From my own personal experience, I can tell you that if you want to improve your health, the single most important thing you can do is eliminate refined sugar from your diet.  This is easier said than done for two reasons.  The first reason is that refined sugar is highly addictive and the second is that it’s found in so many foods, so you really have to be diligent to avoid it.  However, if you want mental clarity, great energy and general good health, you have to eliminate refined sugar from your diet.  I’m convinced that you cannot eat refined sugar and maintain good health, period!

To explain why I feel this way, I want to share with you a little of my own history in seeking good health.  Like most people who are involved in natural healing, I had serious health problems growing up.  I was plagued with chronic sinus problems in my youth. From the time I was a small child, I was a mouth breather, simply because my sinuses were always plugged up. I also “caught” colds frequently, and every time I did my mother took me to the doctor for antibiotics.

In junior high school the doctor said I had chronic sinusitis and had me take penicillin every day for two years, which was supposed to clear it up. However, at the end of the two years my sinuses weren’t any better. In fact, they were worse.  I don’t blame my family doctor; he was a wonderful, kind man. He just didn’t know any better.

In 1973, after my first year of college, I was working as a camp counselor for the YMCA. About half-way through the summer I got sick, took a round of antibiotics, and felt better, then had a relapse where I felt even worse. After the second round of antibiotics, the doctor gave me two shots of gamma globulin to boost my immune system and prescribed a B-complex vitamin with vitamin C which he said would help with stress. This seemed to really help, at least for a time.

However, at the end of the summer I went to Southern California on a two-year mission for the church I grew up in. The smog really aggravated my respiratory system and within about six weeks I started to get sick again. For the next six months, I was constantly battling congestion, sinus drainage and sinus headaches. The following spring, I wound up in bed for two weeks with pneumonia. After a week on antibiotics, I wasn’t any better, so the doctor had me come to his office every day and gave me a shot of tetracycline as well as an oral dose of ampicillin.

When I was feeling better a week later, he put me on antihistamines. I took them and my sinuses were clear, but I was constipated for a week. When I was finally able to go to the bathroom again, I thought, “I’m not going to do this anymore.”

Fortunately, there was a chiropractor nearby who belonged to my church who offered to start treating me for free. He encouraged me to stop drinking milk (funny no doctors had ever mentioned this) and to make some other adjustments to my diet. I actually started to feel better.

To anyone who knows about Candida, it should be obvious by now that I had a massive problem with yeast overgrowth. With all those antibiotics, and all the sugar and refined carbohydrates I consumed, it’s pretty obvious my intestines must have been teeming with lots and lots of yeastie-beasties.

Chiropractic care and giving up milk and ice cream got me through the rest of my mission with less incidence of sickness. After returning to Utah from my mission I was given a copy of Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss. I started using some of his suggestions and continued to improve.

By the early 1980s I was eating less and less refined sugar and had gradually been moving towards more natural sweeteners, such as honey, maple syrup, date sugar, etc. Of course, I also quit using antibiotics entirely and switched to using garlic, goldenseal, Herbal Crisis (Ed Millet’s modified Composition which is available from Red Rock Naturals), lobelia and capsicum when I got sick. The result was that my immune system got stronger.

I am totally convinced that my gradual dietary improvements and my use of the herbs listed above resulting in a reduction in yeast overgrowth in my intestines, but I never actually went on a candida diet. I personally consider what most people do to try to control candida to be rather extreme and in some cases absurd.

For example, I don’t believe that natural vinegar or mushrooms directly contribute to yeast overgrowth. In fact, some mushrooms, like ganoderma and reshi mushrooms actually help a person overcome yeast problems. Bread is probably a problem, but not because it contains yeast as leavening. Yeast feed off simple sugars, and white bread and polished rice convert rapidly into simple sugars, which feed yeast.

I also think that it’s ridiculous to avoid all natural sugars in trying to combat yeast. I never did. For example, avoiding fresh fruit has always seemed extreme to me. Fruits contain fruit acids and other ingredients that build immunity and help control yeast, not just sugar. In short, my experience in overcoming what was obviously a severe yeast problem without doing any of these things makes me doubt their necessity.

As I indicated at the beginning of this article I think that the single biggest factor in my improved health was simply giving up refined sugar and processed grains. Although I’d been minimizing my sugar intake for years, I was motivated to go “cold turkey” when an iridologist named Grace Larsen in Orem, UT told me I was pre-diabetic. That was in the early 1980s. At the time I didn’t know why she said this, but now that I’m an iridologist I know—I had a lot of orange in my eye and I also have a lacuna on my pancreatic area.

Giving up sugar helped me have empathy for people who are overcoming addictions of any kind.  Growing up, I never smoked, used illegal drugs, drank any kind of alcoholic beverage, or consumed tea, coffee or caffeinated sodas.  This was due partially to my religious upbringing, but my family’s standard was even higher than the one imposed by our church, because my mom wouldn’t let us drink caffeinated sodas.

I was really obedient to these standards, too.  In fact, I drank my first Coca Cola in 1986 in mainland China at the age of 32, just because I was dehydrated and there was nothing else to drink. (By the way, I first tasted wine  when I was 40 and my first taste of coffee was at the age of 45.)

The point in this is that I had a hard time understanding addiction until I tried to give up refined sugar. I didn’t think I had any addictions. Boy was I wrong.

I was visiting my sister the other day, who has made tremendous progress in overcoming a weight problem she’s had for years and she was telling me that she’d discovered she was an addict and that sugar was a drug. I learned the same thing over 20 years ago when I did what she has done—gave up my refined carbohydrates. The experience taught me a lot.

First, I did come to the conclusion (just as my sister and others have) that refined sugar is a chemical drug. It is not a food. It has been processed to the point that it’s a lifeless chemical substance. It took me three weeks of complete abstinence to get over the physical withdrawal symptoms.

The second thing I learned from the experience of going “cold turkey” off of sugar was that getting past the physical addiction is only 25% of the battle. The psychological and social aspects of the addiction are much harder to get past.
It took me at least a year, perhaps two, to overcome the social/psychological addiction to sugar. The social addiction comes because sugar is such a social thing. It was especially true in the culture I was in. If you don’t smoke, drink, etc., what do you do? The answer, eat sugar and chocolate. I was amazed at how offended one of my friends was one day when I politely said “no thank you” to a piece of chocolate cake. I could see why people who are trying to quit smoking or drinking often have to change their circle of friends.

The psychological addiction comes because we’ve been trained since childhood to reward ourselves with sugar and to use sugar as a medication when we feel hurt or sad. Birthday parties, holidays and celebrations of all kinds revolve around sugar. How many well-meaning parents offer sugary treats to their children when they are crying or upset? I even wrote a poem about eating cookies to stop crying when I was twenty.

 Sugar gets psychologically associated with having a “good time” and receiving comfort from others. So, you feel you’re depriving yourself when you turn it down and that doesn’t feel good.

Fortunately, I was working at that time with Dr. C. Samuel West, who preached (and preached is the correct word) against the “evils” of sugar and refined grains. He said that you should avoid the stuff and focus on eating healthily, but he also said that if you got the urge to binge, do it with gusto because if you’ve been eating right long enough, the stuff will immediately make you sick. He was right.

After I’d been off refined sugar for at least one month, I would occasionally let myself “binge.” The sugary treats always looked fun and appealing, but I’d always feel worse afterwards. This made it easier to avoid the next time. I “arrived” one day when I suddenly got the urge for some donuts. I went to the local donut shop and picked out three that looked good. When I sat down and took a bite however, they tasted like white flour, sugar and shortening. I was so used to eating whole foods that they tasted awful to me. I was never tempted after that.

When there were company parties and everyone was having cake and ice cream I just didn’t have any. One of my fellow employees commented, “You have a lot of will power.” I told her that will power didn’t have anything to do with it. If you don’t like broccoli does it take willpower to turn it down? The stuff had completely lost its appeal. I was too addicted to the good feeling I had when I didn’t eat it.

Which brings me to the third thing I learned when I gave up sugar. My sister told me she felt the same way. I felt like a fog had been lifted from my brain and I could think clearly. I also felt closer to God. For about 8-10 years I avoided refined sugar like a recovered alcoholic avoids alcohol. I just didn’t like the way it made me feel when I ate it. This was one of the most best periods of my life in terms of productivity and learning. Then, because of some emotional struggles, I relaxed my attitudes. I began to socially indulge again.

The mental “fog” that crept in was slow, but steady. I wasn’t eating that much sugar, but I did notice a difference. Recently, however, I’ve decided to go back to my “cold turkey” approach to refined sugar. I’m avoiding it as much as possible and sticking to natural sweeteners. My head feels clearer and I’m more productive when I stay away from the white-sugar drug.

I believe it’s almost a vibrational thing. Refined sugar is a completely dead food vibrationally. Unprocessed honey, while very similar chemically, is still a live food and vibrates at a higher frequency. While it’s still not good to eat too many sweets, even ones that are sweetened with natural sugars, I find that the mental clarity is still there because they have more “light and life” in them.

If you doubt my assertion that sugar is a drug, then I challenge you—give it up “cold turkey” for just three weeks. You might be amazed by what the experience will teach you.

I gave up refined sugar using a lot of will-power.  I really wanted to get well.  Fortunately, I’ve had a lot of experience in helping other people reduce or eliminate refined sugar in their diet since the days I went “cold-turkey.”  So, I know some tricks that make giving up the sugar addiction easier.

Suggestion #1: Eat a Good Breakfast

First, what you eat first thing in the morning helps set your metabolism for the day.  If you start the day with refined carbohydrates or even whole grains you start your body on a carbohydrate burning cycle that will make you crave carbohydrates throughout the day.  So, start your day with some high quality fat and protein. I’m talking about things like eggs, nut butters, avocados, protein powder smoothies (as long as they don’t contain refined sugar), green drinks (spirulina, algae, wheat grass, barley grass, Ultimate GreenZone, etc.) and/or meat.

Your hydrochloric acid levels are highest in the morning, suggesting that morning is the best time to consume heavy proteins.  So, think outside the box a little here.  If you like steak, you’re actually better off eating it for breakfast and not dinner.  I’ve eaten left-over Mexican food or Indian curries for breakfast.  You can even have beans (why not?).  The main point is that breakfast should be the meal that has the most protein and fat, while dinner should be lighter with more complex carbohydrates as carbohydrates help increase serotonin levels in the brain to promote sleep.

You can also eat a spoonful of coconut oil first thing in the morning.  The fat will help kick your body into fat-burning, rather than carbohydrate-burning mode.  Coconut oil has the added benefit that the medium chain fatty acids it contains also help your immune system and combat intestinal yeast.

Suggestion #2: Supplements Can Reduce Cravings

Second, there are some great supplements you can take which help reduce sugar cravings.  My favorite is licorice root.  I have people take two at breakfast, two at lunch and two more about 3:00 in the afternoon when they have an energy slump.  Super Algae is another great supplement for reducing sugar cravings.  Take it the same way as the licorice root.  The two work great together.

Where a person craves sugar and caffeine (sodas, coffee or black tea) I have found the combination of licorice root (taken as directed above) and Target Endurance to be very helpful in building energy levels and reducing these cravings.  Take 2 capsules of Target Endurance with 2 capsules of licorice root. Adrenal Support may also be helpful if they are suffer from adrenal exhaustion.

Suggestion #3: Replaced Refined Sugar with Natural Sugars

Third, substitute natural sugars for refined sugars.  Use raw honey, fresh or canned fruits (without refined sugar of course), freeze-dried sugar cane juice (Sucanat), dark brown organic sugar, barley malt, molasses and xylitol as substitutes for refined sugar in baking, drinks, etc.  These unrefined sugars still have nutrients that help your body process the sugar.  Once you start eating “goodies” made with natural sugars, whole grain flour and other healthy ingredients you’ll never want to go back to those blah “whites” again. 

I’ve posted articles on this website for making healthier versions of cookies and ice cream on this website and plan to post more articles of this nature in the future because being able to make something that satisfies that sweet tooth with a more wholesome treat is an absolutely necessary step to getting away from sugar. 

My fiancee, Helen, really liked cakes and other baked goods when she first arrived in the United States.  Now, after eating some of my homemade treats with whole grains and natural sugars, the other stuff doesn’t even appeal to her.  Furthermore, she’s even losing her taste for wanting to eat a lot of even the homemade natural goodies. 

This is typical of what happens when you make the switch. Your body starts getting the nutrients it needs to process the sugars and your energy improves, you feel better and your cravings gradually diminish.

Xylitol can be very helpful in this process, too.  Xylitol is a refined sugar, but it has a different chemical mack-up than table sugar (sucrose).  It can be used exactly like sugar (except it won’t make bread rise because it kills yeast and it won’t crystalize for making candy).  It is a low glycemic carbohydrate, so it doesn’t spike blood sugar levels.  It kills yeast and the bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay, too.  But, one of the best properties of xylitol is that it also reduces cravings for sugar.

Nature’s Sunshine Products has xylitol in bulk.  They also make xylitol gum, mints and chocolate bars.  Xylitol is also available at health food stores, although the quality might not be as high.  (Xylitol comes from China and NSP had to reject several shipments of it until they got one that met their standards for quality, which suggests that xylitol from companies with lower levels of quality control may have some contaminants in it—a common problem with products from China.) 

The only problem with xylitol is that it causes diarrhea in some people.  This is probably due to the fact that it alters the intestinal flora by killing off yeast and harmful bacteria.  If you start introducing it into your diet gradually, you shouldn’t have a problem with it as these intestinal changes will take place more gradually.

Suggestion #4: Find Other Ways to Make Your Life Sweet

My final tip for getting rid of the sugar habit involves the psychological addiction to sugar.  Craving sugar can be a sign for craving “sweetness” in one’s life.  It involves the energy of the pancreas which is tied up with the desire to experience pleasure.  If you crave sugar, you may also be craving pleasure and joy in your life.  You are trying to “feed” this need with food, which doesn’t work. 

One of the simplest things you can do to satisfy this need for pleasure is to slow down and savor what you eat.  Even if you’re eating something with refined sugar, slow down and take time to experience the flavor, texture, color, etc. of each bite.  You may find that this alone creates a feeling of satisfaction that causes you to eat less sugar.

You can also find other ways to create pleasure for yourself every day.  Take a walk. Get a massage. Listen to some beautiful music. Make love. Take a warm bath with Epsom salts and 10-12 drops of your favorite essential oils. Smell the flowers.  Enjoy the sunset.  Find ways to experience beauty and pleasure in your life and this will feed the inner need better than sugar.

There are some flower essences I’ve found helpful here, too.  Zinnia is one of my favorites for this issue.  It helps a person reconnect with the joy of childhood—to find delight and pleasure in the world again.  Honeysuckle is another helpful remedy.  It overcomes nostalgia and a longing for the “good old days.”  It helps a person find joy in their present life. Nasturtium is another useful remedy for people who are overly dry and intellectual and lack a good sense of humor.
In fact. humor, by itself, will help reduce sugar cravings.  Listen to something funny.  Do something silly.  Laugh at yourself.  This will bring more sweetness into your life so you don’t need to use sugar as a substitute.

It’s not easy to get over the addiction to refined sugar, and even after you’ve done it, it’s very easy to let it creep back into your diet.  However, it’s worth it.  You will think more clearly, have more energy and feel better overall if you do.  Probably half your health problems will disappear in the process, too.  Don’t continue to feel bad.  Kick the sugar habit today!