Dr. Mark Hyman is a chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine, as well as founder and director of the Ultra Wellness Center in Massachusetts. He has rich experience in the field, with 20 years as a practicing physician.

In an article “Sweet poison: How sugar, not cocaine, is one of the most addictive and dangerous substances.”, he asserts that “the $1 trillion industrial food system is the biggest drug dealer around, responsible for contributing to tens of millions of deaths every year and siphoning trillions of dollars from our global economy through the loss of human and natural capital.”

His aim is not just to start up a campaign against sugar, but his mission is to rein in our current health crisis of obesity, inflammation, hormonal imbalance, autoimmune disease, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. An essential modern issue, since he considers the sweet stuff to be as powerfully addictive as drugs or alcohol.

Sugar is health destructive

Sugar is a secret health destroyer, since it is hidden in a majority of processed and packaged food. Facts say that Americans alone consume a staggering 152 pounds each year. As a nation, we are sugar addicts in the clutches of an industrial food system. In facts, he claims that sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine.

Since the 70s, food manufacturers began stripping products of fat because it was believed to be unhealthy. However, as the food turned tasteless, sugar was the substitute. Now, that substance is in everything we consume on a daily basis.

Regardless of the type, white, brown or high-fructose corn syrup, all kinds of sugar contribute to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Research indicates that liver converts large amounts of consumed sugar to fat, which can lead to plaque in the arteries and tumor growth. Additionally, certain tumors have insulin receptors that feed on glucose.

What Hyman believes is that we “need a big solution that reaches deep into what is offered in our supermarkets, restaurants, schools and workplaces. We need a solution that addresses the policy roots in agriculture, food marketing, dietary recommendations and the way doctors are trained to diagnose and treat patients.”

The first step is taking responsibility for our health, and one way to do that is to go sugar- free.

How to go sugar-free?

Quitting sugar is not easy and is not about avoiding desserts and sweets only, although that’s an excellent start. But, the major work is deeper, we should give up processed foods entirely, and start reading labels.

Dr. Hyman has invented a 10-day detoxifying diet which can solve all blood sugar disorders. During an episode of The Dr. Oz Show, Hyman recommends avoiding the following foods from the diet:

• Eliminate convenience foods, for they are designed to be addictive with high flavor and sugar.
• Avoid wheat and grains, since both are inflammatory and trigger hunger and craving.
• Stop drinking sugary drinks and soda, which drive up insulin and create belly fat.

Dr. Hyman claims that he personally knew a patient who lost 75 pounds simply by removing soda from the diet.
In the end, eliminate dairy products which are another pro-inflammatory edible that promotes weight gain.

Source: NaturalNews.com
(http://www.naturalnews.com)

About the author:
Carolanne believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, wellness coach and natural foods chef, she has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of green living for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people who share a similar vision.

Other included sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.nydailynews.com
http://www.cbsnews.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.doctoroz.com
http://drhyman.com
http://www.nydailynews.com