Epstein Barr treatment must reduce or eliminate sugar in order for you to make a full recovery from the infection.
There is a lot of scientific evidence has been unearthed to confirm that sugar is not a good idea during Epstein Barr treatment. We now know that:
- Sugar encourages the growth of several viruses, bacteria and fungi
- Sugar impairs the ability of white blood cells to kill infections. These cells are the ones that target the virus during Epstein Barr treatment
- Sugar causes blood sugar fluctuations, putting extra stress on the adrenals, pancreas and immune system
- Sugar boosts insulin which causes production of an immune-suppressing hormone called prostaglandin E2
- Sugar depletes the body of certain nutrients like zinc which are crucial to immune function during Epstein Barr treatment.
Did you know that the average westerner consumes about 65kg (140 pounds) of sugar a year. If this sounds like you, then how do you break the sugar habit?
The first step is to be aware of how to recognize sugar and in what foods it is found. The next step is to consciously cut down your sugar intake and find alternatives which are better for your health during Epstein Barr treatment.
Sources of sugar
The most obvious source of sugar is the packaged sugar you buy from your supermarket. Sugar is bad in all forms – it doesn’t matter if it is brown, raw, black or white. It also comes in liquid forms like corn syrup, golden syrup, maple syrup and molasses. It is still all sugar.
A less obvious source is hidden sugars in foods. Huge amounts of sugar are in items like cola or soft drinks which can contain from 8 to 12 teaspoons of sugar per can! Sugars are also high in lollies, icecreams, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, fruit juice, alcohol and processed white bread. Also be aware of sugars in some yoghurts, breakfast cereals, muesli bars, baked beans, mayonnaise and tomato sauce. You need to get into the habit of reading food labels. Anything listed ending in ‘ose’ is a sugar e.g. sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose and lactose. You’ll be surprised at how much sugar is actually used in foods.
The alternatives to sugar
Artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, are an alternative to sugar but not recommended. They introduce chemicals into your system which then have to be dealt with by your liver. If you need to wean yourself off sugar they can be a temporary fill in. A better option is a herb like Stevia. Stevia is several hundred times sweeter than sugar, and has no calories. It has been used as a sweetener for over 1,500 years in South America, and is popular in Japan where it is used to sweeten pickles and other foods.
For those with a really sweet tooth or for children who are struggling with getting off sugar, the best choice during Epstein Barr treatment is fresh fruit. Natural sugar found in fruits is a far better choice for optimal health. The natural sugar in fruit is accompanied by fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and enzymes. It is much more slowly absorbed than refined sugar. Alternatively small amounts of dried fruit, barley malt or rice syrup can be used during Epstein Barr treatment. These naturally sweet foods have longer chains of glucose molecules than sugar. They break down more slowly in the gastrointestinal tract and are absorbed more slowly into the blood stream.
Getting off sugar
If you consume a lot of sugar it may be best to cut it down your intake over a couple of weeks so you don’t suffer withdrawal symptoms. If you normally consume a lot of sugar it is not a good idea to go “cold turkey”. Wean yourself off it, perhaps using the low carbohydrate or sugar free chocolate in moderation as a temporary fill in.
Eliminating sugar from your diet is a crucial step during Epstein Barr treatment. For further information and sugar-free recipes for Epstein Barr treatment please refer to the e-book “Nature’s Amazing Mononucleosis Cures” by qualified naturopath Elizabeth Noble.