Death by Sugar
Excerpt from Death
by Modern Medicine by Dr. Carolyn Dean
pp. 256-258
The World Health Organization Speaks Out Against Sugar
I was joined in condemning a high-sugar diet on April 23,
2003, by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
the World Health Organization (WHO) On that day, the FAO and
WHO revealed an independent expert report titled “Diet,
Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.”
The
report examines cardiovascular diseases, several forms of
cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and dental disease
as the result of poor lifestyle and diet. The report acknowledges
that the burden of chronic diseases is rapidly increasing.
Statistics from 2001 reveal that chronic disease contributed
approximately 59 percent of the 56.5 million total reported
deaths in the world and 46 percent of the global burden of
disease.
The experts who wrote the report feel that a diet low in sugars,
salt, and saturated fats and high in vegetables and fruits,
together with regular physical activity, can have a major
impact on combating this high toll of death and disease. They
focused special attention on added sugars and determined that
a healthy diet should contain no more than 10 percent.
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, director-general of WHO, said:
We have known for a long time that foods
high in saturated fats, sugars, and salt are unhealthy;
that we are, globally, increasing our intake of energy-dense,
nutritionally poor food as our lives become increasingly
sedentary; and that these factors—together with tobacco
use—are the leading causes of the great surge we have
seen in the incidence of chronic diseases. What is new is
that we are laying down the foundation for a global policy
response.
No other agency has set such a low limit for
the intake of sugar. In the United States, in spite of the
fact that 60 percent of the population is obese, the Dietary
Guidelines
for
Americans only advise that sugar should be used in moderation.
Even worse, the Institute of Medicine, part of the US National
Academy of Sciences, indulges Americans with a whopping 25
percent of their calories from added sugar.
The major objection to any recommendations for reducing sugar
comes from the sugar industry. Presently they are in a huge
debate with WHO. The industry denies that sugar is the cause
of any form of chronic disease and says that the solution
to obesity is—more exercise. The US National Soft Drink
Association’s stated position is that a 10 percent limit
on sugar should not be included in the WHO plan.
They publicly claim that the scientific literature does not
show an association between sugar intake and obesity. In a
blatant attempt to derail implementation of the Diet and Nutrition
Report, the sugar industry is lobbying the US government to
withhold funding from the UN and WHO if it goes ahead with
its recommendations.
Excerpt from
Death
by Modern Medicine by Dr. Carolyn Dean
Healing
Magic: A Green Witch Guidebook
by Robin
Rose Bennett
Follow the path to physical and spiritual health with this how-to
manual filled with ancient lore and wisdom. Using stories, songs,
rituals, recipes, meditations, and trance journeys, it suggests
more than 100 ways to practice the art of magical healing. Find
out how to reconnect with the earth and draw on its energy, interact
with the power of the seven chakras, make use of moon magic and
women's wisdom, prepare herbal infusions and baths, work with the
medicine wheel, and cast spells for love and wealth. No matter what
your beliefs, this guidebook will open your heart and mind to the
joys of everyday life.
Price:
$14.95 plus shipping
Other articles by Robin Rose Bennett
An Herbalists Notebook part 1
An Herbalists Notebook part 2
Order HEALING MAGIC in our Bookshop
“Robin has been practicing Earth Spirit healing, herbalism and Wise Woman ways for twenty years and is an incredibly gifted spiritual teacher, healer and ceremonialist. Robin's powerful teachings come to the reader through a personal writing style that is immediately engaging, sharing practical wisdom through anecdote and example.”
Jen Prosser, Sunstone Herbs
Healing
Wise
by Susun
S. Weed
Introduction by Jean Houston.
Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity. Seven herbs -- burdock, chickweed, dandelion, nettle,
oatstraw, seaweed, and violet -- are explored in depth.
A Special Tenth Anniversary edition of this
classic herbal, profusely illustrated. 312 pages.
Retails for $21.95
Read a Review
Order HEALING WISE in our Bookshop
I just started reading your book, Healing Wise. Your
humor and approach to life seem so "down-to-earth",
just like your favorite powerful weeds. Thank you for sharing
and nourishing! ~ Diane