"Bad sugar is processed and refined sugar." —Dr. Goa Sugo
It’s important to understand something crucial about sugar: It’s that all the entities that we refer to sugar are not the same thing.
Your body reacts differently to various types of simple sugars such as levulose, fructose, sucrose, and glucose. A person’s chemistry will use every type of sugar molecule in a different way, as there are different cause and effect reactions to the various types of sugar molecules it processes.
The kinds of sugar that people should stay away from are the types that have been extracted from plants and then processed to make them more concentrated: These are called “refined sugars.” Refined sugars are so unbelievably sweet that people have virtual orgasms in their minds when they eat them.
We seek these types of sweeteners because they make us feel good in the moment. They excite our taste buds and they change the dull feelings that keep us from being excited about simply existing. These sugars stimulate us and release opioids and dopamine in our bodies. (Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is a key part of the “reward circuit” associated with addictive behavior.)
If processed/refined sugar was good for us, then we’d be well advised to consume it as if it were medicine. But it isn’t good for us. Concentrated sugar accelerates our chemistry functions. The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. And because refined sugar is digested quickly, one doesn’t feel full after eating it, no matter how many calories of it are consumed.
Avoid processed sugar not fruit.
Raw Honey
Raw honey is a superfood in some people's chemistry depending on how clean the rest of their diet and lifestyle is. I assure you if a person avoids all forms of processed sugar, they would be very unlikely to have any type of blood sugar problem from consuming 1-2 tablespoons of raw honey in a single 14 hour period. Some people can consume more.
True Vegans abstain from all honey consumption. "Beegans" go all the way to the vegan's front door, but stop short by consuming honey.
Interestingly enough, honey is a combination of both plant cells and the cells from the bee's digestive system, which are animal cells by their nature. The two strictest raw vegans we know, who we shall keep anonymous, consume raw honey.
There are rumors, true and false, about the mistreatment of honey bees. If this is an issue for one's sense of compassion, honey may not be worth the distraction. There are plenty of other ways one can get the benefits of raw honey without honey itself. But, nothing else is honey. Some shamans might prescribe raw honey as medicinal treatments. Some would not dare.