It never ceases to amaze me what you learn when you read. I’ve always been adamant about the consumption of sugar and its contribution to weight gain.
But what I continue to discover is that most people are oblivious to the amount of sugar they consume because they don’t take time to read labels. I guarantee when you stop to see what you’re eating, you will change your ways.
You can refer to my previous two blog entries for that information about your glycemic level and how it affects weight loss.
Aside from being found in the obvious like baked goods, candy and soda, sugar is added to items such as ketchup, salad dressing and sliced bread. Small amounts of sugar in a variety of your common foods can add up very quickly during a day of eating. Twenty-two to 34 teaspoons a day to be exact -- which can account for nearly 400 calories a day. Click here for more info on those stats.
Your pancreas processes sugar and turns it into insulin so that your body has energy to complete tasks. If you have too much sugar and your blood sugar level becomes elevated, your body thinks it has enough energy so it stops burning fat and stores the excess. And eventually, everything stored turns to fat!
Another effect of too much insulin is the surge causes too much blood sugar to be transported out of your blood. This causes the “crash” that so many of us know too well. Your glycemic level drops below normal, causing fatigue and hunger. Unfortunately, when this happens, you crave the same food that initially caused the situation.
And the cycle begins again.
My tips for you to avoid getting caught in the sugar cycle are:
Begin your day with a high fiber, high protein breakfast. Stay away from sugar coated cereals and pastries. Smoothies are good if you make them yourself using the proper ingredients -- a mix of fruit and protein. Here are some low sugar smoothie recipes from Chef Jamie Oliver: recipes.
Pack snacks that provide energy like nuts, seeds and fresh fruit paired with cheese or peanut butter. Click here for snack ideas.
Drink lots of water to keep from drinking sugary beverages. I recently saw a coworker with water she flavored with fresh fruit. I often use lemon or lime, but had never thought of all the other possibilities that liven up water without adding sugar. It’s easy to do and much less expensive than buying flavored water. Besides, most flavored water that you can purchase, have added sugar. Click here for flavored water recipes.
Use this sugar guide to educate yourself on types of sugar and what you should look for when reading labels.
Finally, I want you to check out this interesting read on sugar and cancer:
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