Macrobiotic Life

Start moving every day.
Simple walking will do.
Walk very fast.
30 minutes daily.

But any moving is ok.
Run, bike, swim, housework.

Stop eating white sugar!
Change to fruits, honey, malts and sirups from cereals.
Eat small portions more often.

Concentrate on everything you do.
When eating, just eat.
When reading, just read.
When walking, just…
Ability to concentrate will build up like muscles do.

These three things – physical activity, healthier diet, concentration development – leads to more active lifestyle.

Why should we eat less sugar (white granulated sugar or saccharose)?

There are many reasons to use sugar very cautiously. About fifteen years ago, suddenly this sweetener, which had been highly appreciated until then, was strongly criticised : it was said that sugar provided but little energy, that it was a fattener, that it weakened the tissue and caused tooth decay. Suddenly sugar was seen as the cause of all kinds of ailments. And indeed, the use of refined white sugar is certainly to be advised against!

So as to digest and take in sugar, our body uses various minerals and vitamins, which can no longer be found in refined white sugar. When eating sugar, we therefore force our body to draw on its reserves of calcium, magnesium and vitamins B, whereby we risk becoming deficient in these substances. However, these minerals and vitamins play a vital part in various other processes that take place in our body.

But that is not all. Like amylum, saccharose does not have to go through the long digestive process. This substance is taken in very quickly, since it needs only a minimal enzymatic digestion — or none at all. Why is it then that refined white sugar is so detrimental?
The reason is that the quick intake causes a very sudden and considerable increase in the amount of glucose in the blood. The blood sugar level rises and the body produces a large quantity of insulin so that our cells take in the glucose. It will even produce much more insulin than necessary in order to take in the surplus of glucose, which leads to a new imbalance that reveals itself in a lower blood sugar level (this means a deficiency of blood sugar), the result being tiredness, dizziness and nausea.

This surplus of glucose ends up in our cells, which cannot take it in completely, neither by combustion, nor by storage in our reserves (glycogen). The glucose is therefore transformed into fat, which leads to obesity and cardiovascular disorders.

In short :
refined sugars affect our calcium and vitamin B reserves
simple glucosides cause the blood sugar level to rise, and to fall immediately afterwards
simple glucosides lead to obesity
simple glucosides stimulate the formation of fatty acids and as a consequence may lead to cardiovascular disorders

Clearly, preference should always be given to non-refined sugars, which still contain their original level of calcium and vitamin B. However, the ideal solution is to opt for “slow sugars”.