A few years ago, I was giving a lecture to a Multi-Level group who promoted a particular brand of vitamins. (I won’t say which company) My lecture was on the negatives of sugar, but I had a feeling that my subject was not going to be readily accepted. It was a dinner meeting and everyone, except my wife and me, of course, had at least two or more cocktails prior to the serving of food. Sugar laden cocktails. And the dessert was some kind of cake with a hot liquid frosting. Sure enough, they were listening with closed ears and minds. When I mentioned the negatives of giving candy bars to school children, I was challenged by several members, including the president of the group.

"What’s wrong with giving a candy bar to my son (or daughter) when they get home from school? It gives them energy."

"But it’s laden with sugar, lots of it." Was my feeble response.

"But the doctor(s) said it was okay."

How does one challenge the words of a doctor? My advice? Don’t even try, but I had to do something to prove my point albeit, not verbal.

I started to cough, a pretend cough, and then I asked my wife to get me a cup of coffee. It was presumed by the audience I needed something to drink to clear my throat. Pat, my wife, knows that I don’t drink coffee, so with a slight grin, she did as was asked, knowing that I had something up my sleeve, so to speak. The coffee was delivered and placed on the lectern for all to see. I then asked for some sugar, and my wife promptly delivered it to me along with a spoon. I continued lecturing as I added a teaspoon of sugar to my coffee. Then I added another, and another, but continued talking although no one was watching me. They were watching the teaspoons of sugar being added to my coffee. I could only guess what they were thinking.

"What’s this guy lecturing us about sugar when he’s added four, five, and now six teaspoons full to his coffee?"
Actually, I added an additional half a teaspoon, or six and one-half in total. I continued talking to the group as I slowly, and deliberately stirred my coffee. All eyes were on my coffee cup as if hypnotically drawn to it.

"Excuse me for a moment." I asked the group as I brought the coffee cup to my lips. Just as I was about to take a sip, I stopped, made eye contact with the group, and instead of drinking, I asked, "How many of you would drink this cup of coffee?"

"No way," were the two words I heard most from the group. Of course I asked why and they responded with "You put over six teaspoons of sugar in it."

"But that’s how much sugar is in the candy bar you give your child, and you say that’s okay for them and they’re half our size." There was an immediate silence that literally echoed throughout the room. I had made my point.

Dr. David Frahm N.D., of Health Quarter ministries, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has this to say about sugar.

"The sweeteners that test weak (in other words they tax the body in a negative way) include: sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose, Splenda, high fructose corn syrup, Florida Crystals, dextrose, date sugar, brown sugar, NutraSweet, turbinado sugar (also know as raw sugar), evaporated cane juice sugar (different from evaporated cane juice, also called Sucanat), rapadura, xylitol, and lactose (sugar derived from dairy).

"The sweeteners people test OK to (in other words they don’t tax the pancreas, thyroid, adrenals, etc.): Sucanat (evaporated cane juice), Stevia, barley malt, barley malt syrup, brown rice syrup, blackstrap molasses, agave (derived from cactus), and fructose. These forms of sweetener are readily available in health food stores."

Dave goes on to say that the average child is drinking 3-7 cans of soda pop a day. That’s the equivalent to 12 teaspoons of sugar in each can. The diet stuff can be even worse. Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet, is metabolized in the liver into formic acid-formaldehyde. As bad as sugar is, formaldehyde is carcinogenic.

That’s my Health Expression for this month.