Avoiding refined sugar is one the best ways to minimize blood sugar spikes and crashes, which cause drastic changes in energy levels.
The average person consumes huge amounts of sugar through their diet, whether consciously or not. Processed foods, sweets, cakes, chocolate, soft drinks, fruit and even vegetables all contain sugar.
There are also different kinds of sugar and your body processes them all differently. The main types of sugar most people would be familiar with are glucose, fructose, sucrose and more recently you may have heard of High Fructose Corn Syrup which has been used as a cheap alternative to sugar in processed foods, although mainly in the US. So, how do these different forms of sugar affect you?
Glucose
Used directly by your cells as energy
Stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver
Converted to fats for energy storage
When consumed it also stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin which keeps your blood sugar at normal levels. Your brain notices this increase in insulin and the release of a hormone called leptin tells you that you're less hungry. The important thing to note here is that when you consume glucose, your brain knows to tell you to stop eating when you've had enough.
Fructose, Sucrose and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Sucrose is 50% fructose and HFCS can be either 42% or 55% fructose depending on its use with 55% being mainly used in soft drinks and 42% in other beverages, processed foods, cereals, and baked goods. The remainder of each is glucose.
HFCS is a manufactured sweetener comprising of corn syrup that has undergone processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose and because of its low price it is commonly used in processed foods. During the late 70’s and early 80’s High Fructose Corn Syrup was developed as a cheaper alternative to sugar and was ideal for use in soft drinks because of its liquid form.
In most cases, fructose is not ideal as it can only be metabolized by the liver, which is not a good thing as it results in a much higher production of VLDL (very low density lipoprotein - the bad cholesterol which can cause things like cardiovascular disease) and fat.
Prior to the development of the sugar industry, dietary fructose was limited to only a few items. Milk, meats, and most vegetables, the staples of many early diets, have no fructose, and only 5–10% fructose is found in fruits such as grapes, apples, and blueberries.
It is also important to note that, fructose negatively changes the way your brain reacts. As we discussed above, when you consume glucose your brain knows to tell you to stop eating when you've had enough. However, because fructose does not stimulate leptin production you keep eating without necessarily realizing you're full. For example, soft drinks containing high amounts of fructose (which is most non-diet sodas) will do little to make you think you're full even though you're taking in large amounts of calories.
Fructose can be helpful in some instances, such as in energy drinks taken during sports activities, as it actually replaces glycogen stores quickly. But for those of us not physically active it's not so helpful.
But fruit contains fructose - is that bad?
No. Fruit in its natural form also contains fibre. While fructose doesn’t signal the brain to stop eating, fibre does. Sugar in its natural plant form also contains a lot of fibre, however, the processing of sugar cane removes most of the fibre and thats where to problem starts.
Processed foods are essentially manufactured to last. Unprocessed foods, meats, dairy, fruit etc have a short shelf life. By processing food it lasts longer and can be shipped around the world to sit on supermarket shelves and in your own cupboard for a long time.
However, to have a longer shelf life the food is packed with chemical preservatives and most of the natural goodness such as fibre is removed, leaving you with a rather unpalatable product.
So what do food manufacturers do to make it taste better? They add sugar. More sugar, less fibre and guess what I’m still hungry….
The same goes for low fat options. Fat in itself does not make you fat - your body can efficiently process it. However over the last few decades people have become obsessed with lowering their consumption of fat due to early studies, since dismissed - but not entirely, claiming that all fat was bad.
Any chef will tell you that fat helps provide flavour when cooking and by removing it we are left with a virtually tasteless plate. How, do food manufacturers overcome this and make their ‘healthy options’ taste good - they add sugar.
So what do you do to reduce your intake of sugar?
So while not all sugar is bad, how do you reduce the amount of ‘unhealthy’ sugars like fructose and HFCS? Because a lot of what we consume every day is packed with sugar and artificial sweeteners, and because we have essentially become addicted to sugary foods, lowering our intake can be hard.
As with any change, small and gradual changes are more effective and more likely to last than changing everything at once.
The most effective way to get off sugar is to get to the root cause of your sugar cravings. Here are a few ideas.
Step one: Cut out those fizzy cans of soda.
One easy change is to stop or at least reduce the amount of soft drinks we consume. Yes they taste good but if you have ever watched any popular weight loss programs you will have noticed that people who are overweight also seem to drink a lot of drinks.
Because soft drinks contain a lot of fructose and as discussed above, your body doesn’t react to this sugar intake and you still feel hungry. Soft drinks also contain sodium which makes you thirsty and prompts you to drink more!
There is also no nutritional value in a soft drink. Other sugary foods such as a slice of cake, although not really any better for you, do contain other nutrients that will alert your brain that you are actually eating.
Step two: Eat more fibre.
As we have already stated, while fruit contains a lot a fructose, it also contains fibre which signals the brain that you have consumed enough calories and its time to stop eating.
Step three: Avoid or cut down on processed foods.
Buy fresh produce and food with higher fibre. It may take longer to prepare a meal and it won’t store as long but its healthier and tastes better.
Eat sweet vegatables, such as carrots, parsnips, corn, sweet potatoes and onion to satisfy your body’s need for that sweet taste.
Eat meals with a low glycemic load to avoid fluctuation in energy and blood sugar levels. When we crash most of us reach for sugary foods for quick fixes. Combine wholegrains and vegetables (high fibre foods) with a moderate amount of good fats and lean protein.
Stay hydrated - thirst is sometimes mistaken for hunger which can lead to cravings.
If you do have to purchase processed foods always check the label for the sugar content and go for the lowest option. Try to avoid items with HFCS altogether.
Step four: Get active and keep active.
Regular structured exercise is best. Being active reduces stress, which can be a major cause of comfort eating, and helps improve your metabolism. But do remember that being active and burning calories does not mean you can eat whatever you like without it having a negative affect on your body. An average fast food meal can contain up to a 1,000 calories or more. An hour in the gym after a trip to McDonalds is not going to burn that off!
Finally,
we all enjoy a sweet treat every now and then and life would be pretty miserable without them, but be sensible about it. Place the emphasis on ‘treat’ - “an event or item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure”
Ronan Tutty, CPT
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