All you need to know about your sugar intake
What would you guess is the average daily sugar intake of an adult? The answer might shock you: the average is 30 teaspoons of sugar a day - that is about 1.2 kilograms or 2.7 pounds of sugar a week! No wonder obesity is a serious concern of today's modern world. Here is everything you need to know about your sugar intake and how to use this knowledge to live a healthier life:
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What you need to know about sugar:
There are two types of sugars, natural sugars that are naturally found in foods, such as fructose in fruits an lactose in milk. Since foods with natural sugars also contain water, fibre and micronutrients they are safe for you.
And then there are added sugars such as regular table sugar, cane sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, sucrose, lactose and high fructose corn syrup, which are added to foods to give it a sweeter and more pleasant taste. Visit The Health Sciences Academy for a list of all the names added sugars are called.
And then there are added sugars such as regular table sugar, cane sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, sucrose, lactose and high fructose corn syrup, which are added to foods to give it a sweeter and more pleasant taste. Visit The Health Sciences Academy for a list of all the names added sugars are called.
The type of sugar that you should be worrying about are these added sugars since they are simply just that, sugar, with no nutrients for your body.
How does sugar affect the human body?
Sugar is known to have a heroin-like effect causing it to be an addictive and habit-forming food. Sugar affects the pleasure centers of the brain, overriding your hunger signals. This causes you to eat much more of it than you should ad then leads to a variety of health problems.
A high sugar intake has been linked to the following variety of health concerns:
How much sugar intake is healthy?
The general advice is to consume and average of between 6 to 9 teaspoons a day, depending on your gender, activity levels and Body Mass Index (BMI). A healthy rule of thumb to follow is to limit your intake of added sugars to 5% of your daily calorie intake.
An easy formula to follow when monitoring your sugar intake and reading food labels is:
4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar
Which common foods contain added sugars?
In short, all processed and fast foods. However, here are some examples of popular food that you should try and limit or even avoid if possible:
What if I want to lose weight?
The most important thing to do with regards to weightloss and sugar intake is to completely avoid all forms of added sugars. If this is not a possibility, try to limit your added sugar intake to once every two weeks or one week (at most).
Naturally successful weightloss cannot just be dependent on the limitation of added sugars, but this is a very good place to start especially since this diet change also holds a variety of health benefits (by no longer exposing your body to the negative effects of added sugars).
Conclusion:
Whether you want to lose weight, improve your health or just live a healthier lifestyle, cutting or reducing your sugar intake is the first step. Get into the habit of monitoring your sugar intake and reading the labels of the foods you buy. You will soon realise that you are feeling great with more energy and less health problems.
♥ Michelle Smillie ♥
How does sugar affect the human body?
Sugar is known to have a heroin-like effect causing it to be an addictive and habit-forming food. Sugar affects the pleasure centers of the brain, overriding your hunger signals. This causes you to eat much more of it than you should ad then leads to a variety of health problems.
A high sugar intake has been linked to the following variety of health concerns:
- weight gain
- obesity
- type II diabetes
- insulin resistance
- tooth decay
- coronary heart diseases
- metabolic syndrome
- metabolism damage
How much sugar intake is healthy?
The general advice is to consume and average of between 6 to 9 teaspoons a day, depending on your gender, activity levels and Body Mass Index (BMI). A healthy rule of thumb to follow is to limit your intake of added sugars to 5% of your daily calorie intake.
An easy formula to follow when monitoring your sugar intake and reading food labels is:
4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar
Which common foods contain added sugars?
In short, all processed and fast foods. However, here are some examples of popular food that you should try and limit or even avoid if possible:
- Soft drinks and sugar-sweetened drinks
- Energy drinks
- Fruit juices - surprising, but they contain just as much added sugars as soft drinks
- Fruit yoghurt - perhaps also surprising, but fruit flavoured yoghurt have a lot of added sugars to reduce the natural taste of yoghurt
- Fruits canned in syrup
- Dried fruits
- Sugary cereals - although these claim a lot of nutrients, they have a lot of added sugars
- Candies and sweets
- Baked goods - such as cakes and cookies usually have a lot of hidden added sugars and refined carbs
- Low-fat or diet foods - these often have added sugars to compensate for the fats that are removed
- Pasta sauces
- Processed foods
The most important thing to do with regards to weightloss and sugar intake is to completely avoid all forms of added sugars. If this is not a possibility, try to limit your added sugar intake to once every two weeks or one week (at most).
Naturally successful weightloss cannot just be dependent on the limitation of added sugars, but this is a very good place to start especially since this diet change also holds a variety of health benefits (by no longer exposing your body to the negative effects of added sugars).
Conclusion:
Whether you want to lose weight, improve your health or just live a healthier lifestyle, cutting or reducing your sugar intake is the first step. Get into the habit of monitoring your sugar intake and reading the labels of the foods you buy. You will soon realise that you are feeling great with more energy and less health problems.
♥ Michelle Smillie ♥
Let life be, let love in
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