So, the sugar seminar.

The Case Against Sugar was an interesting couple of hours. Guest speaker Gary Taubes brought his power point talking points and shared his knowledge from having spent years researching the loaded question of whether sugar is a toxin for the body or not.

In case studies, results are inconclusive; however, Taubes says that a majority of these case studies are at the behest of and financially supported by the very companies who wouldn't want the world to discover that sugar is as dangerous as it is - companies like Coca-Cola who use sugar and sugar substitutes like chemically-engineered fructose in their products. Interesting, that.

I haven't done the research and I can honestly say I might never try and crunch any numbers. I may not even go whole hog, as they call it, and lynch the soft drink companies who grant money for these reportedly "fixed" results and lobby money into the American government to keep the industry thriving.

What I can say is that, aside from the time-consuming study, it doesn't take a genius to understand that each of our bodies, as God-made as we are, is capable of having its own tolerances and allergies, apart from our human sameness. Some people can't eat peanuts. If they do, they will break out in hives, asphyxiate and, if left untreated, die. Some people can't process animal milk enzymes. They get severe stomach pain and it digests into the you don't want to know whats. Sometimes, they need to be hospitalized because the pain is excruciating.

So, who's to say Taubes isn't right that sugar is poison to people? Is it poison for ALL people? I couldn't tell you - and I probably couldn't know. But, I can agree that sugar kills. Folks with diabetes type II can blame sugar for their illness. There are endocrine specialists who will tell you that some people just cannot process sugar and maintain optimal health.

I believe I am one of them. I've not been a sweets person much - not a cupcake and cookie eater, not a candy sneak, none of that. I have filled up on simple carbohydrates that very quickly break down into simple sugars and enter my blood stream before digestion even has much of a chance to work. It works that way in your body, too, you see...but, in my body, the surge taxes my liver and sends distress calls to my pancreas and my kidneys (already so tired) get like "oh, no, not you again." and then my body shuts down. I get tired. I get lazy. I get sluggish. I can't continue without a nap.

I am already dealing with hypothyroidism...so adding sugar is like signing up for sleep camp. While other kids will be ready for a good time of fire songs and day hikes, I'll be snoring and very difficult to wake.

So, I do believe Taubes when he traces a disease to its cause and it just so happens to be sugar, or simple carbs, is the X factor. I had an interesting time.

Next post, I'll talk with you about stamina and stuff.