Sugar; the bitter truth

Its only sugar I don’t eat that much, just a biscuit with my tea. I here this all the time!

Currently in the USA 41.9 % are obese and in the UK 27 % are obese and in the 1980’s obesity rates in the USA were approximately 13 % and in the Uk were approximately 11 %. And presently in the USA 37.3 million people have diabetes and, in the UK, nearly 5 million people have diabetes. A study from Birmingham University found that on average children in the UK are consuming 75g of sugar daily, which is approximately 19 teaspoons of sugar which is four times the daily intake recommended by government guidelines. These statistics are startling, the impact on a person’s health is well documented and cannot be over emphasized. With links to increased rates of tooth decay, type II diabetes, chronic inflammation, depression, cardiovascular disease, dementia, fatty liver disease to name but a few.

So where does all this sugar come from?

We are nowadays eating far more sugar than previous generations, a chocolate treat is no longer an occasional treat, in some cases chocolate has become a part of the daily diet, instead of eating healthy fruits and vegetables. Now to name and shame a few of the common culprits; coca cola has 9 teaspoons of sugar (35g), yeo valley family farm 0% fat yoghurt 20.9g of sugar per 150g pot, Starbucks caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream (tall) 11 teaspoons of sugar (44.3g), munch bunch yoghurt 9.4g of sugar per pot, one slice of Hovis white bread 1.4g of sugar, Ragu pasta sauce 8.4g of sugar per 375g jar. Tropicana smooth orange juice 13g of sugar per 150ml, innocent super smoothie invigorate has a whooping 28g of sugar per 250ml, that’s not exactly a healthier option!!

When blood sugar is constantly being spiked the body becomes insulin resistant which causes the person to feel tired, fuzzy headed and hungry and craving sugar. At this point a person's blood sugar will remain high because the body is no longer sensitive to insulin. This can lead to Hyperglycaemia, type II diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia, obesity, depression and there are also links to autoimmune dysregulation.

Other names for hidden sugar in our foods.

As consumers we need to be more aware of what we are eating. Depending on the study we look at, there are between 56 and 100 different names for sugar. Here are a few names for sugar which you will find on food packaging; cane juice, corn syrup, malt syrup, caramel, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, dextrose, fructose, sucrose, coconut palm sugar, rice syrup, beets sugar, agave syrup and so on. The food aisles in the supermarkets are full of so-called healthy options that are low fat, vegan, gluten free or low carb. We as consumers need to read the labels and educate ourselves regarding the contents of the products that we are purchasing. For example, granola bars are touted as healthier options, whereas in reality granola bars have between 6g to 15g of sugar per bar. And energy drinks and sports drinks are loaded with between 37g to 57g of sugar. Not exactly healthier options!

What is the solution

The solution is to first educate ourselves about the detrimental effects of the fast and convenience foods we are consuming. And which of those foods are the most harmful. Secondly implementation, put in place a new diet plan based on healthy whole foods and swapping out the unhealthy, refined processed foods for fresh natural whole foods.

We all live busy lives and convenience foods are exactly that, some natural foods take time to prepare. But if we have time for Netflix or other streaming TV services, then surely we have time to make ourselves a wholesome meal. For example, we buy a ready-made pasta sauce which can have up to 7.3g of sugar per 100g (Tesco pasta sauce). Instead, we can make our own pasta sauce, a can of fresh tomatoes has only 3.6g of sugar per 100g. This is half the amount of sugar found in the ready-made pasta sauce. Making your own pasta sauce only takes a few minutes to make and its tastier and healthier. We don’t need to be a Chief to make a good pasta sauce, give it a go.

Happy Cooking!

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