J J Virgin: The Sugar Impact Diet
OMTIMES: Our bodies run on glucose, so what’s wrong with getting a little bit of sugar in our diet?
J J Virgin: The average person eats a whopping 22 teaspoons of added sugars daily. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, the average American eats 152 pounds of sugar and 146 pounds of flour (which converts to sugar) every year. These sugars often arrive hidden and in sneaky sources like green tea, salad dressings, and sundried tomatoes; in other words, “healthy” foods. Those sneaky sugars take a huge toll on your health and your waistline.
The Sugar Impact Diet isn’t a no-sugar diet. The copious fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods you’ll incorporate into the plan all contain some natural sugar, which prevents blood sugar from dropping too low but also prevents it from going too high.
OMTIMES: Why can’t I just enjoy everything in moderation? I mean, that occasional piece of chocolate cake isn’t going to hurt me, right?
J J Virgin: This might be the biggest fat-loss cliché ever. It drives me nuts because for most people, it doesn’t work. The reality is moderation is a slippery slope, because so often people really believe they can have just one cookie. Moderation makes you fat, sets you up for cravings, creates or exacerbates food intolerances, and ignores the serious damage high-sugar foods (especially high-fructose corn syrup) can create.
What The Sugar Impact Diet ultimately does is help you better appreciate sweetness. Suddenly, you taste the natural sweetness of slow roasted almonds or blueberries. Once you get your taste buds under control, you might choose to occasionally indulge in something sweet, but you might be surprised that you choose not to. I’ve read the book and am a little confused why you would reduce or eliminate certain foods. I mean, I thought apples were healthy? And then other foods that are higher in carbs, like quinoa, land in the “green light” category.
Remember that I look at a food’s overall sugar impact. Fiber and nutrient density both affect that sugar impact, and total sugar isn’t the only factor when I rank a food. Certain fruits we’re told to eat every day—like apples—can actually be some of the worst offenders for sneaking more sugar into your diet than you ever imagined, especially because you’re probably giving yourself a pass to eat up. Certain fruits, like apples and pears, have significantly more fructose than glucose—in fact, twice as much, which is why I put them into the medium sugar-impact category.
