Most
of us have first-hand experience that lots of sugar, carbs
and, junk food make us feel very irritated. Earlier this month, Dr. Robert Lustig
told CBS News’ “60
minutes” that sugar is addictive, toxic, and it’s killing us by
increasing our risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, hypertension and
cancer. The pediatric endocrinologist has even gone as far as to say that sugar
should be regulated like cigarettes and alcohol.
History shows that in 6000 B.C. usage of
sugarcane in papau New guinea
is recorded. And in 1000 B.C. India started making sugar crystals called GUR
with sugarcane, by crushing the cane and boiling the juice. When Alexander the Great invaded India In 325
B.C. came across this miracle reed (sugar cane) from which sugar was made without
honeybees. Beet sugar was made from beet
roots only by the 19th century.
There
are two kinds of sugar: naturally occurring and added
sugars. Mother Nature provides us with many
naturally-occurring sugars in our foods. For example, yogurt, milk, and fruit –
all healthy foods- contain sugar. Lactose is the sugar in milk and yogurt;
fructose is the sugar in fruit.
Added
sugars are sweeteners that are added to food and beverages during the
manufacturing process. Common sweeteners added to foods include fructose and
high fructose corn syrup. Desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas,
energy and sports drinks, are the top sources of added sugar in most American
diets.
For
example, a 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 25-35 grams of high
fructose corn syrup but provides our bodies with no other nutrients. In
comparison, one cup of blueberries contains about seven grams of natural
fructose and also packs a powerful punch of fiber, antioxidants and important
vitamins and minerals.
The
American Heart Association recommends that most women have no more than 100
calories per day from added sugar, which equals about 6 teaspoons (25 grams).
For men, no more than 150 calories from added sugars or about 9 teaspoons (38
grams). That’s much less than you may think: 1 small candy bar, ½ cup of ice
cream or frozen yogurt is equal to about 100-150 calories.
- Read the label for sugar. Look out for these
names in the label when you go food shopping this week –Sugar, Brown sugar, High
fructose corn syrup, Corn sugar, Syrup, Corn syrup, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose,
Raw sugar, Turbinado sugar, Honey. If most of these are in the top, avoid or
replace them with natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid pastry, even home-made pastry for
dessert. Have fruit instead.
- Reach for plain yogurt instead of flavored
yogurt which is sweetened with lots of added sugar and unwanted calories.
- Drink sparkling water with few drops of
lemon or lime in it, low or fat free milk, 100 % fruit juice or unsweetened
tea, instead of Soda.
- Add more ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg to
sweeten your food instead of processed sugar. Cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood sugars, Sprinkle a couple
teaspoons of cinnamon powder on your yogurt, or take it in capsule form.
- Regular exercise helps us lose weight and
also helps lower our blood sugar within minutes.
- A cup of plain decaf coffee (you can add
some cream, but no sugar!) seems to lower blood sugar levels.
- Special vitamin tablets with chromium
helps lower the blood sugar.
- One cup of green tea, regular black tea
and white tea too helps lower the bood sugar levels.
- Reduce stress or find ways of dealing with
stress, by practicing relaxation techniques like meditation, breathing
exercises and nature walks.
- Sleep is a very good stress reliever too.
Normally,
when your blood sugar level starts to drop, your liver steps in. It goes to
work changing stored carbohydrate into glucose. Then it sends the glucose out
into the blood, which helps you avoid or slow down a low blood sugar reaction.
Remember,
below 70 and you risk going into insulin shock; above 200, and you are doing
significant damage to your organs over time. So aim for a healthy blood sugar
range, between 70 and 150.
.
Choosing
Good Carbohydrates Over Bad Carbohydrates
There's
no need to avoid all (or even a lot) of carbohydrates. In fact, carbohydrates
should supply about half of your daily calories. One gram of carbohydrate,
whether it is sugar or starch, contains four calories. One slice of bread has
about 12 grams of carbohydrates. One typical chocolate
bar may have about 50 grams of carbohydrates. A medium potato has about 35
grams of carbohydrates.
Although
all carbohydrates have four calories per gram, some sources of carbohydrates
are better for your diet. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains
are healthier carbohydrate sources than candy, sodas and pastries. These carbohydrates
have large amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals
and fiber. Fiber is especially important because it keeps you feeling full
longer.
Foods
like candy, sodas, ice creams and pastries termed as the junk foods are
referred as foods having empty calories and are poor sources of nutrients. They have lots of calories and have little or
no nutritional value. Moreover they
usually are low in fiber.
Be
aware of what you eat and limit sugar for a sweet life.
References:
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