Morning friends and welcome to my thirty-second blog.

Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Chemically sugar consists of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms.

Sugar comes in several forms. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides, made up of single sugar molecules, e.g. glucose, fructose, and galactose. When two simple sugars are joined together by a chemical bond, they are called disaccharides e.g. sucrose or table sugar. Starches and fibre are made up of many simple sugars joined together, and they are referred to as polysaccharides.

There is added sugar and there is natural sugar. Added sugar comes in many guises and has sixty different names. It is found in processed foods and drinks. It is also used to keep baked goods fresh for longer, it keeps jellies and jams from spoiling, it helps fermentation in breads and alcohol and improves the flavour, colour and texture of foods and drinks. Natural sugar is found in whole, unprocessed foods. These include fruit, veggies, dairy, and some grains. Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit and lactose a natural sugar found in animal dairy products

Let us take a look at what added sugar does to our bodies:-

 

1. Your brain.

Sugar gives your brain a huge surge of the feel-good chemical, dopamine, which is probably why you will crave that bar of choc when that afternoon slump hits you. Whole foods do not cause the brain to release this, so our brain starts needing more and more added sugar to get that same feeling of pleasure.

2. Your mood.

The occasional sugary snack can give you a burst of energy, sugar high, but studies have shown that too much of this can actually increase your risk of depression.

3. Your teeth.

Bacteria that cause cavities love to eat the sugar that remains in your mouth after you have munched on that sweet treat.

4. Your joints.

Joint pain may worsen if you eat loads of sweets as these may cause inflammation in your body.

5. Your skin.

Excess sugar may attach to proteins in your bloodstream and create harmful molecules that age your skin. This has been shown to damage collagen and elastin which are the protein fibres that keep your skin firm and youthful.

6. Your liver

An abundance of sugar is likely to contain fructose or high fructose corn syrup which is processed in the liver and in large amounts may damage the liver. This may lead to an excess of fat build-up and sometimes scarring of the liver.

7. Your heart

Excess sugar intake results in more insulin in your bloodstream which can affect the arteries in your body. This may lead to heart disease and cholesterol issues.

8. Your pancreas

Too much sugar may cause your body to stop responding properly to insulin which is pumped out by the pancreas when you eat sugar. More insulin is required to be pumped out and may cause your pancreas to break down leading to type 2 diabetes and heart disease due to the rise in blood sugar levels.

9. Your gut

Consuming excess sugar and refined carbs may increase your gut permeability and bacteria, toxins and undigested food particles can move more easily out of the gut and into the bloodstream, again potentially leading to inflammation.

10. Your body weight

The more sugar you eat, the more you will weigh.

11. General disease

A high intake of added sugar and refined carbs has been linked to the development of inflammatory bowel disease, mental decline, and arthritis to name a few.

 

The WHO recommends less than 25 grams per day of added sugar for maximum health benefits. This is six teaspoons.

Let us not stress and have a look at how we might manage to do this.

 

1. Read the label on all food that has been processed

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. Look for sugar, syrup high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, malt syrup. Words ending with ose, glucose, fructose, dextrose. Avoid the foods where “sugar” is near the top of the ingredient list. Also, try to avoid food where there is an ingredient list of more than five items.

 

2. Eat more whole foods.

Foods that are in their natural whole state, fruit, veg, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. These foods have been minimally changed and therefore have no added sugar.

 

3. Do not drink your calories.

Drink water, or tea (especially green tea), or add a little lemon, mint, or lime to your still or sparkling water. Eat the fruit, do not drink the fruit juice.

 

4. Don’t get carried away with the natural sweeteners

Coconut sugar, honey, brown rice sugar, maple syrup, xylitol, and stevia are all natural sweeteners. Try not to replace your added sugar with natural sugar. Natural sugars are better for you in small amounts, but they are concentrated and can also be addictive.

 

5. Eat more protein

When you do not eat enough protein with every meal, your blood sugar becomes erratic. Try to have fifteen to twenty grams of protein per meal to maintain your blood sugar stable through the day.

 

6. Eat more healthy fats.

If you eat enough at each meal, your blood sugar levels will remain stable and you will be fuller for longer and, again, you will keep your blood sugar levels stable. Whole food sources of healthy fats are also better for you than the actual oils. An avo has vitamins B, K, and E and fibre, so you are getting a lot more nutrients for your buck. Nuts and seeds are also great.

 

7. Remove temptations

Take the sugary snacks out of your cupboard, if they are out of sight, they are out of mind.

 

8. Keep low sugar whole food snacks around

Cut fruit is good and frozen grapes too.  A frozen banana popsicle is also a super alternative to those high sugar snacks. Place the banana in the freezer until it hardens, then take it out and pour melted dark choc over it and sprinkle it with shredded coconut. Try nut butter and apple nachos. Smoothies, yoghurt topped with berries. Fantastic for keeping those blood sugar levels stable.

 

9. Avoid sugar as a stress relief.

It does lower stress, but this is a short term solution. Rather use meditation, yoga, a walk in the park, a bath, or any other form of self-care.

 

10. Stay hydrated.

When we become dehydrated our body is more likely to crave calories because it is mistaking thirst for hunger.

 

11. Exercise

Studies have shown that a brisk fifteen-minute walk is effective in decreasing those cravings. First, you are distancing yourself from the craving and second, you are releasing those “feel good” endorphins which can help curb those sweet desires.

 

12. Is your craving legit?

Write down the reasons for you not to give in to your craving and wait ten minutes. If you are still hungry, eat a piece of fruit. If you still do not feel satisfied, then have one of your healthy snacks.

 

13. Know your triggers and try to avoid them.

This may mean avoiding aisles in the supermarket. Perhaps write (again) your triggers down and familiarize yourself with them.

 

14. Plan times to indulge.

It is a great idea to plan times to eat otherwise restricted foods, either as a meal or a treat. Enjoy every moment of the treat, by focusing on every bite and taste. Also, try to eat a protein and fat with your craving to slow the absorption time of the food.

 

15. Avoid getting hungry

Eat regularly and plan your meals and your healthy snacks. Have a cup of tea, green tea, if possible. In this way, you limit the factor of spontaneity and uncertainty. By structuring your diet by setting specific times for meals each day, one can retrain the body and brain and communicate that there are times to eat and times not to.

 

16. Get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation may disrupt normal fluctuations in appetite hormones, leading to cravings and poor appetite control. A good night’s sleep is vital for your overall health.

 

17. Try not to substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar.

These may momentarily satisfy your sweet craving, but they trick your body into thinking it is getting fuel when it is not. So, your body soon goes looking for more calories, and you end up eating sugary treats.

 

18. Do not go food shopping hungry.

So, eat before you go, to help reduce the risk of unwanted cravings and impulsive buying. Avoid those areas of the supermarket where the aromatic scents of freshly baked goods may be impossible to resist.

 

19. Phone a friend or your nutritional advisor or coach.

Connect with people who understand what you are going through.  Talk it through with them. A problem shared is a problem halved.

 

20. Try to find the balance.

Enjoying sugar every now and again is really okay.

 

Most of us know that too much sugar is really not good for us, and that is so difficult as there are very few people who do not love sugar. I will be the last one to preach about not having much sugar in one’s diet as I am the very one that has sugar every time I do my treat eating. I have never given up sugar completely, but I have definitely, on the whole, reduced my intake substantially and nowadays I mostly do not replace it with artificial stuff.  I probably eat more natural sugars now, but that is fine.

Our love of sugar does not need to define us. Let us be gentle and kind to ourselves on this one.

 

 

 

Tip number thirty-one.

Do not ever take your good physical health for granted. It is not a given, so let us do our best to maintain our health in the most optimal state that we can.