Sugar, that evil seductress!

Down right dirty, seductive, addicting sugar and it’s evil partners…sweeteners!

Nothing suppresses the immune system quite like sugar can. Research has shown the 8 tsp of sugar (the equivalent of 1 can of pop) inhibits your immune system by 40%, for a minimum of 5 hours, making it difficult to defend itself against invaders.

Can you believe the world’s consumption of sugar, or processed carbohydrate that converts into sugar, is estimated at about 10 to 200 pounds each year by the average Western person? It is estimated that sugar constitutes about 25 to 35 percent of the Standard American Diet (SAD) diet.

You can put your eyes back in your head now.

What you need to watch for:

Simple carbohydrates include the various forms of sugar, such as sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (dairy sugar), and glucose (blood sugar). Watch for the “ose” ending.

Milk Chocolate is loaded with refined sugar and other fillers to deliver that addictive rush that comes with consuming milk chocolate. A good quality dark chocolate is the best alternative here, containing at least 60% cocoa. Real, pure cocoa does contain some health benefits, such as being high in plant based iron. If you are craving chocolate, try a rich dark chocolate in replace.

Hidden sugar in processed foods: Watch for hidden sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, soups and sweetened, yogurt.

Sugar in beverages: Be aware of the amount of sugar in beverages, especially specialty coffees and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and most of these types of drinks aren’t filling.

Fat-free products: Sugar is often used to replace the flavour that is lost when the fat is removed. And as if that’s not bad enough, without any fat to slow it down, the sugar is absorbed into your blood faster.

Cereal box claims of less sugar: many newer cereals do contain less sugar, but the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fibre and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. The manufacturers have simply replaced sugar with other refined, simple carbohydrates.

No sugar added: it doesn’t mean that the product doesn’t naturally contain a lot of sugar; 100 percent fruit products often contain concentrated fruit juice, still another form of fructose or sugar.

Sugar-free: this almost always means that it contains an artificial sweetener such as sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and all chemical and unnatural sweeteners.

Raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, molasses, and other more natural sugars, on the other hand, is a healthier choice, because of the trace vitamins and minerals they provide. However, they are still Sugar! For weight loss purposes, all of these sweeteners can simply be treated as sugar.

So what can you do to avoid all the ill effects of refined sugar? Reduce or eliminate it, and replace it with high energy nutrients found in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Include whole sources of protein, such as beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, free run eggs, organic poultry and drink delicious smoothies, which can combine everything into one simple drink.

If you are looking for a sweet fix, try this healthy, delicious and balanced recipe

Homemade Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Compliments of fellow Nutritionist Meghan Telpner