Desperately trying to cut down on sugar but perhaps not sure of how to do so, to what extent and why you need to do so? We break down all things sugar below:
The Ugly Truth
Many of us consume much more sugar than we realise and by the end of the day have far exceeded the maximum of six teaspoons a day recommended for an adult, which is 25 grams and around 5% of our total daily energy intake. This may sound like a lot, however, a reputable scientific study revealed that the average Australian consumes around 27 teaspoons of sugar a day! That is 4.5 times more sugar than we should be putting into our bodies and 22.5% of our daily energy intake! It is therefore apparent that the vast majority of us could use some helpful tips to reduce our daily sugar intake.
The Debate: Is Sugar the Bad Guy?
Sugar has been accused of causing the developed world's obesity epidemic, of having harmful effects on metabolism and of contributing to numerous illnesses and diseases, such as heart and liver disease, diabetes and even cancer. In addition, sugar is packed full of unnecessary calories, contains no nutrients whatsoever and causes tooth decay.
It appears that some experts in the Health industry are in disagreement regarding how much sugar is to blame for the developed world's increasing obesity and diabetes problem. Associate professor Tim Gill, of the Boden Institute of Obesity Nutrition and Exercise at Sydney University, believes that sugar is not the only food to blame. “Sugar isn’t the sole cause of obesity and isn’t the source of all evil, but we know that cutting back is an effective way of restricting calories."
However Dr Joseph Mercola, a well known American physician, firmly states that "death by sugar is not an overstatement…Evidence is mounting that sugar is the primary factor causing not just obesity, but also chronic and lethal disease."
One of the leading experts on childhood obesity, Dr. Robert Lustig, (Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco), is in complete agreement with Dr Mercola's statement. "(Sugar) is a poison..." Lustig gave a lecture called 'Sugar: The Bitter Truth' back in 2009 which went viral due to its very interesting content. If you are interested in this topic, click here to view the lecture!
Tips to help us cut down on the sweet stuff
Given the amount of scary 'additional sugar' hidden in so much food (think all low-fat or fat-free products) the vast majority of us should be actively trying to cut down on the sweet stuff. Here's some helpful ideas to reduce your daily intake:
*Take a long, hard and honest look at everything you are eating. Ask yourself; are you eating a balanced diet? Very often people crave sugar when they are low in one or more essential food groups, including fruits, vegetables and/or whole grains. You will also find that if you regularly consume processed and unnatural food, you will want more sugar.
*Eat fruit! Two servings a day can decrease your cravings for refined sugar, as you are consuming natural sugar. Berries, oranges, kiwifruit and apples are recommended.
*Swap your sugary foods for sour foods, including apple cider & regular vinegar, greek yoghurt, kimichi, lemon, lime, grapefruit. Obviously do not eat a whole lemon (unless you want to!) but instead of adding sugar to a salad dressing or marinade, add a tablespoon of lime or vinegar. The taste will still be delicious and you will save on calories!
*Drink more water and less sweetened drinks, if you cannot cut them out completely. Try replacing soft drink (even diet) with sparkling water and lemon or lime so you still feel like you are drinking a treat. Try to drink herbal tea whenever possible.
*If you like your coffee and black tea, gradually reduce the amount of sugar that you stir in every day or week. You will slowly find that you need way less sugar, if any, that you used to use! If you like milk in your hot drinks, take a look at the sugar content in your milk. Could you purchase a milk with less or no artificial sweetener?
*Begin your day with protein to keep you fuller for longer and to deter sugary cravings. I love to start my days with a soft boiled egg, avocado and a piece of bread, as I find I crave less sugar than if I start my day with porridge and honey.
*Try to eat as many whole foods and as little (if any) processed foods as you can. This one is a little obvious but we feel it should still be in the tips! Attack sugary cravings head on by having lots of healthy snacks on hand, including nuts, dried fruit, raw vegetables, etc.
*Get your slumber on! When you are sleep deprived your body craves more sugar.
*Eat regularly to maintain your blood sugar levels. Once you start skipping meals, your blood sugar starts to drop and you will crave sweets.
*Add spices to your food so that your food is flavourful without needing to add sugar. I like to add ground cinnamon to banana bread instead of brown sugar, ground sumac to roast pumpkin instead of maple syrup and ginger to juices & smoothies instead of honey.
*We have saved the best for last: Exercise! Exercise produces endorphins, as does the consumption of sugar. Why not burn calories instead of consuming them? And where better to do this than at our studio! Come try Premium Pilates Studio today by calling 0402 680 724, emailing us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com or visiting us online by clicking here. If you do not live locally to us try our online Pilates series by going to http://velocollege.com/course/howtobeawesomeatpilates10/ .
Lets combat sugar together!!
from the Premium Pilates studio team
http://www.medicaldaily.com/added-sugar-balanced-diet-fruits-and-vegetables-whole-grains-sweet-drinks-388933, http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/nutrition+tips/could+you+cut+your+sugar+intake+to+6+teaspoons+a+dayr,30199, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/02/is-sugar-toxic.aspx, http://www.oakvillefamilyhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/too-much-sugar.jpg
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