December 2024

“Time has a way of demonstrating that the most stubborn are the most intelligent.”
-Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Eat more sugar. Actually, what I mean to say is you are quite possibly better off eating more sugar than all the sugar substitutes that are out there. Many of you know that I study the human body quite a bit. I would not say that I am a “biohacker,” but I know many and try to stay on top of what is affecting my health and my body.

Starting in the mid-sixties and really taking flight in the seventies, the “fat-free” health craze took off. Food manufacturers were falling all over themselves to make fat-free foods. SnackWell’s was born, and any food that could be fitted with a “fat-free” label was. Many snack foods became dry and unappealing. Licorice was touted as fat-free, and many people changed their diets switching away from chocolate to licorice believing it was healthier.

Do you remember Olean or Olestra? That was the fat-free cooking oil that Proctor and Gamble invented. For a time, you could buy Lay’s potato chips made with the stuff. The idea was that you could finally eat as many Lay’s as you wanted and not gain weight. Never mind the nasty side effect that might mean you are confined to the bathroom while eating them. I did try them, and the flavor was similar to the original. (How many times have companies changed ingredients and said it was just like the original?) Those chips quietly went off the market. I can’t remember if they were causing cancer or what the reason was; it probably doesn’t matter now.

Recently Consumer Reports did a report on sugar substitutes. Sugar is the enemy you know! Back in the day my friend, Lance, used to say, “Too many sweets takes up two seats.” There is no shortage of sugar substitutes. Many have come and gone. Remember saccharine? Sucralose? NutraSweet? Aspartame? None of them really tasted like sugar, but they were forced into us anyway. How many different sweeteners have been at the heart of diet soda for years until they were found to be bad for us? (All of them.) Then they are removed and replaced with yet another chemical. Now there is Stevia, “natural flavors,” sugar alcohols, and more. NutraSweet used to be owned by Monsanto, the company that gave us Roundup.

If you dig a little, you may get to the same place I have. In the end, sugar is not any worse than these chemical sugar substitutes, and in many ways it is a whole lot better. For starters, it is truly natural and not entirely bad in our body when consumed in small quantities. Unfortunately, we live in a world where food “manufacturers” have turned sugar and these other chemicals against us. They have created foods that are chock full of ingredients that will trigger a dopamine response in our bodies. This makes our experience with their fake food exhilarating and even leads to addiction so that we want, need, and must have more. Remember Lay’s ad “bet you can’t eat just one?” It’s the perfect food “product.” It has salt, sugar, and fat all tweaked and formulated to deliver the maximum dopamine experience. Many of the sugar substitutes have been created to do the exact same thing, deliver a dopamine kick and start an addiction. How many people do you know who are addicted to Diet Coke? Our friend, Chris Johnson, a noted health expert, says to stay as close to the source of our food as possible. I know where sugar comes from and can even make it on my stove. What is the source for aspartame and phosphoric acid?

This Christmas season fabulous treats are all around us. Enjoy. One nice thing about sugar and even butter, they are foods our body recognizes. If you eat too much sugar, your body knows what that is and will tell you to stop. Ever try eating a whole stick of butter? Again, your body will stop you before you get too far. Enjoy a bit of Christmas treats this season, and come January, think twice about giving up real food for fake ones.

Don’t spend $3 to save $1. This time of year, we often have clients looking for some kind of year-end idea to get a break on their taxes. They are looking for some special investment or loophole or something to save a buck. When we look at their plan, it will often turn out that they have not even maximized their retirement contributions. In many cases, the investor would actually get tax savings for the current year while also getting that money invested away from government taxes.

Sometimes a business owner will buy a piece of equipment that they may not even need, just to get a tax write off, literally spending $3 to save $1. We would suggest maximizing retirement contributions as the first consideration.

From all of us to all of you, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Brien Krank
Financial Advisor, RJFS
Senior Portfolio Manager
Managing Partner – Collins and Krank

Hear me on the radio Wednesday mornings from 7:35 to 7:55 on 1100am The Flag and 970am WDAY.

Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax advice. You should discuss any tax matters with the appropriate professional.

Opinions expressed are those of Brien Krank or of the author in the attached articles and not necessarily those of Raymond James. All opinions are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. There is not guarantee that these statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Individual investor’s results will vary. Raymond James is not affiliated with Nick Murray or First Trust.