" Cut the sugar from your diet! "

Cut the sugar from your diet

These days due to media
and increasing diet awareness
people are conscious
about even a tiny pinch of sugar.
Certainly, high sugar intake has
been linked to an increase risk
for conditions such as high blood
pressure and high triglycerides,
which can lead to heart disease
and stroke. In children, increased
intake of sugar is found to be associated
with dental caries and
obesity. As sugar contains no other
nutrient than calories, it's better
to consume it in limited
amount.
5-9 tsp sugar max a day
One teaspoon of sugar provides
almost 20 calories. The American
Heart Association has recommended
a maximum of fi ve to
nine teaspoons per day for a normal
individual. During digestion,
carbohydrate in our food is converted
to glucose and then absorbed
into the bloodstream to
provide energy. Unfortunately,
certain types of refi ned carbohydrates
(those with a high-GI value)
are absorbed too quickly and
raise blood sugar levels too highcausing what’s known as a “sugarspike”.
This is more commonly
seen in diabetic individuals as ‘hyperglycemia’
where body mechanism
fails to regulate it up to normal
levels.
For avoiding such a spike, one
should choose low to moderate
GI (Glycemic Index Foods) like
curd, milk, lentils, and fruits such
as apple, papaya, pear etc, and
limit the intake of white breads,
sago, polished rice, potatoes, and
fruits such as bananas, grapes and
custard apple.
Soluble or viscous fi bres modestly
reduce LDL cholesterol levels
and slows down glucose absorption.
Diet high in fi bre improves
blood sugar level control
and helps well in diabetes as well
as in weight management.
However, hypoglycemia is also
noticed when blood sugar falls below
60 mg/dl. This can lead to diabetic
coma and even death.
Hence, cutting down carbohydrates
excessively is also not advised.
Nowadays, many sugar-free
sweeteners are available which
contain substances like saccharin,
aspartame, herb stevia, etc, some
of which are almost 180-200 times
sweeter than table sugar. Some
people fi nd the use of artifi cial
sweeteners to be controversial, although
there is plenty of research
that demonstrates the safety of
these products . Hence, these substances
can be used as advised by
health professionals.
However, it’s not necessary to
use artifi cial sweeteners to eat
less sugar. Don’t worry — sugar
isn't your enemy! But reducing
your sugar intake will help you
cut calories and allow you more
room for more nutritious foods.
Tips for reducing sugar
n Choose low-GI carbs, like wholegrain
breads, brown rice, whole
wheat pasta, rather than refi ned
or processed starches such as
white bread, white rice, white pasta,
potatoes.
n Choose higher fi bre foods, especially
those rich in soluble fi bre.
The best sources of soluble fi bre
are apples and oats.
n Minimise your intake of beverages
and foods with added sugars.
Common forms of added sugars
are sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose,
dextrose, corn syrups, concentrated
fruit juice, and honey.
n Encourage the consumption of
whole vegetables and fruits.
DOCTALK
Cut the sugar from your diet
Soluble or viscous fi bres
modestly reduce LDL
cholesterol levels and
slows down glucose
absorption. Diet high
in fi bre improves blood
sugar level control and
helps well in diabetes
as well as in weight
management

KETKI ITRAJ
Dietician
Oyster and Pearl Hospital (Published in : Skal Times,July 2010)

Contact: ketkiitraj@yahoo.co.in