Most of us eat too much sugar. In fact, according to scientists,
the amount of sugar we consume every year has soared nearly 30 per cent since
1983 and is likely a major contributor to the soaring rates of overweight and
obesity generally.
With
its own addictive seduction and treated socially as an acceptable addition to
almost everything we consume, sugar is hard to avoid. Yet, sugar has not always
been an integral part of the human diet – once, sugar was hard to obtain in
nature, so our bodies didn’t develop a need for its consumption. And while, 150
years ago, we ate no sugar, now the average person is eating at least a kilo of
it a week!
Uncovering
all the sugar in your diet isn’t easy. Sugar often hides under several
pseudonyms and turns up in even the most innocuous foods like bread, pastries,
rice and yam.
Eating less sugar is about preserving your health. There are
many good reasons to minimise the sugar you eat each day. Health is definitely
a top reason, as too much sugar ingestion is implicated in a range of poor
health conditions and diseases, including Type-2 diabetes, dental problems,
acne, infertility, certain cancers and heart diseases.
Sugar
may also have a role in inducing depression, mood swings, fatigue, memory loss,
osteoporosis, vision loss and kidney disease.
Some
people are more sensitive to sugar than others. This can be reflected in being
overweight, lethargic, having poor skin and hair, irritability or mood swings
and a lack of energy. If any of these sorts of things are affecting you, sugar
may be an issue. Talk to your doctor to be sure.
It is easier preached than done, though. However, here are some
simple steps to take to wean you and your family of added sugars in your diet.
• Have treat days. It’s
easier to go sugar-free for several days, knowing that on Friday, you can
indulge without guilt. Try having several cheat days each week at first, then
down to only one, and ultimately limit yourself to only sweet alternatives
except in very special situations.
In
tough situations, remind yourself of the reasons you are doing this. It may
help to write them on an index card and put it on your fridge, or perhaps keep
it in your wallet.
• Brush
your teeth right after eating a meal, so that you won’t be tempted to eat
something sugary and have to go and brush your teeth again.
• Replace white or brown sugar with an
unrefined, dehydrated sugar. Yes, it’s still sugar but that one change
still makes a difference by somewhat reducing the dramatic blood sugar effect,
giving your body at least a few nutrients in the process, and avoiding the high
temperature and chemical process used to create regular sugar.
• Use fruit as a sweetener. Substitute some of the sugar and liquids in
a recipe with ripe bananas, apple sauce, pineapple, or other fruit puree. Dried
fruits like dates, raisins and figs add wonderful sweetness to foods.
• Try Stevia. This
herb, originally from South America, is extremely sweet by nature but without
any calories or sugar-like effects on the body, and you can use as little as a
couple drops to sweeten a mug of tea or a few teaspoons in a dessert. It does
have a somewhat bitter aftertaste, depending on the type you use. Unrefined
foods are always best, and you can buy Stevia as a simple dried powder.
• Use raw honey. Drink
your coffee or tea without sugar. You can add cream to either (not advisable if
you want to lose weight), and/or honey to your tea. If you’re used to adding a
lot of sugar, then wean yourself off gradually by the teaspoon or packet.
Eventually you’ll get used to it and you may discover the more subtle flavours
of coffee or tea that were overpowered by sweetness before.
Although
it is still a sweetener and can be overused like anything, raw honey is full of
nutrients, enzymes, and actually has many healing properties. It is lower
glycaemically than sugar, and many people who react to sugar strongly can eat
honey without issue.
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