It is not likely that we would eat four feet of sugar cane, but on the other hand, it is very likely that we would drink a 12 oz coke. The interesting/shocking fact is that they both contain 9 1/3 tsp of sugar. It takes four medium-sized oranges to make a cup of juice. It’s not easy to eat four oranges in one sitting but it is very easy to drink more than one cup of juice. The point is whole, natural foods have built in-brakes – for oranges, it is the fiber that makes us full. Refined foods are designed to go down quickly and easily and, to make us want more.
Refined foods have also have had many of the nutrients removed. White sugar is super refined – brown sucanat is a better choice because it is minimally-processed evaporated cane juice. The vitamins, minerals and molasses are still there. I use sucanat in place of sugar for everything I make and it can be found at health food stores. It is more expensive, and that encourages us to use it sparingly. A friend told me he adds one third of the sugar that a recipe calls for and no one notices the difference. I usually add half of the amount of sugar to my recipes and add extra spices to boost the flavor. Switch to sucanat, I think you will enjoy it!