As someone with a major "sweet tooth", I've had a love/hate relationship with sugar for most of my adult life. On the one hand, it tastes great. But on the other hand, I've never really liked the way that sugar makes me feel: the euphoric sugar high followed by the inevitable crash that occurs about an hour later. And then there's the weight gain ....... Since I recently started a new fitness program (more about that later), I decided to do a little research on sugar. Is all sugar bad for me? If not, how much can I eat?
O.K, time for Sugar 101: sugar, a simple carbohydrate, is absorbed by our blood, where, if we have the right amount of it, the insulin in our system converts the sugar to energy. However, if we consume too much sugar, the insulin stores it as body fat. A little stored body fat is fine; it makes great emergency fuel. However, if our blood sugar spikes too often and the insulin has to work too hard converting fat, this can lead to a variety of health issues, including type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
When we consume sugar from natural sources, like fruits and veggies, the process tends to be checked by fiber and protein, which slows absorption. Plus, fruits and veggies are packed with nutrients and water. However, when we eat foods with added sugar, this can overwhelm the usual checks and balances, causing problems like those nasty blood sugar spikes. Additionally, consuming too much added sugar can cause a host of other problems, including tooth decay, increased triglycerides (or stored fat), and malnutrition (from overconsumption of foods filled with empty calories and deficient in nutrients).
So ..... clearly, a high sugar diet is bad news. But how much is too much? Well, one teaspoon of table sugar has 15 calories, so I'll use that fact as my guidepost. A teaspoon of sugar in my morning cup of coffee is fine, and teaspoon or two in a cup of my favorite green tea is also ok. But I will definitely have to cut way back on the sugary desserts and drinks. So that's it, I've conquered my sugar demon right? Well, not exactly.
Unfortunately, sugar is added to many processed foods that we wouldn't expect. Plus, it may be labeled as
corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HCFS), glucose, fructose, lactose, dextrose, sucrose, galactose, and maltose. Sugar is routinely added to most spaghetti sauces, ketchups, low-fat foods and dressings (the fat is replaced with sugar), processed breads and fast food. The good news is that by reading labels, it is possible to find items that have very little sugar added. Even better, try creating your own homemade versions of these foods.
One final point: read the labels carefully and pay attention to the way that the amounts of sugar are listed (i.e., using grams - part of the metric system - as opposed to teaspoons). Why is that important? Let's look at this example: a can of soda typically contains 40 grams of sugar, no big deal right? But how many of us know that 40 grams of sugar is really 10 teaspoons of sugar? If you saw someone tossing 10 teaspoons of sugar into their morning coffee, you'd think they were loco, but that's how much we consume in a typical 12-ounce soda can. A 64-ounce fountain drink served at a movie theater or a convenience store contains more than 53 teaspoons of sugar—almost two cups! The good news is that we can easily convert grams to teaspoons whenever we are checking out the labels on our food items. Simply put - four grams equals one teaspoon. So when you read the label, divide the grams of sugar by four, and that's how many teaspoons you're consuming.
Well, that's it! Sugar 101 is officially over. Is sugar my enemy? Yes and no. No, in small amounts and YES, in excess. I will keep all of this in mind as I continue to make changes to improve my overall diet. I hope you will too.
Remember - it's about progress, not perfection.
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3 comments:
I've been trying to cut down on sugar too. But get confused by ingredients like evaporated cane juice and barley syrup etc. You usually see these on "healthy" food packaging. Can you provide info on these too?
I never realized the amount of sugar in some of this stuff. When you put it that way, it really is nasty. Great post.
Thanks for the feedback.
Alice - you bring up a good point about other sweeteners. I will do a post on that topic soon, but for now I can address your comment. Overall, natural sweeteners are a good alternative to refined table sugar.
Evaporated cane sugar is not as processed as table sugar and therefore retains some of the nutrients of cane sugar (e.g. Vit. B2 - riboflavin). It does affect your blood sugar levels in the same way as table sugar, so use sparingly.
Barley syrup is made from barley grains and still retains some of its nutrients. It's a good choice b/c it doesn't cause your blood sugar levels to rise as quickly as table sugar.
Agave nectar is made from the juice of the agave plant and is another good choice b/c it has very little effect on blood sugar levels.
Blackstrap Molasses is a concentrated byproduct of the refining of sugar cane into table sugar. It's a great source of minerals, but it will affect your blood sugar levels like table sugar.
Stevia is a naturally sweet South American herb that has no calories, no carbs and no effect on blood sugar. It tastes several times sweeter that table sugar, so a little goes a long way.
Finally, my favorite choice, is RAW HONEY. It's loaded with enzymes, nutrients, anti-bacterial/antioxidant properties and it aids digestion. I use it as a substitute for table sugar whenever I can, but I do use it sparingly.
Hope this helps!
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