Sugar Awareness Week Jan. 16th - 20th

Sugar and Health

⧪ As a society, we consume far too many sugars. Sugars are divided into two types: naturally occurring sugars, and free sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are found in whole fruit, vegetables and milk-based products and these are not considered harmful for health, although they still contain calories. Free sugars includes monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. Free sugars are found in a wide range of foods such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, juices and fizzy drinks, and these can be very detrimental to health. While foods such as fruit and dairy products can be a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre; foods containing free sugars often have very little or no nutritional benefit. 

⧪ Whilst certain food and drink manufacturers claim their products are a good source of energy because their products contain added free sugars, this is misleading.  The body generates energy from carbohydrate which can be found in fruits, vegetables, breads, pasta and rice and there is no need whatsoever for added free sugars.

⧪ Sugars are an unnecessary and unhealthy source of calories, and health experts are becoming ever more concerned about the issues associated directly with excessive sugars consumption. The incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, along with the sometimes serious consequences of those diseases, is rapidly increasing. There is a direct link between consumption of sugars and dental caries as well as a possible link between consuming excess sugars and high cholesterol, high blood pressure, some cancers and non-alcoholic liver disease.

Even if you are slim and appear to be healthy, consuming too much sugar can still have serious effects on your health and these issues may only appear later in life.  It is particularly important to try and reduce the amount of sugars that children consume. Children can grow accustomed to a diet high in sugars, and this habit will then be harder for them to break. It is therefore important to try and cut down, where possible, and opt for healthier low-sugar alternatives that can be just as tasty.

Sugars and Tooth Decay

What is Tooth decay?

⧪ Sugars in food and drinks play a major role in the development of dental caries. Bacteria within the plaque use the sugar as energy and release acid as a waste product, which gradually dissolves the enamel in the teeth [1].
In 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) commissioned a systematic literature review to answer a series of questions relating to the effects of sugars on dental caries. The systematic review showed consistent evidence of moderate quality supporting a relationship between the amount of sugars consumed and dental caries development. There was also evidence of moderate quality to show that dental caries is lower when free sugars intake is less than 10% of energy intake. Dental caries progresses with age, and the effects of sugars on the dentition are lifelong. Even low levels of caries in childhood are of significance to levels of caries throughout the life-course. Analysis of the data suggests that there may be benefit in limiting sugars to less than 5% of energy intake to minimise the risk of dental caries throughout the life course.

                                                           GOING SUGAR FREE!!!!!
        

                                                Planning

⧪ In order to successfully complete my sugar detox, I knew I needed to be prepared for the week. I began by researching various bloggers' journeys to their sugar-free lifestyle to better understand what I was in for. By no means did I believe I was a sugar addict, but I do enjoy sweets every now and then. During my research, my perception of my apparently “low-sugar diet” completely changed. I quickly learned many foods I didn’t think had high sugar contents did.

Next, I began to prepare what I was going to eat. I put together a grocery list of foods and went to my local farmer’s market and grocery store to ensure my fridge was stocked. For the purpose of this experiment, I eliminated fruit from my diet due to its high sugar content. However, it’s important to note the sugar in fruit is different than the refined sugars found in processed foods.
When reading nutrition facts labels, it’s important to be aware that sugar can be masked by many different names. Look out for “syrup,” “malt,” and anything ending in “-ose.” In addition, look out for “fruit juice” and “fruit juice concentrate.” Also note, organic sugar is still sugar.
Some of my frequent foods I eliminated from my diet included Special K protein bars, granola, bagels, potatoes, plain Greek yogurt, sauces, condiments, and salad dressings. Once my fridge was stocked and  I knew what to eat and what was off limits, I was ready to begin!

⧪ Are you thinking about trying to eliminate sugar from your diet? Going cold turkey is definitely not for everyone. Instead, try adding one less sugar packet to your morning coffee, ditch the salad dressing, and make a homemade dressing, or drink one less soda per day. Slowly, eliminate more and more.
So now that this is over, what’s next for me? I neither plan on chowing down on a dozen doughnuts nor do I plan on completely eliminating sugar from my diet, but I do plan on keeping a healthy balance. I plan on saving those sugary foods for rare occasions. I also plan on finding a variety of foods and easy recipes to include into my now-sugar-conscious diet.

For more information on a sugar free diet: Follow link
http://www.medicaldaily.com/sugar-free-diet-what-happened-when-i-didnt-eat-sugar-7-days-297968