What is the cost of mindlessly eating sugar? Everything in moderation, right? Ya ... not always. At least not in my eyes. There is never a reason to consume artificial sugars. In a word, TOXIC. To me it's kind like saying "a little mercury is fine." Splenda, Surcralose, Nutrasweet,Saccharin, Aspartame ... and the list goes on.
Did you know ... most brands of traditional toothpaste have saccharin in them?
OK, but what about 'white sugar' (brown sugar is the same!) and/or the effect of consuming processed foods that rapidly breakdown into sugar? I think this is the part where most of us become a bit oblivious to our overall consumption of sugar.
Do you know these words are hieroglyphics for sugar? If you read these words in the list of ingredients, think 'sugar':
-glucose
-fructose
-sucrose
-barley malt
-malt syrup
-corn syrup
-molasses
-honey
-dextrose
-sorbitol
-fruit juice concentrate
-turbinado sugar
-xylitol
-polydextrose
-sorghum
-lactose
-maltose
-maltodextrin
-high fructose corn syrup!!
Did you also know that 'low fat' foods are often high in sugar to replace lost flavour from fat? Also, be aware that sugar, and foods that quickly breakdown into sugar in the body, raise insulin levels quickly. Chronically elevated insulin levels lead to insulin resistance, obesity, and in many cases, diabetes. If you are wondering about how quickly and/or easily a food breaks down into sugar, become acquainted with the concept of 'glycemic index' (GI). Google it and you will find a list of high glycemic index foods. The higher the GI rating, the more you want to avoid it.
Alright, now about the foods that we KNOW are sugar ... complete with a big fat label of 'SUGAR FOUND HERE!'? My philosophy is that it's okay to consume 'some' sugar, but know that you are doing so. Read labels, understand hidden sugars, and eat sugar consciously so that it's not something you're overdoing each and every day.
Did you know ...ONE old fashioned glazed TIMBIT donut hole: 80 calories, 5 g sugar and 5 g fat. And might I add, who eats ONE?
Did you know ... ONE Starbucks Blueberry Scone: 460 calories, 17 g sugar and 22 g fat! Yikes. OR the Zucchini Walnut Muffin: 490 calories, 28 g sugar and 28 g fat. So much for thinking your zucchini muffin and a latte is a good start to the day ...wow.
How much added sugar should we have in our diet? This would depend on many factors; however, the FDA is petitioning for label changes regarding sugar. This recommendation would be for no more than 40 grams of added sugar per day. Hmmmm... that's equivalent to one 12 ounce can of coke, and nothing else.
Just some thoughts ... Dr. F
The Canada's Food Guide, recommends that adults between the ages of 19-50 should have 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This seems like a lot of food,considering that the government defines one serving as,one medium fruit or half a cup of vegetables.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to eat 7-10 medium fruits every day, a person would be eating too much fructose.Fruit is really natures junkfood.
Fruits and vegetables grown in a chemical free environment would be the best practice(if that is possible).Everything in moderation(easy to say).
I would agree that 7-10 servings of fruit a day would be too much. I personally think about including as many variations of vegetables in my diet as I can. By filling up with lots of vegetables and moderate amounts of whole grain and lean protein I am too full to consider processed food. Local organic food is always my first choice too. Dr F
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