Until we see Him coming, victorious in the sky,
We’ll run the race with gratitude, exalting God most high.
Yes, there’ll be good times, and, yes, some will be bad,
But Zion waits in glory, where none are ever sad.
                                                                                                                       -Author unknown

   As we all know, the more physically fit we are, the more effectively we can tackle the tasks we face each day. But just how much attention do we give to the nourishment of our physical bodies? If we are being responsible, we will choose foods that strengthen rather than weaken our bodies.
   This is a simple principle, but is it reflected in the general diet of our country? Here is what the “average” person
chooses to eat each year:
     756 donuts
     60 lbs. of cakes and cookies
     23 gallons of ice cream
     22 lbs candy
     365 cans soda pop
     90 lbs. fat
     134 lbs. refined sugar
     Now,  consider what the “average” person doesn’t eat. On any given day, 41% of the population consumes no form
of fruit and 82% consumes no cruciferous vegetables (i.e., broccili, cabbage, cauliflower, etc)! When God created the world, He provided food for us.  Was it the fresh and raw fruits and vegetables (which are neglected today), or the refined foods which are now so readily consumed? Again, I think the answer is pretty obvious. Perhaps we aren’t fully aware of the danger of one ingredient common to so many items we ingest — sugar.
   Sugar has been termed a “starvation food” since it satisfies our body’s call for food but leaves our cells sick and dying. Within 30  minutes of eating white sugar, our white blood cell activity slows down and won’t recover for five hours. This, in turn, opens up our body to obesity, sinus infections, allergies, asthma, hay fever, eczema, headaches, etc.
   One might wonder how sugar can be so bad for us when it is made from a plant — sugar cane. In its natural state, raw sugar cane has choline and inositol whose primary functions in our bodies are essentially the same as detergent in motor oil. They help keep our blood vessels unclogged by utilizing fatty globules, thereby keeping our cholesterol levels in check. But sugar refining companies put raw sugar cane through 14 refining steps — robbing it of valuable B-complex, enzymes, proteins, minerals and vitamins. In an attempt to digest white sugar, our body must rob itself of nutrients as it tries to “balance” the sugar input. This process leaches our body of calcium, etc. and taxes our digestive system and pancreas, depleting us of what is needed to maintain our immune system.
   Seventy-six percent of the 134 lbs. of sugar the average person eats is hidden in canned and dried soups, canned and
frozen vegetables, dressings, baby foods, peanut butter, flavored yogurt, ketchup and other tomato products, and breakfast cereals.
   Knowing the debilitating effects sugar has on our bodies, perhaps we should look for safer alternatives. There are several; the most common being honey. In its natural, unprocessed form, it comes complete with all the enzymes necessary to digest it: building rather than destroying our body.
   Honey can be substituted for sugar in most recipes. Since it is sweeter than sugar, you can substitute ½ cup of honey for every cup of sugar, and, because honey is a liquid, you should reduce the liquid in the recipe a little.  (Editor: I suggest using closer to 2/3 cup honey to replace 1 cup sugar.)  Also, honey causes food to brown quicker when baking, so you may want to reduce your baking temperature by 25º. It takes a little experimenting, but the efforts are worth it...
                                                                                                                                                                    -Teresa Paul
   This article was reprinted with permission from Hidden Wisdom Magazine.   For more information about this magazine, write to 2475-A 340th St.; Laurel, IA 50141, or visit online at www.hwmagazine.org.