at how our body responds to sugar or sugar substitutes and make our own judgement about eating them. We are individually responsible for what goes into our mouths – it is our decision and our choice. Most of us can eat sweets and desserts in moderation and maintain adequate physical activity, but some just cannot. You may have to go off sugar cold turkey.
For great reading about reducing sugar consumption, try these books
- Sugar Blues by William Dufty
- Get the Sugar Out: 501 Ways to Cut the Sugar in Any Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman
- The New Sugar Busters! Cut Sugar to Trim Fat by H. Leighton Steward. (See also www.sugarbusters.com)
As a helpful resource, I have lots of articles on healthy ingredients and recipes that you can implement into your daily life.
If you’d like to dig deeper into my journey of discovering God’s plan for health and wellness, check out my book, Made For Paradise: God’s Original Plan for Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Rest.
