Sugar friend or foe?

Sugar has long been at the heart of any celebration. From festivals to birthday parties to rewarding ourselves after a long days work… indulging in sugar is at the core of our modern day societies. If it makes you happy it can’t be that bad, right? Wrong.

Natural sugar is good for you as it supplies your body with energy but eating too much sugar will lead to energy spikes and crashes that create a cycle of highs and lows throughout the day. Do you ever find yourself constantly reaching for the next sugary rush to make it through the day? This need for energy is just one side of the coin, eating sweet sugary foods releases dopamine which is the chemical that controls the brains reward and pleasure centers; therefore, we see sugar as a treat and as a result it is highly addictive. This instant energy rush combined with our outlook of rewarding ourselves has led to a society that at large is addicted to sugar.

Fact: Everyone would be healthier if they ate less sugar.

Why? Because excess sugar damages our bodies by;

• overloading our livers causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 
• insulin resistant leading to type 2 diabetes,
• contributing to cancers,
• increase risk of heart disease,
• belly fat accumulation,
• contributing to obesity
• aggravating acne
• accelerating the skin aging process, and
• increasing your risk of depression

Our bodies have been designed incredibly and every cell in our body requires sugar (glucose) for energy. Because of this our bodies digest carbohydrates and even some proteins into glucose on top of the sugars that we add to our systems daily. Understanding this fact is key to understanding how we are constantly overloading ourselves with sugar and why there is a serious call to cut back on our added sugars.

The good news is that natural sweeteners are a great alternative option to table sugar, as their sweetness is also packed with vitamins and minerals. Unlike table sugar that offer no nutritional benefit, only calories. Natural sugars are found in fresh or frozen fruits, raw honey and pure maple syrup. Adding raw honey to your tea or yoghurt will satisfy your sweet tooth while also providing your body with antioxidants, prebiotics (for gut flora), vitamins E & C and minerals. Natural sugar is still sugar, so one should be mindful of your intake, and enjoy in moderation.

As well as making the switch to natural sugars as both sweeteners and healthy snacks it’s advisable to intentionally decrease your sugar intake. Some suggestions are

• cut back on the sugar/sweetener added to things you eat and drink regularly like cereals, tea, or coffee by one teaspoon per week,
• Swap out fizzy drinks for water or diluted fruit juice. If you drink fruit juice regularly then dilute it by mixing ½ of your usual portion with water,
• Eat fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits. Be sure to choose fruit that is canned in water or natural juice and not syrup.
• Add fruit instead of sugar to cereals and oats, dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, apricots and banana are great to keep around the house to add to dishes when something sweet is needed.
• Cutting back on the sugar in baking. You can often cut back on the sugar called for in recipes by one- third to one-half when baking biscuits, brownies, or cakes. Alternatively, you can also substitute sugar required in baking with pitted and softened dates.
• Enhance foods using spices rather than of sugars. Try using ginger, allspice, cinnamon, vanilla, or nutmeg.
• While grocery shopping, start a habit of reading labels and choosing the healthier brand.

Remember that a full and interesting fruit bowl is always a winner in every household, making it the perfect snack or after dinner treat. Focus on the abundance of fruit and vegetables that are both nutritious and delicious and have an assortment of seasonal fruit available in your home. Getting ourselves and our families in the habit of reaching for fruit instead of processed treats is a great step in the right direction.