Sugar seems like
such a simple word - yet it can be very confusing for people who are told to
“watch their sugar intake”, and it can be hard to determine the sugar
content in food when there are so many sources. (Read
"Carbohydrates" on the right > to learn more.)
What’s the big deal with sugar?
A normal, healthy diet
should contain at least 50% of the calories as carbohydrate. However, the
source of carbohydrate should be mostly from foods that contribute a good
variety of important vitamins and minerals - that means whole grains, nuts,
seeds, beans, fruits, and vegetables. When the diet is high in these forms of
carbohydrate, it is not a problem. But what about refined sugar (table sugar)?
Bad Company
Sucrose, or table sugar, is not really a major problem by itself, but the
company it keeps can be. Sugar is a sweetener, and is added to many foods to
improve flavor. Sugar is in most desserts and many snacks, and these foods
also contain a lot of fat, and in some cases, salt. Sugar has only about 4
calories per gram, or about 20 calories per teaspoon, so it is not
particularly high in calories. However, it’s the quantity of sugar in many
foods, and the fact that it accompanies fat that is a problem because it
greatly increases caloric value. In some cases, sugar by itself is high in
calories because the product contains so much of it - sweetened beverages
derive all of their calories from sources of sugar (high fructose corn syrup,
sucrose, etc.) Plus, the fact that sugar does taste good makes it harder to
stop eating a food high in sugar when full! In this case, I’m ignoring the
glycemic index, which is a popular way to look at the harmful effects of
carbohydrate via it’s potential blood-sugar raising, insulin-producing
effects. This is a separate issue that is worth addressing in another message.
Setting Some
Limits
In industrialized countries like the U.S., sugar consumption is about 20% of a
person’s daily calories. For an average person who eats 2000 Calories a day,
that means about 400 of those calories come from sugar. That is simply too
high, and unnecessary for good health. There really aren’t diseases caused
by a high sugar intake except for dental caries (especially the “gooey”
sugars and sticky starches), but the extra calories contribute to obesity and
unwanted weight gain. It is especially important in children, who are in a
growth state and therefore in more need of a healthy diet, to avoid
substituting whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and beans, with high sugar, high
fat treats. For sugar consumption, a better target to shoot for is 10% of
total calories.
Sugar and Weight
Loss
For adults who are following a weight loss plan, your calorie needs are
restricted in order to cause weight loss, so you don’t have as many calories
to work with. It is important to get your nutrition needs met first with your
basic eating guidelines before you add treats. This goes back to Mom or Dad
saying “Eat your vegetables first, then dessert” - it’s one of those
simple rules for good health. Your eating guidelines don’t include a
category for sweets or alcohol. These foods are considered “extras”,
consumed above and beyond your diet plan, to be included as a matter of
choice. When you add these “extra” foods too often, it will slow weight
loss, and may even cause weight gain, so you have to gauge this carefully and
monitor your progress. But if you are on a plan of less than 1600 Calories, I
would rather see people eat foods from their eating guidelines first, and add
in occasionally extra calories than substitute non-nutritional sugar and
alcohol for the healthy foods. Again, there is no food you cannot eat on a
healthy diet, it just needs to be put in its proper place!
Some ways to cut
down on sugar
Be aware that “fat-free” foods are often high in sugar and are sometimes
higher in sugar than the high fat version of the same food. (Look at regular
cookies and peanut butter versus the low-fat or fat-free versions). When you
buy sweets and desserts, the most obvious way to cut down on sugar is to
simply eat them less often, or to eat a smaller amount. You can‘t really
alter a store-bought product, so it is your only choice.
There is a lot of
sugar in foods you wouldn’t normally think of as “sweet”. Even some hot
dogs have sugar added to them! Ketchup, salad dressings, yogurt, teriyaki
sauce, breakfast cereals, pizza and spaghetti sauces, peanut butter, and lunch
meats usually contain sugar.
When cooking, when
recipes call for sugar, you can experiment by cutting the amount of sugar in
half, and after that, more slowly. You can also reduce table sugar and add
fruit for sweetness instead. Increasing the spice can also make up for a
reduction in sugar. There are many artificial sweeteners available now, which
can help satisfy a sweet tooth without adding calories, but I do not recommend
using them in large amounts, especially if it encourages consumption of too
many desserts!
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