Quantcast
Channel: nature's temple » sugar
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Why sugar is bad for you? Is it really that bad for you? The sweet side of sugar :-)

0
0

DSCF1201

Have you heard?………Apparently sugar is bad for you. Sweet is no longer in fashion and everyone is going sugar free. Well, I have to say I disagree with the ‘Sugar Free’ movement taking place at the moment. Yes, that’s right I believe you can have your cake and eat it too!

Ok, let me clarify what I mean before you go out and eat a tonne of lollies, cakes and cookies causing you to have a massive sugar high. While I don’t believe sugar is bad for you, I do believe you need to eat the right types and you should try to use natural sources to sweeten up your day instead of processed or artificial sugars.

It doesn’t mean you can’t have chocolate, lollies or cake but I would recommend only eating these occasionally because refined sugar spikes your blood sugar levels too quickly causing you to be hyperactive followed by an energy slump.

I think that we are being deceived by the ‘Sugar Free’ movement into thinking we can cut out a whole food group and

I have a BIG sweet tooth and when I get my hands on a bag of lollies I turn into Roger Rabbit……..trust me it’s safer for everyone if I eat natural sugars.

I think it’s a bit of a health deception to think you can cut out sugar and it will solve all your problems. The body requires glucose (blood sugar) to create energy and so the brain can function normally. The brain is a big consumer of glucose that’s why it’s important not to skip breakfast otherwise you will be foggy in the morning because your blood sugar levels are too low and your brain literally ‘can’t think’.

Types of Sugars

Artificial Sweeteners/Sugars (Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin) – are man-made and full of chemicals. Artificial sugars are neurotoxic (damage brain cells), cause irritable bowel problems and create inflammation in the body. I recommend avoiding these ALL together!!!

Sucrose (table sugar/refined sugar) – is made from refining cane sugar using a chemical intensive process. White sugar doesn’t have any nutritional value and it raises your blood sugar levels really quickly. Diabetic’s need to stay clear of sucrose.

Raw Sugar – is dehydrated sugar cane juice and contains more natural impurities than table sugar but it’s still processed.

Agave Syrup – is derived from the succulent agave plant grown in South America. This sugar has a low glycemic index so it won’t cause blood sugar to rise quickly and it also has anti-bacterial properties. The Aztecs used Agave Syrup to treat wounds.

DSCF1169

This vanilla cake is sugar free. It has been sweetened with stevia and xylitol. However, every now and then having cake is ok. It’s all about balance.

Stevia – this natural sweetener is made from the leaves of the stevia plant and it’s extremely sweet with no calories……wooohoooo!!!!!

Xylitol – is a natural sweetener derived from fruits and vegetables. It has a GI of 7 compared to table sugar, which has a GI of 100. It doesn’t have a nasty after taste and it’s also tooth friendly. It reduces bacterial growth in the mouth and can boost the immune system. One of my favourite sugar substitutes.

Fructose – is found naturally in fruits and honey. Fructose is sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) but has slightly less calories per gram. I love using honey in my tea/coffee instead of sugar. Like all sugars use in moderation.

There are even more types of sugar but I won’t go through them all.

 Why does the body needs glucose?

The body and especially the brain require glucose to function properly. The brain uses glucose for concentration and the body uses it to create energy in the cells known as Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). So all in all if we don’t consume enough glucose we become tired and grumpy………basically no one will want to be around you.

When the body processes sugar from the foods we eat it breaks it down into its simplest form know as glucose or blood sugar. Depending on how long it takes to access the glucose from the food determines the GI (Glycemic Index) of the food eaten. If there is a high sugar content from processed/refined foods then the body gets too much glucose and the blood sugar levels rise too quickly causing an increase of energy followed by a sugar come down.

This is known as high GI foods and occurs when we eat white bread, white pasta, white rice, white sugar etc. To get a slow release of sugar into the bloodstream eat low GI foods such as wholegrains, vegetables, nuts, seeds etc.

The glucose is then transported from the bloodstream by insulin (created by the pancreas) into cells so it can be used as fuel. Excess glucose is stored as fat. It’s important to only eat enough sugar to fuel your body for the day…..not for the week.

You can still enjoy sweet treats just limit them to a sometimes food. It’s also advisable to give your body natural sugars from fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. Natural sugar is easier for the body to recognise and to process. Everything in moderation!

The World Health Organisation recommends that your added sugar intake shouldn’t be more 10% of your daily calorie total. For an adult weighing 60kgs that would be no more than 60grams of added sugar a day. Natural sugars are the best and to put it into perspective an average sized apple supplies approximately 10grams of sugar (fructose).

While it’s advisable to watch your sugar intake and not go cray cray on the fruit intake (lets just say 20 oranges a day is way too many calories), I wouldn’t get obsessive about calorie counting though because it just sends you bananas (pun intended).

On that note, I hope you have a sweet day :-)

DISCLAIMER: While I am a qualified naturopath and nutritionist I’m not a doctor. Please see you doctor or healthcare professional if you have any medical signs or symptoms.



Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images