In a healthy diet, a little sugar is a harmless pleasure. But don’t allow it to elbow out foods that have true nutritional value. Hidden sugars in foods can unwittingly pile on the kilos.
Did you know that a diet high in refined sugar (cakes and colas) and refined starches (white bread, rice, pasta and French fries) more than doubles one’s risk of diabetes? Fast living and fast food create most of the conditions that are usually blamed on genetics. Even if you don’t have a family history of diabetes, it is advisable to keep an eye on your sugar intake, because too much sugar can reduce your immunity and sap your energy.
According to research compiled by Dr F. Edward Group of the Global Healing Center, excessive sugar can virtually affect every organ in the body. At first, your excessive sugar is stored in the liver in the form of glucose (glycogen). When the liver is filled to its maximum capacity, sugar reserves are deposited as fatty acids in the stomach and other problem areas such as the thighs, arms and legs. Before you know it, you are waging a full-fledged war with the battle of the bulge. And it doesn’t stop with making you fat.
Excessive sugar has been known to have a bad effect on the functioning of the brain. The key to orderly brain function is glutamic acid, an important compound found in many vegetables. This glutamic acid is controlled by the reserves of Vitamin B. B vitamins are also manufactured by symbiotic bacteria which live in our intestines. When refined sugar is taken daily, these bacteria wither and die, and our stock of B vitamins gets very low. That’s why too much sugar makes one sleepy, impairing alertness and cognitive function.
You may be wary of the excessive sugar in soft drinks, candy bars and desserts, but did you know that a great deal of the foods that we eat daily (such as juices, biscuits and canned goods) all have added sugar? Here are some hidden sources of sugar that may take you by surprise.
Tea Biscuits : You may have passed up the obviously sugary chocolate chip and cream cookies, but tea biscuits are by far the bigger culprits! A higher fat and carbohydrate content in these biscuits and a tendency to consumer greater amounts will not only leave you with many unwanted calories, but the high sugar content (in the form of invert syrup, a popular ingredient) can wreak havoc on your diet.
Ketchups : Ketchup is now an integral part of our daily lives, especially with children. But do we really restrict our sauce consumption? Sugar is added freely to ketchup products to reduce the acidic taste. Check the label content and select the brand with the least sugar content before purchasing.
Carton juices : Juices that are pre-packaged often have half the sugar content that is seen in aerated beverages such as colas and sodas. However, the danger arises when we substitute a cola with a fruit juice, thinking it would be a healthier option. We tend to drink more and end up consuming more calories, mostly from its high sugar syrup content. If you can’t stomach plain water, select fresh fruit juices, but consume even these in moderation.
Fruity yoghurt or smoothies : These aren’t as healthy as they are made out to be as the sugar content is exceptionally high. If you're on a 2,000 calorie a day diet, your average intake of sugar should be no more than 30 grams a day (6 teaspoons). An eight ounce container offers as much as 40 grams of sugar!
Sugary cereals : Not all breakfast cereals are good for you. While some have excessive sugar content that can give you an early morning rush of energy, you will feel a slump in energy levels mid-day which can be very tiring. Never choose cereals with powdered or added sugar. Instead of sprinkling sugar on plain cereal, choose fruits and raisons which are natural sweeteners.
Chewing gum and mints : We pop it in effortlessly throughout the day, little realising that even though we don’t swallow in the case of chewing gum, there still is a great amount of residual sugar that is rapidly absorbed by the body. Opt for sugar free mints and avoid chewing gum altogether.
Canned goods : When it comes to tinned goods, hidden sugar is real difficulty. An average sized tin (400 gms) of baked beans contains six teaspoons of sugar. A similar sized can of tomato soup contains five teaspoons of sugar. If you consume several tinned goods through the course of the day, your blood sugar levels are likely to skyrocket!
