SUGAR Friend or Foe?

Sugar’s best feature is that it tastes good and is high in calories (energy, fuel for the body). If you are looking to add to your food consumption and bodyweight, it is the perfect food.

Sugar has 0% nutritional value. No vitamins, minerals, fibre. It is an empty food that only adds to your total calorie intake. Your body can do nothing good with it. Your body needs food with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and even fat.

Sugar is like a friend that gives you a quick high, then dumps you later. Leaving you feeling depressed, sluggish and empty. So you run back to your friend and fill up on more sugar. Are you really interested in addictive relationships? Your body really needs a steady friend. It is looking for long lasting energy, like the type found in whole grain products, proteins, vegetables and even fresh fruit.

Sugar has many different names. Some of the many different names for sugar are: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrins, granulated sugar, or concentrated fruit juice sweetener. Added sugars can come from corn, beet, grape or sugar cane, which are processed before being added to foods. Find sugar by looking for “ose” at the end of the name. Examples: Glucose, Fructose, Galactose, Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose.

Sugar in theory can be had in moderation. However it is easy to have too much sugar. The current USDA recommendation is to limit your sugar intake to be less than 10% of your dietary intake. (That means total consumption of six teaspoons of sugar a day for the average person.)   Learn to read food labels. Find the “Total Carbohydrate”, and below it find “Sugars”. Sugar is listed in grams. Every  4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of table sugar.

Sugar consumption has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure), and heart disease. These are non-communicable diseases. “Lifestyle” diseases can be blamed on many factors including a diet high in sugar. There are medical opinions that say refined sugar should be avoided all together.

You choose your level of sugar intake. Take responsibility for your health