Hidden Sugars
We all know sugar is not our friend when it comes to good health and that over consumption can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. Eating too much sugar can also lead to Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hormone imbalances, even in people who are a ‘healthy’ weight. Many people find their energy, concentration and stress levels improve when reducing sugar in their diet.
But for many of us sugar tastes good - in fact some scientists believe sugar can be as addictive as cocaine. Food manufacturers know this and put sugar in many savoury foods as well as sweet foods - often combining with salt and fats to make you want to come back for more! The recommended daily amount of sugar for an adult is 30g or 7 teaspoons, yet many foods and drinks contain more than this - a can of coke typically contains 9 spoonfuls of sugar.
So how can those of us with a sweet tooth manage our consumption?
Choose naturally occurring sugars
Natural sugars can be found in vegetables and fruit and are the best sort to give our body and brain the fuel it needs. When choosing fruit try to favour apples and berries over the sweeter tasting fruit such as grapes, melons, ripe bananas and dried fruit like dates and raisins - eat these sweeter fruit in moderation as these can lead to blood sugar spikes.
Read the label
Many processed foods such as cereals, biscuits, snacks, drinks, confectionary, yoghurts, ready meals, soups, dressings, sauces and cooked meats contain sugar in many guises. Take a look at your favourite products and see if they contain one or more of the following ingredients and remember ingredients are listed by the heaviest first so the further up the list of ingredients on the label, the more of it there is.
Sugar
Fructose
Corn Syrup
Glucose
Dextrose
Lactose
Syrup
Molasses
Malt Extract
Agave
Honey
Are sweeteners any better?
Some of the above sources of sugar such as honey and agave are classed as natural sweeteners, alongside products containing stevia. Artificial sweeteners include saccharine, sacralose, aspartame, marital and xylitol. In general, natural sweeteners are deemed to be more healthy than artificial sweeteners but in reality all sweeteners encourage a sweet tooth. Try to avoid artificial sweeteners and eat natural sweeteners in moderation.
How to wean yourself off processed sugar
Your tastebuds can adapt to less sugar in your diet but it can be challenging depending on how much processed sugar is currently in your diet and how motivated you are - you can try and cut it all out in one go but if this is too much try the following tips:
Gradually reduce how much sugar you add to hot drinks and dilute fruit juices, squash and fizzy drinks with water over a 1-2 week period until your tastebuds have adapted - see Desk Drinks for more ideas
Replace sugary snacks with more savoury ones - see Desk Snacks for more ideas
Get in to the habit of reading labels when purchasing processed foods and make informed buying decisions. This may seem tedious and time consuming to begin with but it soon becomes easier.
Eating natural whole foods and cutting down on processed foods will reduce your sugar intake. Consider batch cooking soups and casseroles that don’t need any added sugar
© C Spurling BA (Hons) Dip ION
© GS Method