Movie Monday: That Sugar Film

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this screener, free of charge,from MPRM, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

This new film comes out on July 31st, and it is one that EVERY parent needs to see!

Synopsis:

That Sugar Film is one man’s journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a highsugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as ‘healthy.’ Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves. THAT SUGAR FILM will forever change the way you think about ‘healthy’ food.

The film features guest cameos from the likes of Stephen Fry, Isabel Lucas and Brenton Thwaites, interviews with Gary Taubes, Michael Moss and Kimber Stanhope plus a rocking soundtrack including Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel and Florence and the Machine.

Check out the trailer:

Review:

" If you removed items in typical grocery store that contain SUGAR, only 20% of the items would remain."

Think about that for a minute. 20%- only 1/5th of the items. Think how much of that would be produce and fruit. Yup, probably about 18% of that would be fruits n veggies. 1% might be dairy (ie eggs). Leaving 1% for other food...

Now THAT is truly scary!

That quote from this movie was the first thing that made me stop and go 'whoa". I knew that is Damon was including stats like this, this was going to be a VERY interesting movie, and it was! I have read different books like This is What You Put in Your Mouth and Salt Sugar Fat, so I knew already how much sugar is literally in everything we eat. How in 1955 humans typically ate 4 pounds of sugar a year, and how by the  70s low that number greatly increased, due to low fat diets becoming the rage and sugar being added to diet foods to make them palatable. What I hadn't realized was how the Sugar Board made up a 'study' saying sugar was ok and that the US government has used it as a PRIMARY resource in their study of the amount of sugar the population was eating, and ended up giving the ok for humans to eat that much sugar every year! That result opened up the flood gates for food companies to start using sugar, and sugar variations, in literally  everything they made. As a result, humans typically now eat  40 teaspoons of sugar every DAY.

And before you say, no way that much, think for a minute.

There are typically 9 teaspoons in typical sugared iced tea,  20 teaspoons of sugar in 'healthy' breakfast packaged museli cereal, yogurt and apple juice. So before you've even eaten lunch, you're at 29 teaspoons! So in theory, even if you have a lunch of salad with NO sugar added dressing, your dinner and beverage for it, will probably give you those 11 teaspoons. Even so called 'healthy drinks' have almost as much sugar included, as a coke. Now THAT is scary when you think about it. And one of the reasons I have taken myself and the kid totally off sodas and we drink plain iced tea and water during the day. Once you start adding up the sugar in everything you eat, it can be absolutely horrifying.

You may say well if it's an average amount, what is so bad?  The problem as Damon found out while eating a so called 'healthy diet' of 2300 calories a day, was the hidden sugars added up. He gained 20 pounds in 2 months. 2 months. But what was worse was how he went from having a very healthy liver, to be in the red area for liver disease, and how his above average great cholesterol also went into the red heart attack danger zone. In 2 months. 

What he found when he went off his no sugar diet, to suddenly having it was that it as just as addictng as cigarettes. When he ate or had a sugar added beverage, he would have a 45 minute high, and then he would feel fatigued and started wanting another hit of sugar. His palate had adjusted to eating that much sugar and started craving a certain level in his body. His body had fled from his previous habits and now adapted to being in an addictive phase. And it wasn't just his body that was suffering- even his teeth were taking the toll from sugar. Did you know that your mouth can NATURALLY clear out sugar 20 minutes after you ingest it? It can. BUT if your body is telling you to get another hit of sugar, before you hit that bottom out, then you'll be adding more sugar, before your mouth can clean out the previous sugar. And that leads to more sugar bacteria, which leads to damage to your teeth.

The bad part is that we now know what is going on, but food companies have started acting like the tobacco companies used to, and are paying for 'medical studies' still that show no ill effects from the sugar and chemicals they add to their products. But unbiased studies show just the opposite. It is really up to the consumer to determine the truth and act appropriately. Which is why so many of us have started speaking out against all the additives in our foods, and seeking out better options for our families. 

Children are like sponges- if you give them the high sugar early on, they will constantly crave it and go through the ups and down of sugar addiction all day long. Studies have shown this is affecting them during the day at school as well. They have a high sugar breakfast, go to school and within 2 hours are fatigued and barely learning as their bodies want sugar. They get it at lunch and are back on a high, but then crash again after recess. Is it any wonder education seems to be failing our kids? It's not the the teaching, it's that the kids are not physically capable of getting through a school day and being alert. On the other hand, if you don't start your kids off so many sweetened items, they will not want them. Additionally a diet with more fat and protein helps our bodies to feel full and combat any sugar lows, and it also helps our internal organs to stay healthy.

So what is the optimal daily allowance of sugar, that our bodies can naturally handle and convert into needed energy?

9 teaspoons for men, 6 teaspoons for women every day. 

It takes a human 2-4 weeks to resolve the effects of sugar addiction. As Damon saw, you CAN reverse the effects of sugar addiction on your body!  It takes time and commitment, but you can. And what you find is clearer thinking, less illness and a higher level on all day energy.

I highly recommend this movie as a must watch, so that you can see for yourself just what sugar CAN and does do to your body, and that of your kids. Once you watch this entertaining and educational movie, you will make better choices and join us in searching for better options for our kids and ourselves! Check the website to find showings in your area.

You can also buy the companion book that explains sugar addiction, it's causes and effects too! Just click the link below!

Synopsis:

That Sugar Book expands on Damon's journey, blowing the lid on the food industry, featuring in-depth interviews with health experts, and offering sensible advice on kicking the sugar habit. That Sugar Book includes a detox plan and over 30 recipes to show what foods to avoid, how to shop, how to read food labels, and how to cook sugar-free foods. Entertaining, provocative and packed with actionable advice, That Sugar Book is destined to change the eating habits of a generation.