Rule #3: Sugar, not Fat, is the Real Enemy!

“Over 75% of adults and 40% of kids in the U.S. are now overweight - and sugar addiction is a big reason why.”¹ Dietary “Guidelines now suggest Americans limit added sugar to roughly 10 percent of daily calories, or about 12 teaspoons per day. Currently, we consume 22 to 30 teaspoons of added sugar daily, half of which comes from soda, juices and other sugary drinks.”²

In other words, the average American is consuming way too much sugar. And obesity isn’t the only issue we face with excessive sugar consumption. It also leads to many chronic diseases including “metabolic syndrome and inflammatory diseases.”³ Even worse, “new research suggests that sugar plays a major role in the etiology of cancer and cancer progression.”⁴

Take Breast Cancer as an example. In a recent study of women under 45, those who had sweets ten times a week had a significantly higher chance of breast cancer than those that had sweets less than three times a week.⁵ That same study “found no significant association between risk of breast cancer and calorie intake, macronutrients, or types of fat, showing a sugar-specific association.”⁶

What’s more, that same study found that women who have breast cancer and drank a sugary soda five times a week were 85 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than those who rarely or never drank sugary soda.⁷

So how are we getting so much sugar in our diet? As Dr. Hyman points out, many foods we regularly eat include added sugar—from salad dressings to pasta sauces.⁸ Here are some ways to get excess sugar out of your diet:

Tip 1: Read Labels! You have to start reading labels. Look at how many things have sugar. You will be surprised. Sugar substitutes aren’t much better so avoid those as well when you can. Some say stevia is a suitable substitute. Just remember at the end of the day it is still a sweetener—maybe the lesser of the evils.

Many doctors now say fructose is the worst. And that is definitely true when it is in things like soda. But don’t stop eating fruit. Fruit doesn’t cause the same problem because it has the fiber to protect you from the sugar, which juices and sodas lack.

Tip 2: Eat a savory breakfast. Don’t start the day with sweets. If you start the day with sweets you crave them all day and you don’t feel full. And for those of you thinking “my cereal isn’t sweet,” think again. Read the label. Eat a breakfast high in protein (I like eggs) and good fats (I like avocado or wild salmon) and you will be more content throughout the day.

Tip 3: Save Sugar for a treat. Anyone that knows me knows I love my ice cream. I am not going to give up something that I love. For me, it was easy to give up juice (high in sugar) and sugary breakfast foods knowing I could have Graeter’s Ice Cream as a treat every once in a while. What is the thing you can’t give up? Can you do a savory breakfast and save the sugar for later in the day?

But I thought Fat was the enemy?

“The quest to eliminate fat has no scientific or biological basis. In fact, ‘good fats’ are responsible for the proper development of eyesight, brain membranes and neural connections. In addition to being good for the brain, they help reduce cardiovascular risks. So good fat is a crucial ally for good health!”⁹

So what is a bad fat and what is a good fat?

Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.¹⁰ They are often high in Omega-3 fatty acids, “which are essential fats that the body cannot make. They reduce risk of blood clots and lower inflammation.”¹¹

Bad fats include industrial made trans-fats, which are not supposed to be in our foods anymore. Saturated fats fall somewhere in the middle.¹² I may do an entire post on saturated fats if people would like me to.

What should I eat?

I like fatty fish including SMASH fish! What are those? Wild Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, and Herring. If you are like my wife, you are gagging right now.

Another way to get Omega-3s is through things like flaxseed (I add to full fat yogurt!), chia seeds, and hemp seeds (good on salad). Other fatty foods that are good for you include Olive Oil, Avocados, Walnuts, Almonds, and Hazelnuts. But most of us don’t get enough Omega-3s in our diet, so supplement if necessary.

Plan of Action: I know I said I was going to make this easy. Try this in the next week or two. Aim to get a savory breakfast every day. Eggs and avocado are great. If you are on the go, try full fat yogurt, with flax seed and wild frozen blueberries (preferably organic). Just avoid a sweet breakfast (a muffin or cereal) or one loaded with carbs like a bagel and cream cheese. Instead go savory and your body will reward you!

Once you have that down, start reading labels. It doesn’t take much time, but you will learn a whole lot. I am not asking you to cut out what you love, just understand what you are eating and whether it has sugar so you can keep tabs on what you are consuming.

Finally, if you are ambitious, just shop in the outer aisle of the grocery store—where all the whole foods are located. By avoiding the middle of the grocery store you avoid ultra-processed foods and added sugar! And I just saved you time ;)

Remember, you don’t have to give up sugar—trust me I love my ice cream. Just try cutting out the excess sugar and start the day right. Everything else will follow. You will be shocked at the results!

1. https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep912; https://www.dartmouth-health.org/living-better/how-sugar-affects-body#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20diets%20high%20in%20added,obesity%2C%20heart%20disease%2C%20diabetes%20and%20other%20illnesses.

2. https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2022/january/is-sugar-or-fat-worse-for-your-heart#

3. https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/23/12/10.2741/4704

4. Epner M, Yang P, Wagner RW, Cohen L. Understanding the Link between Sugar and Cancer: An Examination of the Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Dec 8;14(24):6042. doi: 10.3390/cancers14246042. PMID: 36551528; PMCID: PMC9775518.

5. Potischman, N.; Coates, R.J.; Swanson, C.A.; Carroll, R.J.; Daling, J.R.; Brogan, D.R.; Gammon, M.D.; Midthune, U.; Curtin, J.; Brinton, L.A. Increased risk of early-stage breast cancer related to consumption of sweet foods among women less than age 45 in the united states. Cancer Causes Control 2002, 13, 937–946.

6. Epner M, Yang P, Wagner RW, Cohen L. Understanding the Link between Sugar and Cancer: An Examination of the Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Dec 8;14(24):6042. doi: 10.3390/cancers14246042. PMID: 36551528; PMCID: PMC9775518 citing the Cancer Causes Control Study.

7. Koyratty, N.; McCann, S.E.; Millen, A.E.; Nie, J.; Trevisan, M.; Freudenheim, J.L. Sugar-sweetened soda consumption and total and breast cancer mortality: The western new york exposures and breast cancer (web) study. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomark. Prev. 2021, 30, 945–952; https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep912 (Dr. Mark Hyman discussing the study).

8. https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep912

9. https://yuka.io/en/10-keys-healthy-eating/

10. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good

11. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/which-is-worse-for-you-fat-or-sugar

12. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good