No*

Sorry to disappoint, but as much as we want to hate on a particular foodstuff, it’s really not, because the fact is food is not good or bad. Nor is it evil, “clean”, healthy or pure.

Food is food.

A better question than whether something is “good” or “healthy” is does this suit my goals?

The problem with this question is it takes a little reading and experimenting to know what is suitable for you. This work is worth doing, but it is certainly daunting for many people. Try experimenting with a portion guide like this one, and see what works with your lifestyle.

A small amount of added sugar is completely fine for a person who is physically active and eats a balanced diet. In fact, if you are engaged in certain activities (like marathon running or the weight gain stage of bodybuilding) added sugar may actually help you meet your caloric needs and achieve your goal.

If you don’t exercise and work a sedentary job, added sugar can have serious, long-term health effects. The watchword here is context.

The point is that no food if it suits your needs is bad. No food is good unless it is fulfilling a need. Unless you are a competitive athlete or figure competitor, we don’t want to get to a place where you can't ever eat the food you want. That is miserable, and changing your diet or exercise regime should make you happier, otherwise what is the point? We want to build habits that allow you to have the things you want, and achieve your goals at the same time. We want balance.

Drop the labels. Foods are not bad, they are not evil, they may just not be suitable to helping you achieve your goals right now. Not only will understanding this allow you to make suitable food choices for you, it will probably make your relationship with food healthier too.

*Worth noting, this article is about personal choice. There certainly is an industry behind sugar that has little care or regard for consumers health, wellbeing, and happiness and this corporate interest may certainly be considered unethical.

Devon Boorman is the Co-Founder and Director of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, which has been active in Vancouver, Canada since 2004. Devon’s expertise centres on the Italian swordplay tradition including the arts of the Renaissance Italian rapier, sidesword, and longsword, as well as knife and unarmed techniques.
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