In our November 2024 book club, we read about how lobbyists and their propaganda can impact our behavior. Pulling on a thread from that book, I invite you to explore “Pure, White, and Deadly: How Sugar Is Killing Us, and What We Can Do to Stop It.”
Decades ago, in this pioneering book, renowned physician and biochemist John Yudkin sounded the alarm that sugar was bad for our health— and he was ignored by the majority of the medical profession and dismissed by the food industry.
- In 2013 (the latest print of this book which was first published in the ‘70s) one in three American adults was overweight.
- There was an epidemic of obese six-month-olds around the globe.
- We already consumed more sugar in two weeks than we used to consume in a year.
Using everyday language and a range of scientific evidence, Dr. Yudkin explores the ins and outs of sugar. Brought up-to-date by childhood-obesity expert Robert H. Lustig, MD, (in 2012/13) “Pure, White, and Deadly” is essential reading for anyone concerned about their health, and the health of modern society.
Let’s make it even more fun by bringing our favorite recipes that do not include added sugar. Keep in mind that coconut sugar, beet sugar, honey, maple syrup, date syrup, etc. are all forms of added sugar. So lets bring our recipes that are delicious but only sweetened through the inclusion of a whole food (with its own fiber, e.g. whole tomatoes, blueberries, carrots, beets, apples and not their distilled components in the form of juice or syrups) or perhaps delicious food that is not sweet at all. I can’t wait to learn from you!
(Please note: I am not a proponent of cutting any food group from the diet. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins are important components of the diet. Added sugar, however, is not. Also, all views expressed are my own and do not represent the views of my employer.)
