Sept2011_HEALTHWISE
……..SUGAR.
We are all born with a “sweet tooth” because as babies we were fed with milk and whether it was breast or formula it contained lactose or milk sugar, which is quite sweet and a main carbohydrate of milk.
We are all born with a “sweet tooth” because as babies we were fed with milk and whether it was breast or formula it contained lactose or milk sugar, which is quite sweet and a main carbohydrate of milk.
Sugar comes in many forms, some we know well such as; white, raw or brown sugar, honey, cane sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup and sorghum, these are common terms for sucrose. Others, not so well known are the sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol and maltitol. Some of these are found in chewing gum, breath mints and other products.
Processed sugars – sugar provides a quick simple source of energy, but contains no nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It is processed by the food industry to add taste, colour, bulk and thickness to foods as well as prevent mould from forming and as a preservative in food products. Although sugar provides less energy than fats it can contribute to the number of calories of foods and drinks and having too much sugar is not the only reason for obesity or overweight but it does add to the amount of calories in products and eating too much of any foods without exercising will cause you to become overweight.
Sugar is not inherently evil, your body and brain needs it to survive and it burns sugar to provide you with the energy necessary for life.
Natural sugars are provided by many foods like fruit and veggies and any food that grows on a plant has natural sugars, even sour fruit. This sugar is called glucose and depending on the ripeness of the fruit, there will be different amounts of sugar.
Honey is a natural sugar and can be used as a sweetener for many foods, it is a concentrated sweetener so far less can be used in food and drinks. Milk is another food where we find the sugar lactose, it is also found in dairy products. It’s not as sweet as fruit or honey but none the less, it is a sugar. It is commonly known as milk sugar.
Refined sugars come from sugar canes and natural sources but they are mixed with chemicals, phosphoric acid, calcium hydroxide and sulphur dioxide which are supposed to remove impurities. Natural sugars have fewer calories than refined sugars, though eating and drinking large amounts would cause the same health issues, but they are a lot healthier than typical diets of processed foods that contain refined sugar.
Artificial sweeteners are used to create a sweet taste without affecting blood sugar levels and calorie counts. Much of the documented information on them had health safety issues, most needed more research and study on their effect on the body.
It is recommended we only have an average of 10 teaspoons of sugar daily or 24 grams for women and 36 grams for men, this does not include natural occurring sugars. To find out how many teaspoons of sugar there are in foods, divide your grams by 4, e.g. 1 can of soft drink containing 40 grams of sugar = 10 teaspoons. If you are on an eating plan to lose weight this table will help you to see how much sugar you can have ….
Processed sugars – sugar provides a quick simple source of energy, but contains no nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It is processed by the food industry to add taste, colour, bulk and thickness to foods as well as prevent mould from forming and as a preservative in food products. Although sugar provides less energy than fats it can contribute to the number of calories of foods and drinks and having too much sugar is not the only reason for obesity or overweight but it does add to the amount of calories in products and eating too much of any foods without exercising will cause you to become overweight.
Sugar is not inherently evil, your body and brain needs it to survive and it burns sugar to provide you with the energy necessary for life.
Natural sugars are provided by many foods like fruit and veggies and any food that grows on a plant has natural sugars, even sour fruit. This sugar is called glucose and depending on the ripeness of the fruit, there will be different amounts of sugar.
Honey is a natural sugar and can be used as a sweetener for many foods, it is a concentrated sweetener so far less can be used in food and drinks. Milk is another food where we find the sugar lactose, it is also found in dairy products. It’s not as sweet as fruit or honey but none the less, it is a sugar. It is commonly known as milk sugar.
Refined sugars come from sugar canes and natural sources but they are mixed with chemicals, phosphoric acid, calcium hydroxide and sulphur dioxide which are supposed to remove impurities. Natural sugars have fewer calories than refined sugars, though eating and drinking large amounts would cause the same health issues, but they are a lot healthier than typical diets of processed foods that contain refined sugar.
Artificial sweeteners are used to create a sweet taste without affecting blood sugar levels and calorie counts. Much of the documented information on them had health safety issues, most needed more research and study on their effect on the body.
It is recommended we only have an average of 10 teaspoons of sugar daily or 24 grams for women and 36 grams for men, this does not include natural occurring sugars. To find out how many teaspoons of sugar there are in foods, divide your grams by 4, e.g. 1 can of soft drink containing 40 grams of sugar = 10 teaspoons. If you are on an eating plan to lose weight this table will help you to see how much sugar you can have ….
Daily calorie intake. Grams of sugar. Teaspoons per day.
1,200 21 5
1,500 26 6
1,800 31 7
2,400 42 10
Only 25% approx. of the total sugars we ingest are consciously added by us to our food, tea, coffee or home baking, the remaining 75% comes from packaged or processed foods and soft drinks.
Take a look at the difference between these orange juices; this also includes natural sugars from the fruit….
100% pure orange juice 1×250 ml, contains 22.5 grams sugar = 4 1/2 teaspoons
Orange fruit juice drink 1 x 250ml …contains 28.8 grams of sugar =7 teaspoons.
On a label “sugars“ mean the natural sugars from the fruit or milk plus any added by the processing, if sugars are at the top of the list you know its content is high in sugar. Sugar can also be listed as Dextrose, fructose, sucrose, maltose or fruit juice concentrate. Try to select items with lower added sugar where possible and be aware some low-fat desserts and yogurts may be very high in sugar.
There is so much information and research still ongoing on sugar in our lives and I have only touched on some of it, most can be found on the internet but if you really want to cut down check out labels on your food and drink, talk to your doctor or an accredited practising dietician. Whilst sugar is a major contributor to the energy or calorie overload and it comes in many forms, as yet research is still undecided on whether it causes health issues. On their own, natural sugars are not dangerous substances, they are contained in a variety of foods. Some are more nutritious than others and they are not as dangerous to human health as saturated fats, trans fats, salt and alcohol, but sugar can sabotage all your good work as far as healthy eating goes.
Various sources.
Teresa Quinn. Personal Trainer.
Phone 3425 1491 for training and advice.
Take a look at the difference between these orange juices; this also includes natural sugars from the fruit….
100% pure orange juice 1×250 ml, contains 22.5 grams sugar = 4 1/2 teaspoons
Orange fruit juice drink 1 x 250ml …contains 28.8 grams of sugar =7 teaspoons.
On a label “sugars“ mean the natural sugars from the fruit or milk plus any added by the processing, if sugars are at the top of the list you know its content is high in sugar. Sugar can also be listed as Dextrose, fructose, sucrose, maltose or fruit juice concentrate. Try to select items with lower added sugar where possible and be aware some low-fat desserts and yogurts may be very high in sugar.
There is so much information and research still ongoing on sugar in our lives and I have only touched on some of it, most can be found on the internet but if you really want to cut down check out labels on your food and drink, talk to your doctor or an accredited practising dietician. Whilst sugar is a major contributor to the energy or calorie overload and it comes in many forms, as yet research is still undecided on whether it causes health issues. On their own, natural sugars are not dangerous substances, they are contained in a variety of foods. Some are more nutritious than others and they are not as dangerous to human health as saturated fats, trans fats, salt and alcohol, but sugar can sabotage all your good work as far as healthy eating goes.
Various sources.
Teresa Quinn. Personal Trainer.
Phone 3425 1491 for training and advice.
