August 9, 2020

Sugar

 

The Good….. Glucose             

The Bad….. Fructose

The ugly….. Sucrose

 

 

Glucose is essential for life, it is the fuel for every living cell. Sucrose is a toxin, which in excess will lead to all metabolic diseases. One gives us life, the other takes it away. Let’s dive a little deeper to understand why one makes us live and the other makes us…

THE GOOD

Glucose is the energy of life. Every living cell on earth burns glucose for fuel. Even if you don’t consume any form of glucose, the body will turn catabolic and start dissolving muscle and proteins to manufacture it. The Inuit’s who only consumed whale blubber months on end still produced Glucose.

Food, stress and lack of sleep will trigger the body to make more glucose even in a fasted state. Glycogen is the storage form of Glucose. It is either stored in the liver (100-120grams) or the skeletal muscles (300grams). Most foods contain an amount of Glucose but Complex carbohydrates like grains, vegetables and even dairy are an excellent source.

THE BAD

Fructose (fruit sugar) is used for energy storage, not for fuel. It will be stored as fat to be utilised for energy when needed. Animals will consume large amounts of ripe fruit (fructose) before going into hibernation knowing that the body will store it as fat. Fructose also causes the hunger hormone, Ghrelin to increase, this enables the animal not to get full and eat more when consuming large amounts of fruit.

Fructose can only be metabolised in the liver, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD).

When there is fructose in nature it is always accompanied with fibre. So, always choose fresh fruit over fruit juice. Natural unheated honey is also an excellent source of fructose.

THE UGLY

Sucrose, 1 part glucose + 1 part Fructose = white poison! A common form of sucrose is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS). This is the hidden killer that we consume unknowingly. It is commonly used to sweeten and preserve processed food. Soft drinks, sweets or anything packaged is the main culprits. A good guide to follow is that any food with a label on it is a warning, broccoli or fresh fish don’t have labels. Check your food labels 

Processed foods = high sugar low fibre

Natural foods = high fibre low sugar

A high sugar diet is really a high fat diet as the liver can not metabolise the sugar fast enough.  It gets overloaded and stores the sugar as fat. This is one of the highest causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and can lead to obesity, metabolic syndrome, dementia, type 2 diabetes and premature ageing.

Sugar induced type 2 diabetes is the single most common cause of blindness in Australia. Sucrose also destroys gut bacteria and cancers feed of it.

You ferment sugar to make alcohol. They both have the same toxic affect on the liver. There are no nutritional benefits from sucrose.

Be careful how sucrose sneaks into your diet. Check everything you eat especially what’s on the labels and try to consume whole fruits that have plenty of fibre; kiwi, berries etc 

The body is very efficient at storing and making glucose.

Healthy one-pan piri piri chicken

By Zina Stone • November 27, 2025
Ingredients 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 1/4 tsp dried c hilli flakes 2 (about 500g) chicken breast fillets, halved horizontally 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 small zucchini, sliced 175g mini capsicums, deseeded, halved 1 tbsp no-added-salt tomato paste 400g can cherry tomatoes 2 tsp white balsamic condiment 140g (2/3 cup) wholemeal couscous 160ml (2⁄3 cup) boiling water 250g green beans, steamed, halved lengthways Lime wedges, to serve Instructions Step 1 Combine paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli. Sprinkle spice mixture over the chicken. Step 2 Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the zucchini for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to plate. Add chicken to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned and almost cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Step 3 Heat remaining oil in pan over medium heat. Add capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until begins to soften. Stir through tomato paste. Add tomatoes and 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add chicken, zucchini and balsamic. Simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Step 4 Meanwhile, combine the couscous and boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cover and set aside for 3-4 minutes to absorb. Fluff with a fork. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 480kcal | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Carbohydrates: 28g

Freedom Bulletin #306

By Zina Stone • November 27, 2025
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Salmon & Quinoa Bowls with Green Beans, Olives & Feta

By Zina Stone • November 13, 2025
Ingredients 450g salmon fillet ½ teaspoon salt, divided ¼ teaspoon ground pepper 30g string beans (green, yellow, or a mix), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 ¾ cups water ¾ cup quinoa (red, white, or tricolored), rinsed 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish, or 1/2 tsp. dried 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved or sliced Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place salmon filet on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is no longer opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then flake the salmon into bite-size pieces (discard the skin). Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add 8 ounces beans; cover and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Rinse the beans under cold water, drain well, and set aside. Combine 1 ¾ water, ¾ quinoa, and 1/8 tsp. salt in the saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Whisk 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped oregano, and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. To serve, divide the quinoa among 4 dinner bowls. Arrange the salmon, beans, tomato, feta, and olives over the quinoa. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with more fresh oregano, if desired. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 480kcal | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Carbohydrates: 28g