Sugar And Sweeteners
Ah, sugar.
It's so, well, sweet.
Natural sugar from foods such as fruit are not what you have to worry about.
It's the hidden sugars that you need to run from.
Not only are they bad for your health, but they'll burn through your daily calorie budget fast.
Some of the big sugar companies boast about the fact that sugar has only 15 calories per teaspoon.
But have you actually looked at a teaspoon lately? It's not that big.
And the more sugar you consume, the more it takes to get the sweet taste you're craving.
To figure out how many teaspoons you're eating, look at the food labels and divide the sugar amount in grams by 4.
For example, if a serving has 12 grams of sugar, you will be consuming 3 teaspoons of sugar.
One of the worst sweeteners is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
You should avoid it completely if you're trying to slim down and stay that way.
"It was introduced into our food supply about forty years ago," says Phil Wood, Ph.
D.
, director of the division of genomics at the University of Alabama and author of How Fat Works.
"Today it represents more than 40 percent of the caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and it's used in everything from bread to soda to ketchup.
" The problem? HFCS enters the bloodstream more quickly than other types of sugar.
The hormonal and chemical changes that occur make you feel even hungrier, so you eat more without feeling satisfied.
In fact, research shows that the increased use of HFCS in this country mirrors the rapid increase in obesity and may play a role.
Start reading food labels carefully and keep foods with HFCS out of your shopping cart and cupboard.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, what sweetener do I recommend? Real sugar in moderation.
I'm not a fan of the artificial stuff.
Lots of products with aspartame carry a cancer warning from a preliminary study with rats linked to an increase in malignant tumors and other cancers.
That's another big reason why I gave up my addiction to diet soda.
Canada has even banned aspartame in foods.
I also think fake sweeteners perpetuate your craving for sweet things and it's better to get over your sweet tooth.
I suggest going cold turkey for two weeks and try to avoid as much sugar as possible.
You will be amazed how sickly sweet it tastes after a few weeks without it.
It worked for me.
Now that I have kids, I'm in that world of attending frequent birthday parties and special days at school.
It seems like every week there's another occasion filled with candy and cake, but having worked through my sweet tooth, I can accompany my kids to those fun events without ruining my healthy eating plan.
It's so, well, sweet.
Natural sugar from foods such as fruit are not what you have to worry about.
It's the hidden sugars that you need to run from.
Not only are they bad for your health, but they'll burn through your daily calorie budget fast.
Some of the big sugar companies boast about the fact that sugar has only 15 calories per teaspoon.
But have you actually looked at a teaspoon lately? It's not that big.
And the more sugar you consume, the more it takes to get the sweet taste you're craving.
To figure out how many teaspoons you're eating, look at the food labels and divide the sugar amount in grams by 4.
For example, if a serving has 12 grams of sugar, you will be consuming 3 teaspoons of sugar.
One of the worst sweeteners is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
You should avoid it completely if you're trying to slim down and stay that way.
"It was introduced into our food supply about forty years ago," says Phil Wood, Ph.
D.
, director of the division of genomics at the University of Alabama and author of How Fat Works.
"Today it represents more than 40 percent of the caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and it's used in everything from bread to soda to ketchup.
" The problem? HFCS enters the bloodstream more quickly than other types of sugar.
The hormonal and chemical changes that occur make you feel even hungrier, so you eat more without feeling satisfied.
In fact, research shows that the increased use of HFCS in this country mirrors the rapid increase in obesity and may play a role.
Start reading food labels carefully and keep foods with HFCS out of your shopping cart and cupboard.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, what sweetener do I recommend? Real sugar in moderation.
I'm not a fan of the artificial stuff.
Lots of products with aspartame carry a cancer warning from a preliminary study with rats linked to an increase in malignant tumors and other cancers.
That's another big reason why I gave up my addiction to diet soda.
Canada has even banned aspartame in foods.
I also think fake sweeteners perpetuate your craving for sweet things and it's better to get over your sweet tooth.
I suggest going cold turkey for two weeks and try to avoid as much sugar as possible.
You will be amazed how sickly sweet it tastes after a few weeks without it.
It worked for me.
Now that I have kids, I'm in that world of attending frequent birthday parties and special days at school.
It seems like every week there's another occasion filled with candy and cake, but having worked through my sweet tooth, I can accompany my kids to those fun events without ruining my healthy eating plan.
