The Truth about Sugar by Sky Smith

Every day we are faced with temptations. For those of us who struggle with our diets, we constantly are at the mercy of doughnuts, pastas, sodas, and sweet cereals. Just the thought of rich chocolate cake dipped in vanilla ice cream makes our mouths water. Of course, when we think of “fat,” we think it’s the worst of all evils, but truthfully, sugar is the real enemy here. Sugar is the monster that rots your teeth, zaps you of energy, and leaves you tired after making you feel oh so good. What may sound like a sweet snack can actually be a taste of the devil in disguise.

The first step to conquering any weakness is to know exactly what it is you are facing. Sugars are the simplest of all carbohydrates and come in many forms including fructose (sugar from fruit), lactose (sugar from dairy), and sucrose (refined sugar). When eaten, sugars instantly enter into the bloodstream, triggering insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to release with the goal of converting the newly devoured sugars into triglycerides which are a form of energy stored in fat cells.

Over time, excess sugars, much like excess cocaine, begin losing their energy-boosting effect on the body. Soon insulin is no longer absorbed, and without proper insulin-functioning, as is the case with Type 2 diabetes, the sugar that is not stored in fat cells becomes free-floating glucose (sugar-energy) which can leave the body to feel hungry and weak, thinking it needs more sugary foods and insulin to feel better, like a junkie who needs more of a drug to stay high.

Nonetheless, this is not to say all sugar is bad or that sugar should be avoided entirely. When combined with fiber, sugar is released at a slower rate, helping insulin levels to remain low and stable. If you have a sweet tooth, then find sugary substitutes. Raw strawberries, oranges, apples, or bananas, which are all high in fiber, provide an excellent source of vitamins and natural sugars. Also, a lot of meals and snack foods now come fiber-fortified. For example, Apple Jacks, once rated amongst the unhealthiest breakfast cereals, now delivers 3 grams of it per serving. In fact, most pop tarts, some chocolaty flavors of Breyers ice cream, and certain pastas have fiber in their servings as well.
v Just read the nutrition facts before you buy if you’re unsure of whether a product has enough fiber compared to how much sugar it has. In general, a food is considered healthy if it has three or more grams of fiber with 12 or less grams of sugar per serving.

Aside from foods high in natural sugars or fiber, you should seek out drinks that are low in sugar or devoid of it entirely. On average, people consume 500 to 1,000 calories a day in soft drinks alone. Personally, I would rather indulge in two extra meals with water or a flavored, sugar-free beverage. Wouldn’t you? Sometimes the biggest complaint of overweight people is the sensation of hunger, but hunger can easily be curbed with more meals and less quick-fixes of sugar.

Thus, the real message here is that you need not worry so much about fat as you should about sugar. We don’t immediately associate the sweet stuff with weight gain, but it turns out it’s one of the leading causes. So next time you see a delicious, sugary slice of cake with your name on it, learn to “just say no.” Surely there’s a healthier, just as tasty treat waiting for you right around the corner.