I decided to do some research. As a service to the public good, I would make the sacrifice and eat more cupcakes.

So, for about 6 weeks, I ate a few more cupcakes and desserts and carbs than I normally do, still staying within my normal range of calories. To my complete non-surprise, my weight and lean mass fluctuated a little, but no more so than usual.

Things were looking great for my book… except… arrgh… I have to tell you… my skin went to utter %#$@!!! I broke out with acne and itchy red skin, and I’m guessing the inflammation was internal as well. Inflammation is a Really Bad Thing, if you haven’t heard… linked to everything from arthritis to chronic fatigue to dementia. Now, I have experienced wheat sensitivities before, but I can usually tolerate a little, so I was surprised I got such a strong reaction. I also just learned that dairy and sugar might affect acne. I guess the trifecta of wheat, sugar, and dairy did it in for me.

Then I went back to my usual diet, which is low in wheat, sugar, and dairy. It includes an occasional-but-not-daily dessert. My skin cleared up almost immediately, and even dark circles around my eyes seemed to improve. *sigh* I guess I won’t be gaining fame and fortune from the Cupcake Diet after all.

This isn’t all bad news. First, this was just a little experiment of one. I think everyone is a bit different, and just because I have problems with these foods doesn’t mean you will, too. I imagine some lucky people will be able to eat a cupcake a day with no weight gain AND no skin issues. After all, I don’t have to cut out cupcakes entirely… I normally have a treat now and then without triggering the monster skin attacks, so it’s not like I felt deprived. The other good news might be… if you have acne and inflammation, you can always try cutting back on the wheat, sugar, and dairy for a week or two, and see if your skin improves.

If you try out eating more sweets, or cutting back for a few weeks, please tell me how it goes!

“Sugar” is actually the common collective term for simple carbohydrates, which include sucrose (the white crystals in your kitchen), fructose (found in honey and fruit), and lactose (found in milk). Both simple and complex carbohydrates (found in grains, potatoes, and veggies) are broken down in your body into glucose, the simplest sugar. Simple carbs are broken down into glucose at a faster rate than complex carbs, which is why sugar elevates blood levels quickly.

If you ever want a little motivation on cutting back on sugar, do a Google search on something like “bad sugar“. Sugar has been linked to inflammation (pain, chronic disease, degeneration), insulin resistance (diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity), compromised immune system, increased appetite and cravings, and exacerbating mental disorders. Wow!!! And we feed this stuff to our kids! How is it even legal? How are we to protect ourselves?

The fact is, your brain runs exclusively on glucose. Sugar can save a diabetic’s life. Sugar can release serotonins (feel-good hormones). If you are active, you should know that sugar can increase athletic performance. Sugar depletion (aka “bonking“) during an endurance race really, really sucks. Plus, when your body runs out of sugar, you start breaking down your muscles. So, I have a hard time buying into the black-and-white “sugar is evil” camp.

On the other hand, there is plenty of research and science to convince me that the EXCESS of sugar is indeed very harmful. I suspect that sugar is something like caffeine or alcohol… may be consumed in small to moderate amounts, especially if your overall health is good, but things get ugly when your overindulge or rely on them to handle stress. What, then, is a “moderate” amount?

The answer turned out to be complicated to research, so I think I’ll save this topic for another post. In the meantime, try increasing awareness of your sugar consumption by checking the nutritional label and looking up common foods for sugars. Remember that there are about 4-5 grams of sugar in a teaspoon, then ask yourself if you really want to eat that many teaspoons of sugar. A 12-oz can of soda typically has 10 teaspoons of sugar. A banana has about 3 teaspoons. Surprisingly, a cup of plain, UNSWEETENED, NO-FRUIT, nonfat yogurt also has 3 teaspoons of sugar. When you know how much you are consuming, you have a baseline to make adjustments.

Stay tuned for more about sugar! Kthxbai for now!

Rosemary Shrimp with Butternut Squash, ~300 Calories

1 TBS butter
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bag (12 oz) pre-cut butternut squash
rosemary to taste
1 (10 oz) bag frozen brown rice
1 bag (16 oz) large frozen shrimp, thawed & rinsed
1/2 bag fresh baby spinach
1 plastic basket cherry tomatoes

Saute the garlic in the butter until it turns golden brown. Add butternut squash and rosemary. Turn down the heat and cover the pot for a few minutes. Add the frozen rice, mix it all up, and then cover it until the squash is as tender as you like. It smells AWESOME at this point. Add the shrimp, spinach, and cherry tomatoes, mix and cover again until the spinach wilts.

Makes 4 servings (see photo for portion size) under about 300 calories and less than 2g sugar. Approximate carb-protein-fat ratio: 55-35-10

Popular health and weight loss literature compares sugar to alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in terms of addiction and mood alteration. Some experts will even tell you that sugar is “poison” and should be avoided at all costs. While I feel this is a stressful way to look at sugar, I do agree that Americans consume far more sugar than their health can tolerate. Over the next 21 days, I’ll post what I know about sugar, and I hope this helps you make better eating choices for your fit lifestyle.

If you’d like to watch your sugar intake with me, you will need to pay attention to the “Sugars” number on a nutritional label, under the “Total Carbohydrate” section. Other resources I like using for nutritional information are Calorie King and The Daily Plate at Livestrong.com.

Mix the eggs and rice together, then scramble them, either in a non-stick frying pan or in the microwave. Dress with salsa and eat! Yum yum!

300 Calories
11g Fat
31g Carbs
18g Protein

Also from NY Times: The moral is to always get a 2nd opinion, preferably from a hospital and doctor with a high volume of current experience.

Finally, from All Recipes: 10 sensible, easy nutrition tips for your new year’s resolutions.

http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Toilet-With-Coke

For the record, despite the unpleasant implications of the above article, I really like Coke. And I really like Diet Coke a lot. I don’t drink that much any more because sugar makes me wiggy, and I can only do so much caffeine. It’s a big treat when I drink one now.

Dissolving a tooth overnight in Coke, by the way, is a myth:

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/tooth.asp

Grilled Salmon with Avocado and Bean Salad
Serves: 4
Calories: 491
Fat: 12g
Carbs: 67g
Protein: 31g

Calorie King’s recipes are categorized really well. For example, this recipe is heart-friendly, low-sodium, high-fiber, high-calcium, quick and easy, and non-dairy.