Prepare yourself for sugar season

Halloween marks the official start of sugar season. All of the candy from trick-or-treating gets us primed for the sugar feasting that often accompanies the holidays. Of course, a little sugar is a fun indulgence and makes life… sweeter, but with all of the upcoming office parties, happy hours and family feasts it is easy for our consumption to get out of hand. Understanding sugar and its impacts on your body can be a powerful tool in controlling your health, your weight, and your mood throughout the entire year.

What is sugar and do we need it?

Sugar is a carbohydrate that is naturally present in most whole foods. As we eat, our body produces digestive enzymes that break down these carbohydrates into simple sugars—glucose, galactose and fructose. These simple sugars are absorbed into our bloodstream and are processed by our liver. Glucose is released back into the bloodstream to fuel our cells and body.

Sugar comes in many forms. “Natural sugars” are those that come from whole foods like fruit or dairy. “Added sugars” are those that are added during manufacturing or processing. Added sugars can be natural (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc.) or processed (cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.). Added sugars may be used to balance favors, produce caramelization, act as a preservative or extend the shelf life of products. With the variety of sugar forms and the diversity or roles it plays in food production it is easy to understand why sugar has become so prevalent in our food supply. 

Regardless of the type of sugar consumed, our body eventually breaks down all sugars to the same simple forms—glucose, galactose or fructose. Natural, whole food sources of sugars are healthiest because the sugar is accompanied with fiber, water, vitamins and other nutrients that slow the absorption of sugar into our body and put less demand on our metabolism. 

What is the harm in indulgence?

I believe life is meant to be celebrated with the occasional sweet treat. Unfortunately, the average American consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year. That is equal to 3 pounds (or 6 cups) of sugar in one week.  There is abundant medical research that shows that frequent consumption of sugar perpetuates inflammation, weight gain, fatty liver disease and increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, dental cavities and even Alzheimer’s disease.  

How much sugar is OK?

There are many public health organizations that weigh in on this issue. The America Heart Association, the CDC and the US Department of Health and Human Services among others, recommend no more than 36 grams of added sugar for men per day and no more that 24 grams for women and children over 2 years of age. For reference, one teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams. It is easy to meet and exceed these recommendations, especially when that grande pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks clocks in at 50 grams per indulgence!

There is definitely a place for sugar in our lives but keeping sugar to a minimum in our everyday lives is a good idea. Reducing added sugar consumption can help minimize the risks of lifestyle related causes of death like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. 

How do you reduce your sugar intake?

Making diet changes is no small task; and there is not necessarily one right way to do it. Below is a list of suggestions that can help you minimize added sugar in your diet. 

1.     Learn the many names of sugar so you can identify it when reading labels. The food industry has become very clever in disguising sugar. Familiarize yourself with the list below.

• Agave Nectar

• Barbados Sugar

• Barley Malt

• Beet Sugar

• Brown Sugar

• Cane Crystals

• Cane Juice Crystals

• Cane Juice

• Caramel

• Carob Syrup or Sugar

• Coconut Nectar/Sugar

• Concentrated Fruit Juice

• Confectioner's Sugar

• Corn Syrup Solids

• Corn Sweetener

• Crystalline Fructose

• Dextrin

• Diastatic Malt

• Diatase

• Evaporated Cane Juice

• Florida Crystals

• Fruit Concentrate

• Glucose Solids

• Golden Sugar/Syrup

• Granulated Sugar

• Grape Sugar

• Grape Juice Concentrate

• High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

• Honey

• Icing/Invert Sugar

• Lactose (added)

• Malt Syrup

• Maple Syrup

• Molasses

• Muscovado

• Nectresse

• Palm Sugar

• Refiner's Syrup

• Rice Syrup/Malt

• Sorghum Syrup

• Sugar/Raw Sugar

• Table Sugar

• Treacle

• Turbinado Sugar

• "-ol" sugars: erythritol, ethyl maltol, mannitol, sorbitol

• "-ose" sugars: dextrose, D-mannose, fructose, galactose, glucose, maltose, sucrose

2.     Gradually cut back on sweetened foods. Strategies like replacing sugar sweetened beverages with unsweetened tea or sparkling water, opting for fruit as a dessert or reaching for a square of dark chocolate instead of a Snickers can help move the needle when addressing our sugar consumption. Over time, our palates adapt and we may no longer appreciate the super-sweet products we once loved. 

3.     Or, eliminate sugars cold turkey. This method works well for some. Opting for a 7-10 days sugar elimination diet resets the palate and can dramatically reduce sugar cravings that keep us perpetually reaching for the candy jar. Be prepared: for some people days 3-5 of this challenge feel the toughest. Hang in there.

4.     Eat protein at breakfast. A meal that includes protein, fat and fiber helps to balance your blood sugar and keep you fueled and focused during your day. When you are satiated, you are less like to eat the donut in the break room that may prime your sweet tooth for a day’s worth of binging. 

5.     Drink more water and green tea. Staying hydrated during the day means we are less likely to confuse signals of thirst for hunger. If water is too boring, try drinking your favorite tea. Green tea in particular is full of antioxidants and contains EGCG which is a natural blood sugar balancer.

6.     Get your gut checked. If you have difficulty overcoming your sugar cravings, it may not be a failure of will power. Our gut is home to trillions of organisms that are metabolically active. Pathogenic bacteria and yeast may be contributing to your cravings. Luckily, there are testing and treatment options available to address the problem organisms. 

Schedule an appointment with Relish Health to develop a personalized plan to reduce sugar.

Interested in guilt-free homemade candies? Check out these recipes:

Salted Date Caramel Turtles
Dark Chocolate Brain Bark
Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Raw Chocolate Cherry Truffles
Check out these other sweet tooth solutions.