The Sugar Trap

Here is the 7th part of an article I found in the Sunday Times.

The Truth About Fruit


Fruit is not fundamentally bad for us, but the amount we are eating can be detrimental. In The Sweet Poison Quite Plan, the author David Gillespie recommends that adults eat only two pieces of fruit a day and children only one. Fruit containing higher amounts of fibre and lower quantities of fructose such as kiwis, apples, grapefruit, blackberries, pears, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and lemons are the best choices, while bananas, watermelon, pineapple, mangoes, papayas and grapes should be avoided.

None of this matters when it comes to fruit juice, as it’s all bad. When fruit is juiced, any positives are squeezed out all that’s left is sugar, water and a bit of vitamin C. Dries fruit is even worse and often contains nearly 70% sugar.

The author of Great Brain, Dr David Perlmutter says: “Our caveman ancestors did eat fruit, but not every day of the year. A medium-sized apple contains 44 calories of sugar in a fibre- rich blend thanks to the pectin. If you juice several apples and concentrate the liquid down, you get a blast of 85 sugar calories.”

If you want to think about it in terms of grams (as a benchmark a 330ml can of Coke has 35g of sugar), the average glass of orange juice has 21g of sugar, apple juice 28g, cranberry juice 37g and grape juice 38g, and many bottles fruit smoothies contain between 20g and 35g of sugar. All of which says we shouldn't be starting our mornings or hydrating our kids with fruit juice.


However, the Plenish Cleanse founder, Kara Rosen, reassures us that not all juice is evil. “the new juice taking the market by storm is cold-pressed vegetable juice, particularly green juices, made up of ingredients such as cucumber, spinach, kale, broccoli and lettuce and low – glycemic index

fruits such as pears. The sugar content is lower than conventional juices, and due to the cold-press juice extraction method, they have other nutritional benefits.” So, go green or go water.

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is defiantly a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving!

The Sugar Trap

Here is the sixth part of an article I found in the Sunday Times

How to calculate sugar consumption

Most health organisations recommend that people limit themselves to 10tsp (40g) of added sugar a day, but many researchers say it should be 6tsp for woman and 8tsp for men. Teaspoons are easier to visualise than grams, so remember this easy equation: to get the number of teaspoons, divide the number of grams by 4. So, a regular Snickers bar contains 30g or about 7tsp of sugar, a 330ml can of Coke has 35g or 9tsp of sugar. We shouldn't eat or drink manufactured sugar bombs full stop. Any food with sugar in the first three ingredients is a bad idea. Avoid foods with more than 10g sugar per portion.

keep an eye out for the next part of the article!

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is defiantly a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving!

The Sugar Trap

Here is the fifth part of an interesting article I found in The Sunday Times

Carbohydrates are sugar too

Starches and carbohydrates are more of the same, I’m afraid. Our bodies process certain types of carbohydrates (the white, refined kinds) in a similar way to pure sugar, and they create an equally powerful endorphin response. Making us want them more and more. The author of Grain Brain, Dr David Perlmutter, says: “during the course of digestion, carbohydrates are broken down and sugar is liberated into the bloodstream, causing the pancreas to increase its output of insulin so glucose can penetrate cells. The carbs that trigger the biggest surge in blood sugar are typically the most fattening, for that very reason. They include anything made with refined flour such as breads and cereals; starches such as rice, potatoes and corn; and liquid carbs such as soda and fruit juice.

The scientists at Harvard School of Public Health explain: “the glycemic index ranks carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100, based on how quickly and by how much they raise blood-sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high glycemic index, such as white bread, are rapidly digested and cause substantial fluctuations in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, such as whole oats, are digested slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar.”

Eating too many high-glycemic foods may lead to an increase risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some forms of ovulatory infertility and colorectal cancer.

A piece of toast is no longer just a piece of toast. Carbs such as white bread, white rice, pretzels, crackers and bagels are high on glycemic index, while rye bread, pumpernickel bread, rolled oats, barley and quinoa fall in the low range. So although all carbohydrates are converted into sugar when digested, some are converted into more sugar than others. However, this doesn’t mean a bread-free life forever. Try flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour and flaxmeal. During the initial sugar-free week of our plan, however, try to resist carbohydrates as much as humanly possible. If you do feel the need for carbs, choose the good ones: brown rice, rolled oats, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice, bulgur and rye.

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is defiantly a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving!