Skinny Bitch (3 page)

Best-selling
Fit for Life
authors Harvey and Marilyn Diamond found that fruit best serves our bodies when eaten alone because it is so easily and quickly digested. When we eat fruit with other foods, it cannot pass through our bodies as quickly. So it rots and ferments in our stomachs. This can cause burping, bloating, and heartburn. To combat this, the Diamonds recommend eating fruit on an empty stomach, first meal of the day, and waiting thirty minutes before eating anything else.16 (We know this will be tough for some people, and it’s okay if you aren’t ready to tackle this challenge yet. It’s just an ideal to aim for.)

So shout it from the rooftops until every one of your dumb-ass, misinformed friends hears: YOU CAN EAT BREAD AND FRUIT!

Chapter 3

Sugar is the Devil

We all know how difficult it is to stay away from sugar. But if you don’t exorcise this demon

from your diet, you will never be a skinny

bitch. Take a look around your kitchen and

become aware of all the places the devil is lurking. Probably in places you wouldn’t ever expect to find “him.” Read the ingredients of your breakfast cereals, breads, crackers, junk foods, everything.

Sugar is like crack, and food manufacturers know that if they add it to their products, you’ll keep coming back for more.

What is this evil entity? In its simplest form, it is the juice from a sugar cane plant. A plant—that seems benign, right? And it is, in moderation, ingested in its raw, simplest form. But all the enzymes, fiber, vitamins, and minerals are destroyed during the refining process.17 First, the cane is pressed to extract the juice. Then, the juice is boiled so that it will thicken and crystallize. Next, it is cen-trifuged, or spun, to remove the syrup. After that, the sugar is washed and filtered to remove any nonsugar materials and to decolorize it. (By the way, sugar filters are commonly made of charred animal bones. Nasty.) Finally, the sugar is dried and packaged. So you see, refined sugar has no nutritional value. And it’s usually in foods that contain gobs of fat, lots of useless calories, and loads of cholesterol. So, you become addicted to foods (because they contain sugar) that have a large amount of fat, saturated fat, hydrogenated oils, and calories. Refined sugar, a simple carbohydrate, has been linked to hypoglycemia, yeast overgrowth (check your undies), a weakened immune system, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, enlargement of the liver and kidneys, increase of uric acid in the blood, mental and emotional disorders, dental cavities, and an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.18 In addition, refined sugars make you
fat
. Excess amounts are stored in the liver as glycogen. But when the liver is too full, the excess amounts are returned to the bloodstream as fatty acids.19 Guess where those end up? Hips, stomach, thighs, and ass.

The sugar industry is big business in America. The United States is the largest supplier of sugar-laden foods in the world. It’s not enough to poison our own citizens. We have to fuck up the rest of the world, too, for a dime.

High fructose corn syrup is another badass that finds its way into tons of foods. Manufacturers love its versatility and put it in nearly everything: juice, soda, beer, yogurt, energy bars, cookies, candies, breads, even frozen goods. High fructose corn syrup is processed more than sugar and is even sweeter. But it’s a friend of the farmer because it’s so cheap to produce. Like refined sugar, it has a negative, dramatic effect on our blood-sugar levels. According to studies conducted by the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
diabetes and obesity are directly linked to eating refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup.20

We aren’t telling you to give up cookies for the rest of your lives; we certainly don’t want to start a riot. We’re simply suggesting that you substitute natural, healthier alternatives for refined sugar. At the top of the list is agave nectar or syrup. This high-nutrient sweetener can actually be beneficial to your health. It doesn’t contain any processing chemicals, and the raw version (completely un-processed) contains vitamins and minerals. Because it absorbs slowly into the bloodstream, agave nectar doesn’t have a significant impact on blood-sugar levels. It can be used in place of sugar in any product or recipe.

Stevia, another winner, is derived from a plant found in Paraguay. The Japanese have been using this wonder sweetener for decades, South Americans for centuries. In fact, it is used by hundreds of millions of people around the world to balance blood-sugar levels, reduce cravings for sweets, and aid in digestion.

Additionally, it is known for its antimicrobial properties (it inhibits the growth of bacteria). Unfortunately, however, it is the most unrecognized sweetener in the United States. This natural, herbal sweetener contains no calories, has no glycemic index (meaning it won’t alter blood sugar), and is even safe for diabetics. But for reasons unknown to intelligent species everywhere, the Food and Drug Administration won’t approve Stevia for use in food products.21

Maybe they are sleeping with the sugar industry.

Other good substitutes for refined sugar include evaporated cane juice, Sucanat, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, Rapadura sugar, Turbinado sugar, raw sugar, beet sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and blackstrap molasses. (Some companies add lard to maple syrup or molasses to reduce foaming, so be sure you are buying 100 percent pure, organic products.) Don’t shit and piss yourselves, but all of these natural sweeteners possess one or more of the following health benefits: enzymes, calcium, iron, potassium, protein, the B vitamins, magnesium, chromium, fiber, and folic acid. Some even contain complex carbohydrates.22 We’re not saying you should eat naturally sweetened cupcakes three meals a day.

We’re just saying that you
can
have your cake and eat it. Just use your head regarding the amount of sweets you consume.

A drum roll, please, for a few of our favorite sweets: Uncle Eddie’s vegan cookies, Tropical Source or Terra Nostra chocolate bars, Oreo knock-offs by Back to Nature or Country Choice, organic Fig Newmans, and all the cookies by the Sun Flour Baking Co. and the Alternative Baking Co.

Now that you’ve heard the good news about natural sweeteners, it’s time to give up the all the bad ones. Obviously, refined sugar is bad for you, as is high fructose corn syrup. And in case you had your head up your ass during Chapter 1, STOP EATING AND DRINKING PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN ASPARTAME! This includes diet sodas and sugar-free foods that have NutraSweet or Equal.

When aspartame was put before the FDA for approval, it was denied
eight
times. G.D. Searle, founder of aspartame, tried to get FDA approval in 1973. Clearly, he wasn’t bothered by reports from neuroscientist Dr. John Olney and researcher Ann Reynolds (hired by Searle himself) that aspartame was dangerous. Dr. Martha Freeman, a scientist from the FDA Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products, declared, “The information submitted for review is inadequate to permit a scientific evaluation of clinical safety.” Freeman recommended that until the safety of aspartame was proven, marketing the product should not be permitted. Alas, her recommendations were ignored. Somehow, in 1974, Searle got approval to use aspartame in dry foods. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing from there. In 1975, the FDA put together a task force to review Searle’s testing methods. Task force team leader Phillip Brodsky said he “had never seen anything as bad as Searle’s testing” and called test results “manipulated.” Before aspartame actually made it into dry foods, Olney and attorney and consumer advocate Jim Turner filed objections against the approval.23

In 1977, the FDA asked the U.S. attorney’s office to start grand jury proceedings against Searle for “knowingly misrepresenting findings and concealing material facts and making false statements in aspartame safety tests.” Shortly after, the U.S. attorney leading the investigation against Searle was offered a job by the law firm that was representing Searle. Later that same year, he resigned as U.S. attorney and withdrew from the case, delaying the grand jury’s investigation. This caused the statute of limitations on the charges to run out, and the investigation was dropped.
And
he accepted the job with Searle’s law firm.24 Stunning.

In 1980, a review by the Public Board of Inquiry set up by the FDA determined that aspartame should not be approved. The board said it had “not been presented with proof of reasonable cer-tainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive.” In 1981, new FDA Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed. Despite the fact that three out of six scientists advised against approval, Hayes decided to overrule the scientific review panel and allow aspartame into limited dry goods. In 1983, he got it approved for beverages, even though the National Soft Drink Association urged the FDA to delay approval until further testing could be done. That same year, Hayes left the FDA amid charges of impropriety. The Internal Department of Health and Human Services was investigating Hayes for accepting gratuities from FDA-regulated companies. He went to work as a consultant for Searle’s public relations firm. Interesting.

The FDA finally urged Congress to prosecute Searle for giving the government false or incomplete test results on aspartame.25

However, the two government attorneys assigned to the case decided not to prosecute. Later, they went to work for the law firm that represented Searle. Fascinating. Despite recognizing ninety-two different symptoms that result from ingesting aspartame, the FDA approved it for use, without restriction, in 1996.26 Brilliant.

So many people have been sickened from this shit that there are aspartame victim support groups. Some of the ninety-two aspartame side effects listed by the FDA include memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer’s, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, and weight gain.27

Aspartame is a $1 billion industry.28 The National Justice League has filed a series of lawsuits against food companies using aspartame, claiming they are poisoning the public. In September 2004, a class action lawsuit was filed for $350 million against NutraSweet and the American Diabetics Association. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is named in the suit for using political muscle to get aspartame approved by the FDA.29

NutraSweet and Equal contain aspartame. When ingested, one of aspartame’s ingredients, methyl alcohol, converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin.30 In addition to aspartame, Equal contains the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine occurs naturally in the brain. But high levels can increase the chance of seizures and lead to depression and schizophrenia.31 There is no lesser of the two evils. NutraSweet and Equal are both evil. Sweet

& Low is no saint, either. It is an artificial sweetener that contains saccharin, a coal-tar compound.32 Stay away.

Because we’re having so much fun, let’s bash the shit out of Splenda, one of the newer sweeteners. Splenda is made by chlorinat-ing sugar, changing its molecular structure. The finished product is called sucralose. The makers of this poison tout its lack of calories and claim it’s safe for diabetics. The FDA calls sucralose 98 percent pure. The other 2 percent contains small amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic.33 Well, gee, at least it doesn’t have calories.

So what if it has a little arsenic? Sucralose has been found to cause diarrhea; organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage; swelling of the liver and kidneys; and a decrease in fetal body weight.34 What a splendid product! According to Dr. Joseph Mercola in Consumer Research magazine’s article “The Potential Dangers of Sucralose,” “There is no clear-cut evidence that sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is some evidence that these substances may stimulate appetite.”35

Not only have multiple class action lawsuits been filed, but even the president of the National Sugar Association and the manufacturer of Equal are up in arms about Splenda. They each filed suit, claiming that Splenda manufacturers are misleading consumers into thinking the product is natural when it is “a highly processed chemical compound.” Don’t think that the giants behind artificial sweeteners and the sugar industry suddenly started caring about public health. Splenda’s clever marketing is just totally screwing up their sales. But even executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Dr. Michael F. Jacobson, who normally criticizes The National Sugar Association, had to agree: “Advertising and labeling, whether for products that are healthful or unhealthful, should be truthful and not misleading.” 36

Clearly, artificial sweeteners and refined sugars are bad for many reasons. Here’s one more. We have a delicate balancing act occurring in our bodies at all times—pH balance. Basically, everything we eat has its own pH balance. When food is digested, it leaves an acid or alkaline “ash” in the body, depending on the food’s mineral content. Surprise, surprise: Artificial sweeteners are highly acid forming. (Coffee, excessive protein, meat, pasteurized dairy, refined sugars, and fatty foods are, too.)37