Sugar – It’s better to put some in the garbage than on your waistline

I shall be writing a series of posts related to health. I shall share what I found insightful.

To begin with here are some quotes:

• Your body will be around a lot longer than that expensive handbag. Invest in yourself ~ Anonymous
• YES! getting yourself healthy does cost money. But doctor and hospital visit will cost more ~ Anonymous

This morning I read an article related to sugar in our food. The important points it includes are

• Big Sugar has paid researchers to conduct misleading — if not false — studies about the health effects of added sweeteners. It has come up with a dizzying array of euphemistic names for those sweeteners. And it has managed to get sugars into a remarkable three–quarters of all packaged foods in American supermarkets.
• Virtually the only way to eat a healthy amount of sugar is to make a conscious effort. You can think of it as a political act: resisting the sugar industry’s attempts to profit off your body. Or you can simply think of it as taking care of yourself.
• You may have heard about high-fructose corn syrup.  Many researchers believe that sugar is sugar. But people don’t generally overeat natural sugars. Have you ever inhaled five apples in one sitting?
• Your rules should revolve around added sweeteners, rather than the natural ones in fruits, vegetables and dairy.

• Fix your breakfast. It’s the most sugar-packed meal, and it doesn’t need to be. Eggs, fruit, nuts, plain yogurt, plain oatmeal and traditional pita bread are delicious — and free of added sugars. If you’re pressed for time, boil a dozen eggs, refrigerate them and grab one or two in the morning. A sign of a good breakfast plate: It has an array of natural colors.

• Redo your pantry. Steer clear of staples — like sauces, crackers and breads — with unnecessary sugars.

• Eliminate soda. Just get rid of it. Soda and sports drinks are essentially liquid sugar.

• Whip portion inflation. Restaurant desserts are often family-size servings marketed as individual portions. The marble-loaf cake at Starbucks, for example, has more sugar than most adults should eat in an entire day.

  

After checking a few more articles I gathered this:

• There’s also the matter of fruit juice concentrates, which are juices that have been stripped of nearly everything but sugar and evaporated. A lot of seemingly natural foods include ingredients like “apple juice concentrate.” That’s sugar. That will be a lot clearer when the labels are updated.
• Health experts recommend that you focus on reducing added sweeteners — like granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, stevia and molasses. You don’t need to worry so much about the sugars that are a natural part of fruit, vegetables and dairy products. Most people don’t overeat naturally occurring sugars, as Marion Nestle of New York University says. The fiber, vitamins and minerals that surround them fill you up.
• When you eat out, think of every dessert as a serving for two. It’s better to put some in the garbage than on your waistline.

A lot can be said and discussed on sugar and health/lifestyle but for now this much is enough. I would love to hear from you, any experience or information.

The links of health post will be mentioned on page: Health

References:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/11/opinion/sugar-industry-health.html
2. https://www.starbucks.com/menu/food/bakery/chocolate-marble-loaf-cake?foodZone=9999
3. https://www.nytimes.com/guides/smarterliving/how-to-stop-eating-sugar
4. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/upshot/it-isnt-easy-to-figure-out-which-foods-contain-sugar.html
5. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf
6. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/starbucks-christmas-drinks-latte-gingerbread-sugar-calories-dougnuts-a8047836.html