Ian B. Stark's interest in physiology around food and exercise began aged 30. Since then, he has studied much of the related scientific research and today, upon the release of his new book Fast Movements Make All Runners Winners!, he tells us why he thinks sugar is a necessary part of life.
Fast Movements Make All Runners Winners!
Taking no sugar is so difficult, costly, impractical, ill-advised (by NHS) and dangerous – so the case is answered in one, as you will gradually die early - try thinking of foods that have no sugar.
Some say sugar is killing us – I say ‘oh no it’s not.
Poor old sugar; one of the delights of the Universe. A food pure and simple, adored by the majority, sustainable, biodegradable, reasonably cheap and plentiful. No toxins, no carcinogens and no artificial colouring or flavouring. Sugar, syrup and honey; loved by many insects and animals. Our friends the bees love sugar, honey and nectar – in fact these are the only foods that won’t kill them. Easy to eat (sugar that is, not bees), easy to add to other foods. Makes some other foods and medicines taste palatable and makes lots of foods taste better – I wouldn’t be so keen on meringues without sugar. In respect of getting our nutrients, sugar is a nutrient. Not only a nutrient but a macronutrient. Not only a macronutrient, but an organic macronutrient!
Life with children would become unbearable if they NEVER had sweets or a drink containing sugar! However the serious answer here is that they couldn’t become any kind of athlete as they wouldn’t have the energy to take fast exercise.
Have you ever said to yourself (or others) ‘I deserve a little treat now and again’? My guess is that the vast majority of the little treats contain sugars and life without treats isn’t a proper life.
(The serious side).
Death comes to us all but what’s the best way to go: - cancer; heart disease; type 2 diabetes: or; your heart stops at a rare old age while you are still mobile, after a long, happy and healthy life?
It is fast movements that use the most calories and fast movement raise the heart rate furthest. A little known aspect of the heart going from rest top rate is that it gets bigger with each beat it gets faster. So at its fastest it’s pushing far more blood and nutrients round your body than at the moderately exercising rate. This makes your heart stronger such that when resting, an athlete can more than half their resting heart rate, to provide the body with all its sleeping needs.
I say ‘use more calories’ as every time the top rate is reached, the heart is improved along with the blood system, the lungs, the brain, the muscles, and all of the organs – (If achieved by running, bone density is also improved)! To achieve this top heart rate sugar is required as the fuel!
The full story and proofs are in ‘Fast Movements make ALL Runners Winners’ (if it had been called ‘Sugar is Good for you’ that would have been miss-leading as it’s actually Fast Movements that are the ‘silver bullet’ beating obesity). I suggest this as I wish to start a debate about the true cause of obesity, not to sell books.
Ian B Stark is the author of Fast Movements make ALL Runners Winners, a helpful study on running and lifestyle changes which lists the extensive long term advantages that come from exercising regularly. Fast Movements Make ALL Runners Winners is published on 28th April 2017.