Eat Less Sugar.. You're Sweet Enough!

By Any Other Name, It's STILL Sugar!

     

"Food isn't getting healthier...the food industry is just getting stealthier."

                                      -Dom Spain, CPT, GFS, CES

 

     How are we supposed to defend ourselves against added sugars if we are not even aware that it's lurking in the nutrition label shadows? I like to think of sugar as the Jason Bourne of diet assassins. It can hide in many different places, operate under many different names and just when you think you have a handle on this healthy eating thing BAM... it catches up to you. It is a tactic that large food corporations have calculated to keep the sales of their products high. It came as no real surprise to me that we consumed a staggering 10.8 million metric tons of sugar in just the United States this past year. I could go on and on about the negative health effects of consuming too much sugar but let's be honest, we already know that for the most part. What I don't think enough people understand is what to look for and what to do to counter this "low-carb" calamity. What I aim to accomplish with this article is bringing cognizance to the hidden sugars agenda in hopes that you will spend a bit more time not just "taking their word for it". 

The First Step to Sugar Survival is to Identify it by it's Many Names 

     A rule of thumb that I learned when I was a newbie to the health and fitness world is anything that ends in -ose is typically a type of sugar. If you have ever been  grocery shopping EVER you have heard of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS on some labels). That does not mean that if it doesn't end in -ose that it isn't a sugar so keep looking. The obvious ones are anything with "syrup" or "sugar" in the name. We are getting more health conscious every year so we know agave and honey are not as healthy as added sweeteners as once believed. Just knowing that the industry is trying to hide these sugars is reason enough to take a closer look and regain control of your nutrition. 

Stealthier Sugars: 

• Diatase 
• Diastatic Malt
• Ethyl Maltol
• Maltodextrine
• Muscovado
• Panocha
• Sorbitol
• Treacle
• Turbinado

How Does this Help Me Lose Weight?  

     When the body encounters sugars, it will try to use them for energy. If there is more sugar than your body needs the liver (the sorting factory) will store the excess by converting into fatty acids through lipogenesis. These fatty acids are  then packaged into small fat molecules called triglycerides for later energy use. We do NOT want this excess sugar because is converted DIRECTLY into FAT if the body has no immediate energy use for it. Sugar is not REALLY the enemy but with it hiding in just about everything we consume by one nomer or another the EXCESS sugar consumption is the enemy. Simply put: HIGH BLOOD SUGAR = HIGH BODYFAT 

What's the Deal with Artificial Sweeteners?

     The sugar substitute argument has strong opinions for and against the health benefits. These alternatives are attractive to consumers looking to lose weight due to the fact that they add virtually zero calories to your diet.  You will have to do your homework and read up on the pros and cons of sweeteners. I have my own personal opinion and I would be more than happy to write another article on the science & statistics for the major sweeteners on the market. For now,  let's cover the basics. Artificial sweeteners are synthetic alternatives to sugar that can sometimes be a derivative of a naturally occurring substance such as an herb, beets or sugar itself. They are known as intense sweeteners because they are significantly sweeter than regular sugar so you don't need as much to sweeten something to the same level. 

     Do yourself the service of taking a closer look. You might come to the conclusion that how your body absorbs these sugar alcohols or sugar derivatives may be very different than how someone else absorbs them or that it is not about the overall calories as much as the rise and fall of your blood sugar and storage timing.  The Mayo Clinic has tons of valuable researched articles on sweeteners that I found integral in forming my sugar substitute stance. 

     I am always eager to engage in discussion and answer any questions I can. I am here on a fitness journey as well. I would love to hear comments and ideas for new blog topics. If you have blogs that you have learned from please don't hesitate to send me a link. We are never to big or too experienced to continue feeding our minds and bodies well. Until next time.....