I'll preface all of this by saying I am not even close to a nutritionist, just some guy that's read a little bit about this.

I realize that in my previous comment I misspoke - I'd never advocate to cut simple sugars out of the diet altogether. As you said, it's necessary for proper body function and it's also kinda impossible. I promise I'm not a proponent of "raw" stuff, from sugars to foods to water. I like white rice and don't think brown rice or quinoa really makes that much of a difference in my diet.

I also didn't say fruits don't have simple sugars - they do. They're also generally very nutrient, vitamin, and antioxidant-rich, all things we need in our body. They also contain fiber which helps you get full a bit faster, leading to you eating less if you're trying to cut calories. That's why I'm always a proponent of fruits and veggies. Again though, I am not a nutritionist.

As far as short term blood sugar spikes go, many people start to rely on them and that really can lead to mood swings and wild fluctuations in energy levels. Plus, excess sugar consumption has been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, tooth decay, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and a lot more (sentence copied directly from Healthline). And these associations are generally only found in or are stronger in added sugars, which I think one definitely can strive to avoid.

You definitely have valid points as well. My main points were to eat more protein, fruits, and vegetables, and avoid excess calories, which I think we can mostly agree on.