Mick's Up in a Search

Monday, September 26, 2011

Mick's Scoop on Sugar

"Sugar... aww, Honey, Honey.... 
Honey... aww, Sugar, Sugar...."
Sugar Sugar (Original 1969 Music Video) - The Archies
Do you want to know how hooked on sugar my honey used to be?  That song for the opening to this post was "our song..." well, one of them, anyway.  What was another of "our songs?"  Here it is: 
Sugar Shack (1964)
Written by: Keith McCormack & Faye Voss
Performed by: Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs
"There's a crazy little shack beyond the tracks,
And everybody calls it the Sugar Shack.
Well, it's just a coffeehouse and it's made out of wood,
Espresso coffee tastes mighty good."


Hmmmm... Do you see a pattern here?  Yes, sugar was his thing.  He wised up, though.  He's doing amazing at staying away from sugar, because he knows the consequences involved.

One of those consequences is a sluggish immune system.  I've been hearing this for the past year, but I want to get some more scientific information for you.  So, here are some links:
Sugar as Immune Suppressant"Sugar eating... decreased their responsiveness." - quote found in Mark's Daily Apple, and based on the following study:
Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis: "These data suggest that the function and not the number of phagocytes was altered by ingestion of sugars. This implicates glucose and other simple carbohydrates in the control of phagocytosis and shows that the effects last for at least 5 hr." - The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 
Better Life Unlimited summarizes the study really well in their "Sugar And Immune Function" article.

We have a bit of an unscientific experiment going on in our household this week.  Unfortunately, too many variables changed recently to make it any more scientific than it is... not to mention, we're not scientists in this house... yet.

My daughter started getting the sniffles last week, and then the other three of us began feeling a little bit of something happening in our sinuses, too.  We ate well during the week, staying away from sugar and foods high on the glycemic index.  Then the weekend hit.

We splurged big time!  We had lots of different foods, sodas, coffee treats, snacks, etc. with sugar.  Not only that, but our chiropractic care has been put on hold, while we are transitioning to a new doctor.  Right there, we've changed more than one variable.  Not very brilliant, I assure you.

What foods contain sugar?  It's just in things like candy and desserts, right?  Check out Sugar Stacks. 

My daughter seemed to do OK with healing from the cold during the week, but her healing process was slowed down a bit from the weekend's events.  So, she still sounds stuffy.

My son, on the other hand, had a scratchy throat from sinus drainage at the end of the week.  Then he lost sleep Friday, due to his participation in our church's teen all-nighter lock-in, which of course, involved no sleep.  (So, that is a third variable that was changed.)  He informed me this morning that he feels he's healing just fine, even with the weekend sugar splurges.  Mom has a different opinion.  Obviously, he would have healed a lot faster without the sugar and without the messed up sleep schedule.  So, he still sounds stuffy, too, is grumpy, and has a cough... a productive one, but a cough, none-the-less.

On the other hand:
My husband and I are barely moving around the house, moaning and groaning and acting like babies.  Our heads are pounding.  We're grumpy, and my husband needs extra prayer this morning, for his brain to kick in to gear, so he sounds sharp and at the top of his game during his phone meetings today.  (Variables reach a total of no less than 5 for us, because besides the decrease in chiropractic care and the increase in sugar, add in stress and poor sleep, as well as poor sleep schedules.)

More on our progress later this week!  In the meantime, take our word for it (and that of the resources in the links mentioned above), and stay away from sugar, if you know what's good for you!

Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple summarizes it well:  "So, sorry, Poppins. Keep your spoonful of sugar. It may very well help your spoiled wards choke down their medicine, but it could also make the problem – a weak immune system – even worse."

PS ~ I think my kidderz are catching on to this sugar vs. the immune system stuff.  Yesterday, my daughter was going to share her extra lollipop with her brother, but his answer was, "That's OK.  I'm sick, and I want to get better, so I don't want the sugar."  That makes a mom's heart happy!  I dedicate this song to my kidderz.  (It is actually the song we sing for my daughter, since her nickname before she was born was Baby Lollipop.  Yes, more sugar references.):  Lollipop (1958) - The Chordettes

~

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks...”
This is what we did this weekend with our splurges,
eating sugary foods and drinking soda.
I don't recommend it,
when your immune system is already weak!
Blech!

~

You may also find interesting:  Mick's up on Your Immune System

1 comment:

  1. Thank you, Joshef! I'm glad you found us, too! Spread the word! This is information people need to hear. My eyes were opened to it, when I worked as a CA (Chiropractic Assistant) at a Maximized Living office. They teach great stuff! Thanks for the comments. Keep them coming! :O) Enjoy the rest of the posts. I have more to add soon, too! Also, check out MaximizedLiving.com

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