Let’s not sugar coat this…
Here is a fact; sugar is detrimental to our health. We’ve known this for decades now. Yet it is so hard to remove it from our diets. The more sugar we eat, the more we want to consume it.
Not only does it create tooth decay but also it is clear from the research that it contributes to chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes (1), heart disease (2), stroke (3), dementia (4) and cancer (5).
Sugar is actually an anti-nutrient, which means it depletes your body of important nutrients including vitamin D, magnesium, chromium and vitamin C (6).
Let’s put it this way: added sugars aren’t food. Indeed, sugar is not a food group and it provides nothing in nutrition but calories.
The NHS’s recommendation for adults is no more than 30g of free sugars per day - about 7 sugar cubes (1). To give you an idea, there is about 40g of sugar in a can of coke. It can be hard to keep up as sugar is everywhere – we’re talking sauces, bread, wraps, cereals, tins of tomatoes, tins of beans etc…
The food industry really doesn’t help us to eat healthily and then this happens:
- you’re craving sweets or stimulants like coffee
- your fatigue is relieved by eating
- you are sleepy in the afternoon
- you wake up at night
- you suffer from headaches
- you feel irritable
- you lose concentration easily
Does this sound familiar?
These are all signs and symptoms of blood sugar dysregulation (6).
The good news is: you can reverse it!
So what can you do to reduce your sugar intake?
Read the labels
If you don’t understand the ingredients don’t eat it!
If sugar is the first ingredient, don’t buy it!
Also, remember that there are other names for added sugar including dextrose, fructose, glucose, golden syrup, honey, maple syrup, sucrose, malt, maltose, lactose, brown sugar, caster sugar, raw sugar and more…
Practice rating your hunger
Stop and drink a glass of water or herbal tea
Go for a walk to keep your mind off food
Do 2 minutes of exercise
It is worth mentioning that if you have sweet cravings this may also be caused by low adrenal function or a gut dysbiosis (6).
I really like this quote from Mark Hyman, an American physician who practices functional medicine.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say they wish they had more willpower to be able to quit sugar.
But here’s the thing: it’s an actual physical addiction and the food industry strives to get us hooked on sugar. It’s not about willpower, it’s about biochemistry.”
So my last tip is to be kind to yourself! If you decide to eat the chocolate bar or drink the sugary drink, then enjoy it and don’t think about it afterwards. There is nothing worse than feeling guilty. Instead, think about how you can make your next meal more nutritious.
References
1. nhs.uk. 2020. Sugar: The Facts. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/
2. Quinn, T., Dawson, J. and Walters, M., (2010). Sugar and Stroke: Cerebrovascular Disease and Blood Glucose Control. Cardiovascular Therapeutics, [online] 29(6), pp.e31-e42. Available at: <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-5922.2010.00166.x>
3. Crane, P., et al (2013) Glucose Levels and Risk of Dementia. New England Journal of Medicine, [online] 369(6), pp.540-548. Available at: <http://10.1056/NEJMoa1215740>
4. Jiang, Y., et al. (2015). Abstract 3735: Dietary sugar induces tumorigenesis in mammary gland partially through 12 lipoxygenase pathway. Prevention Research, [online] Available at: <http://10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3735>
5. DiNicolantonio, J. and Berger, A., (2016). Added sugars drive nutrient and energy deficit in obesity: a new paradigm. Open Heart, [online] 3(2), p.e000469. Available at: <http://10.1136/openhrt-2016-000469> [Accessed 19 January 2021].
6. Weatherby, D. (2004) Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective, 2nd edition, Bear Mountain Publishing