OK, so by now we all know that we have way too much sugar in the average modern diet. It is added to most of our foods in enormous quantities, and if that isn't enough, we often add more - whether in our tea and coffee, smothered over our breakfast and even added to our salad dressings. And if it isn't processed sugars, it is often high fructose corn syrups (read some labels -you will be amazed how much stuff this is added to).
We also know that these sugars increase our blood sugar levels, increase our insulin resistance (diabetes and pre-diabetes), promote weight gain and cause sugar crashes. This in turn can lead to decreased metabolism, increased hunger, lowered immunity, muscle cramps, increased blood pressure and heart disease, osteoporosis, and increased ageing.
So if you haven't done so already, it is time to start decreasing the amount of processed sugars in your diet. The good news is you don't need to go cold turkey. A good way to start is by replacing these processed, refined sugars with more natural sugars. Being more complex molecules, these sugars don't cause such instantaneous rises in blood sugar and hence don't have such drastic effects.
Foods like honey, fruit, maple syrup, molasses and fruit and vegetable juices can be used to provide sweetness to your food in a healthier way. Of course these sweeteners are still really high in carbohydrates so you won't want to overdo it. In fact over time you can begin to reduce your intake of the honey, maple syrup and molasses as well, and start to get most of your sweetness and carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. But that will take time.
So start reducing your reliance on refined processed sugars. Like any addiction, it may be tough at first but it will be well worth the effort and once you get the hang of it you won't miss the daily sugar crashes.
What is your weakness?
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written by Dr Brett Hill, February 13, 2010
The hardest thing has been reading labels and discovering most of my favourite sauces, spreads and dressings have sugar in them. Basically I miss most rows in the supermarket and buy meat from the butcher and veges from the green grocer and my shopping bill has decreased considerably. I cook using fresh ingredients and lots of homegrown herbs and actually enjoy preparing meals once again. A spin-off is my family are all eating better and enjoying the new variety of meals. The only sugar I have now is from fresh fruit. A tip from my Naturopath to stop the cravings of sugar was to increase good oils in meals. I include olive oil, flaxseed oil (small amount) and avocado and if I feel hungry I have a small handful of almonds to tie me over until my next meal.
Thanks for the articles Brett, I think they are great.