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Health
68 | FireFlyz
Sugar has become the latest enemy in the food
world, but what are the facts about howmuch
sugar we should be eating? And why is sugar
so bad?
Bittersweet
F
irst
it was fat, then it was salt, and now it is sugar
that we are being told to loathe and fear. The sweet
stuff is being blamed for the global obesity problem
and experts are warning us to cut down or else. Is
this just another fad or is it time to sit up and cut
down on sugar?
There is sugar and sugar…
There are two different types of sugar: the first is naturally
occurring, appearing in naturally sweet foods and drinks
like fruit, milk, honey and fruit juice. The other type of
sugar is called ‘free’ sugar and has been added to foods by
the processor – this is the stuff we need to keep an eye on.
How much is too much?
Countries are gradually introducing their own guidelines
and recommendations for sugar intake, but the World Health
Organisation (WHO) has suggested that only around 5%
of your daily calorie intake should come from free sugars.
Basically, women should only be having 25g of free sugar,
and men 35g – that’s around 56 teaspoons for females and
78 teaspoons for males.
Get the benefits, not the problems
We need sugar in our diets – not only does it give us a lift
and a treat, it also serves as energy to fuel the body and the
mind. However, we do not need too much sugar, as a high
intake of sugar leads to that sudden rush of energy and then
the inevitable slump or ‘sugar low’, with this cycle linked to
problems like diabetes and obesity.
It is hard to suddenly stop the sweet life, so find switches
that will make the journey to less sugar easier:
• Try and have fewer teaspoons of sugar in your tea or
coffee. You could cut back by one teaspoon a week, or
add honey instead.
• Look online for low-sugar or sugar-free cake and biscuit
recipes and get creative with your home baking!
• Try to make your own sauces and dressings rather than
buying ones, or look carefully for the ones with no added
sugar.
• Swap sugary cereals for plain oats, adding fruit if you
need some sweetness.
• When choosing yoghurt, pick the full fat, natural varieties
and you are more likely to avoid added sugars – the ‘fruit’
yoghurts are often higher in sugar.
• Limit how many fizzy drinks you are having. You could
make your own by mixing sparkling water with fruit juice?
• Have some dates or other dried fruits in a bag for you
to nibble on when you would normally go for a bag of
sweets. You will still get the sugar hit, but with some
nutrients in the mix too!