The Problem with sugar

The amount of refined sugar consumed in Western diets has increased dramatically in recent decades. The sad fact is that it is severely affecting our health. Sugar is a problem because:

• It is high in energy but contains little nutritional value.
• It results in high amounts of insulin to be released into the bloodstream upon digestion. High insulin levels block fat burning in the body.
• It increases the risk of developing a range of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer – to name a few.
• It causes tooth decay.

Digestion of sugar in the body

Carbohydrates come in 2 different forms – simple and complex. Sugar is a simple form of carbohydrate which means it is digested quickly by the body.

When large amounts of glucose enter the bloodstream, the body must secrete equally large amounts of insulin to deal with it. The problem is that high insulin levels block the burning of fat in the body. In fact, insulin actually promotes the storage of fat! Therefore, when trying to lose weight, you need to keep insulin levels low.

The Insulin Trap – How Sugar Cravings Occur

   1.  You eat sugary foods.

   2.  After digestion, glucose rapidly enters your blood stream.

   3.  High amounts of insulin are secreted to cope with your high blood sugar levels.

   4.  High insulin levels rapidly clear the sugar from your bloodstream, overshooting 
        the mark and leaving you with blood sugar levels which are excessively low.

   5.  With low blood sugar levels you now become moody and agitated. This causes you to crave high sugar foods!

How To Avoid The Insulin Trap

We always need a certain amount of sugar in our bloodstream because our brains need a constant supply of glucose in order to function properly. The best way to supply this is to eat a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates, which are absorbed slowly into the blood stream.

You can control your insulin levels by: 
 

• Making sure you don’t eat highly processed carbohydrates like white bread, and sugary foods.
• Eating a moderate intake of starchy carbohydrates – wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, and legumes such as beans, peas and lentils. Also starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn.
• Eating protein and fat with each meal (because these slow down the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, hence resulting in lower overall insulin levels).
• Not skipping meals.
• Avoiding soft drinks and limiting your consumption of fruit juice.
• Exercising regularly.

Artificial Sweeteners

Many health advocates consider artificial sweeteners to be detrimental to the human body. Artificial sweeteners, and other chemically altered foods (such as trans fats, preservatives and other additives) are not recognisable to our digestive systems. As a result our bodies have to process and eliminate them like any other toxin. Even more disturbingly, some artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame have been shown to cause tumours in laboratory animals, despite being given the tick of approval by health authorities.

Stevia – A Natural Alternative 

Stevia is a plain old herb that grows in the ground. Its leaves, when chewed, are 20 times sweeter than sugar. You can buy this herb at some plant nurseries, or you can buy a Stevia extract from most health food shops (which is amazingly 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar). The extract comes in either a liquid form or as a white powder and is perfect for adding to tea and coffee.

Stevia contains no calories, has no effect on insulin levels, and does not cause tooth decay. It has a slight liquorice flavour.

Fruit – The Other Natural Alternative

Fruit should be the main source of sugar to satisfy all you sweet-tooths out there. The sugar contained in fruit is called fructose. Unlike ordinary sugar, fructose reacts differently in the body and does not cause insulin levels to rise quite so dramatically. The exception to this is fruit juice and also dried fruit – owing to their concentrated form, they can cause insulin to rise if consumed in large quantities.

In Summary…

•  Limiting refined sugars will result in better overall health, help regulate your moods and prevent sugar cravings.
• In regard to fat loss – lower sugar intakes will lead to lower insulin levels, which in turn will pave the way for improved fat burning by your body.