Showdown on sugar
With the current festive season, it’s hardly surprising that many of us will find a way to justify the sugary treat or two (or more) that we happily devour every time we visit a friend’s or relative’s house.
While chomping on the odd cookie is nothing to lose sleep over, consuming too much sugar on a regular basis is extremely unhealthy. Studies show that the average adult consumes close to 70 kg of sugar in a year.
That shouldn’t be shocking if we think beyond just desserts, but include hot and cold drinks like coffee and fruit juices, even salad dressing, savoury dishes and a host of processed foods like mayonnaise, oyster sauce and tomato sauce that all contain sugar in some form or other.
But what makes sugar so unhealthy?
Multitude of health problems: Simple sugars are the culprits behind such health problems like asthma, mood disorders, mental illness, nervous disorders, diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, hypertension, and arthritis.
Obesity: According to the World Health Organisation, sugars and other simple carbohydrates are a leading factor in the worldwide obesity epidemic.
Zero nutrition: Sugar also contains absolutely no minerals, vitamins or fibre, and as a result has a deteriorating effect on our endocrine systems. Shockingly, sugar is one of the three major causes of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis among others.
Raises insulin levels: Sugar raises insulin levels, inhibiting the release of growth hormones that depress the immune system. Too much insulin promotes the storage of fat, causing you to gain weight easily while raising your triglyceride levels, making you a perfect candidate for cardiovascular disease.
Promotes cancer: Unfortunately cancer cells love sugar in the form of glucose. As such drastically reducing your sugar intake or giving it up completely is an important factor in treating cancer.
Here are some simple ways you can curb your intake of sugar so it does not have a harmful effect on your health and weight.
Reduce or forgo completelyReducing your reliance on sugar to sweeten your drinks is the first easy step you can take. Better yet if you give up sugar totally in your morning coffee or tea, then drive out the doughnuts, cookies and cakes from your coffee break. Eat a piece of fruit instead.
Read labelsSugar is added to a wide variety of processed food we consume. Make it a habit to read the labels of foods you purchase for traces of sugar in the form of sucrose, dextrose (corn syrup), high-fructose corn syrup, white or wheat flour. You will be surprised that most ‘healthy’ cereal brands contain these too making it rather unhealthy choices to start your morning off with.
Limit simple carbohydratesLimit your intake of simple carbohydrates like white bread, cereals and any baked goods using white flour including fruits that contain fructose. If you must eat it, then have it for breakfast so you have the entire day to burn off the calories.
Eat more complex & fibrous carhohydratesBrown rice, muesli, oat bran bread, oatmeal and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and cabbage are all classified as complex and fibrous carbohydrates respectively. These foods help stabilise blood sugar, keep your energy at an even level, and make you feel satisfied longer after your meal.
Ditch processed foodsEat a piece of fruit rather than drink a packaged fruit juice. Similarly choose whole grain breads over white bread or wholegrain oatmeal over packaged cereals.
Go naturalGet your sugar and carbohydrate fix from vegetables and fruits as well as whole grains rather than from sugar and corn syrup that is manufactured in a factory. Food produced by Mother Earth will take care of your health better than any factory can.