Cut down on Sugar
Oh so sweet and found in treats,
tasting very nice to eat,
but the truth is they’re full of deceit
because now they’re even being found in meat!
Sorry if you don’t like rhymes, but the reality behind the silliness is that sugar is now being added to so many foods (known as free sugars)! Even if you don’t think that you eat that much sugar, you may be surprised to find it hiding in lots of different products such as convenience foods, low fat products like yoghurts, cereal bars, breads, sauces, dressings and cooked chicken! We also need to be careful about the natural sugars that occur in honey, syrups (such as maple, agave and golden), nectars (such as blossom), and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies. These also count as free sugars.
A robust amount of scientific evidence shows that sugar is NOT good for our physical health for many different reasons - you probably already know that. But recent research released in 2019 has also found that consuming large amounts of added sugars could also be having a negative effect on our mental health. This is for a number of reasons including the fact that sugar can add to systemic inflammation and also alter the balance of bacteria in the body, both of which are thought to play roles in depression. There is also believed to be a seasonal impact as well, with less daylight hours and increased socialising through winter (sugar is often found at social gatherings), so the risks of low mood and symptoms of depression can increase during this time of year.
So, let’s get more sugar savvy this winter!! Start off by cutting down (or even better, cutting out!) the obvious culprits of sugar in your diet - sugar that YOU add to hot drinks, desserts or at breakfast, then watch out for your intake of chocolates, biscuits, cakes and manufactured drinks. Keep a good perspective on ALL of your treats. Look out for the food labels and take note of the "Carbohydrates of which sugars" figure on the nutrition label and let the traffic light system guide you. Single products are considered to either be high or low in sugar if they fall above or below the following thresholds:
high: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
low: 5g or less of total sugars per 100g
Where it can be a little bit confusing is that the “of which sugars” list are from all sources, so natural + free and it can sometimes lead you away from a healthy option. For example, the total sugars in plain yogurt are all natural and not free sugars, so these are ok and should be included in your diet. The same applies for fruits and vegetables, so two product (one with natural sugars and one with free sugars) may have the same total sugar content, but one is a healthy option and the other is not. To help you make better choices, start reading your food labels more carefully - the higher up in the ingredients list that sugar appears, the larger its quantity is in the food.
You should also be on the look out for free sugar’s alter ego names, such as cane sugar, honey, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate/purées, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, glucose, crystalline sucrose, nectars (such as blossom), maple and agave syrups, dextrose, maltose, molasses and treacle. Our aim is for:
Adults to have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes) within a total sugar intake of 90g per day.
Children aged 7 to 10 to have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes).
Children aged 4 to 6 to have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes).
For context, one can of cola can have as much as 9 cubes of sugar!
The challenge for this week is to start to read your food labels more carefully. A healthy objective is to only consume products that (i) you choose mostly green light items, (ii) recognise ALL the listed ingredients and (iii) choose items with few ingredients (the fewer the better). The idea is to become much more aware of your choices and then actively cut down on your free sugar intake.
Take a stand against added sugar to take more control of your diet. The key to your success to this will be to recognise and manage stress as the increase in cortisol will then be screaming at you for a short term sugar fix. Make it as difficult as possible to access sugary treats by keeping them out of your home & car and make it easier to access healthier snacks by keeping a supply of unsalted mixed nuts, plain popcorn, rice cakes, crackers topped with lower-fat cheese or low-sugar yoghurts handy. Start to adopt a mindset of keeping your treats as treats!
Have a great week. Keep up your good habits.
#HealthyHabits
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