How sugar hurts your health!

[materialsgirl]

Ok, here is an example from my above question. I'm eating fage greek yogurt, with bluberries, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. Not only am I consuming sugar with the fage low and behold wheat germ has 1g of sugar. It would seem impossible for me to cut out sugar completely.

You are making a common mistake in believing all sugars to be equal. This is simply not the case. The sugar present in your yogurt and wheat germ is not processed, refined sugar, like what you would find in chocolate and ice cream. They are naturally-occuring sugars, like what you find in fruit and milk. Don't be fooled into thinking they are unhealthy. Natural sugars are a source of energy for the body and the mind - to eliminate them entirely would leave you feeling sluggish and irritable - hardly a good way to live one's life.

Carola is right on in her astute assesment. Going to extremes never does anyone any good in the long term. Eat for health first, but also eat for pleasure occasionally. A life without freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies is, IMO, not a life worth living.

 

[crazystepr]

Yup, every year or so a food or complete food group is demonized. Heck, next thing we know, maybe someone will come out and say we did it all completely wrong and broccoli is now public enemy # 1.

I just think articles and reports like this make people go to extremes, trying to eliminate the poopooed food, inevitably failing, feeling bad, blaming it on themselves or their lack of will power and going down a vicious cycle that ends in obesity and yo-yo dieting for millions of Americans.

Instead of demonizing a food, why not change the way we look at food and the way we approach our health? Why not change our perceiption and realize that even the stuff that is "not so good" is fine, if eaten in moderation? Food is not an enemy — overeating is the enemy.

Ah yes, Carola. Always the voice of reason. Gotta love her.

 

[Gayle]

Heck, next thing we know, maybe someone will come out and say we did it all completely wrong and broccoli is now public enemy # 1.

I was just forwarded an email saying that all the gas broccoli creates is the reason for global warming...DOWN WITH BROCCOLI!!

 

[kathryn]

The story about your grandmother is too funny! I have also found people to be completely shocked (and even troubled lol) to know I have given up sugar. Much more so than any particular diet I might try.

Hey! Where'd you get that smiley?
I can't find a way to insert emoticons within the body of my text on this new forum!

 

[kathryn]

For the educated crowd I have a question. I would love to cut out sugar but find it impossible to do so. When you say you don't eat sugar do you mean you don't eat things like cottage cheese or organic raw peanut butter or fage greek yogurt. Each of those items has sugar listed on the label as either 1-5 g. per serving. I dont' each sugar intentionaly but I do consume it in the foods I eat. How do you cut out sugar altogther. Thanks for any information.

There are naturally-occuring sugars and added sugars (the latter of which includes white cane or beet sugar). Both are listed as 'sugars' under the carbohydrates on food labels.

I don't know about the cottage cheese or yogurt you're eating, but if you get natural P.B. (the "REAL" natural p.b.--only peanuts and optional salt, NO sugar), then all sugars in it are naturally occuring.

I don't sweat the naturally-occuring sugars--like in fruits---because they come wrapped in a nutritional package that nature intended them to be in.

It's the added sugars (and sugar substitutes), especially white cane/beet sugar, which has absolutely NO nutritional value (except for calories), that is the one to watch for.

Sugar 'hides' in ingredients lists in many ways, especially when manufacturers use several types of sugars, and separate them on the list of ingredients. If you added them all up, sometimes they take up most of the product (it's easy to spot that if sugar is the first ingredient, not so easy when "cane sugar, dextrose, sucrose, ---ose, molasses" are all listed separately).

Limiting pre-prepared foods, and reading the labels of those you do buy, is the best way to limit sugar.

Also, if you have a sugar bowl on your table at home, get rid of it!

 

[kathryn]

Ok, here is an example from my above question. I'm eating fage greek yogurt, with bluberries, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. Not only am I consuming sugar with the fage low and behold wheat germ has 1g of sugar. It would seem impossible for me to cut out sugar completely.

YOu actually don't want to cut out sugar completely, at least not the naturally-occuring stuff (see above). It would actually be pretty impossible to do, unless you had a very restrictive diet. And the brain runs on glucose, which is a sugar (but added sugars aren't necessary to get the amount of 'sugar' our bodies need. Fruits, grains, pretty much every natural plant food has some simple carbs/sugars in).

The sugar in your wheat germ (unless it's sweetened?) is natural. Don't worry about it. It's just another way of labelling "simple carbs" (vs. complex carbs).

I do believe it's possible to cut out white sugar (the worst of the sugars).

If you do go for high-sugar foods, the best time to eat them is after a tough workout, when your body can actually make use of them to make glucose to feed the brain.

 

[kathryn]

Just one of those things people should watch more than they do. IMO [/FONT]

I agree.

And it's also something that I think is easy to get drawn into: eating a bit here, then more, then why not more, over the course of time.

Being aware and making choices based on knowledge (educated decisions) is the best way to go, IMO.

 

[kathryn]

I was just forwarded an email saying that all the gas broccoli creates is the reason for global warming...DOWN WITH BROCCOLI!!

LOL!

I've read that passing gas can help prevent colon cancer...so UP WITH BROCCOLI!!

 

[karenvictoria]

Thaks everyone. I knew there had to be some difference I was missing that all sugars were not created equal. I knew fruit has naturaly occuring sugars in it but wheat germ I had no idea. Great information girls. Thanks

 

[hiitdogs]

LOL!

I've read that passing gas can help prevent colon cancer...so UP WITH BROCCOLI!!

Ahhh, then I guess my BIL will never have to worry about getting colon cancer

 

[Beavs]

I like how the smiley face dude is just waitin' Pfffftttt!

 

[kathryn]

Ahhh, then I guess my BIL will never have to worry about getting colon cancer

Well, my deparment chair was doing his best to prevent it in a one-on-one meeting we had yesterday (those 'silent-but-deadly' ones). (And do you say anything to a 'boss' who is also a 'colleague'--he also teaches French? I didn't, and I remained quite composed: not makiing the "OMG! what IS that smell!" face that I really wanted to!).

 

[kathryn]

Thaks everyone. I knew there had to be some difference I was missing that all sugars were not created equal. I knew fruit has naturaly occuring sugars in it but wheat germ I had no idea. Great information girls. Thanks

I just wanted to add one thing.

Though most 'naturally-occuring' sugars are fine, there is one kind that should be limited: fruit JUICES. While fruits contain fiber to help slow down the the digestion of their sugars, juices are highly processed, partial foods. Good to not drink them on their own, but with foods containing fat and fiber, and/or maybe mix a bit with some water, if you drink them regularly.