In last week’s column we pointed out that Americans consume an average of 150 pounds of sugars and sweeteners per year for every man, woman, and child. That’s almost three fourths of a cup, or some 40 teaspoons of sugar, per person per day. We often don’t recognize sugar when the labels list sucrose, dextrose, maltose, lactose, fructose, corn syrup, honey, molasses, and many more. Different names, but all sugars!
The body can make sugar out of everything we eat, or?
Out of everything but fat! For a long time, people thought it didn’t really matter what they ate, because the body could turn it into whatever it needed. We now know that the way the body processes food, from the time it’s eaten until it reaches the bloodstream, makes a great deal of difference.
The body’s preferred fuel is glucose, which it makes largely from sugars and starches (carbohydrates). Although fresh fruits can be high in natural sugars, they won’t strain the body’s blood sugar mechanism if they are eaten in their natural state with their natural fiber intact. The lesson to be learned: eat more fruit and drink less fruit juice.
Starchy foods have another built-in protective mechanism. Starches are broken down more slowly than sugars into the glucose the body needs. Eating starchy foods, especially unrefined starchy foods with their fiber content intact, along with sugar foods helps stabilize blood sugar levels for extended periods. The ups and downs of the blood sugar curve level off, and the insulin response is activated to a much lesser degree, if at all.Some guidelines
Education and moderation are the secrets.
If you have a sweet tooth, see your dentist... well, not really, but a sweet tooth can be reeducated. For instance, fruit is sweet, pleasant to the taste, and full of fruit sugars. Practice satisfying your sweet cravings by reaching for a bunch of chilled grapes instead of a doughnut. Sprinkle slices of strawberries and bananas on your cereal instead of sugar. In time your tastes will change, and you will actually prefer less concentrated sweets.
It doesn’t mean that you have to give up your favorite desserts altogether. Use moderation.
Begin by decreasing the frequency of eating sugared foods. Work from “several times daily” to “three times a week.” When desserts are served less often, you and your family will begin looking forward to them and enjoy them more.
Another aspect of moderation is learning to be satisfied with smaller portions. Big servings and second helpings are just bad habits. You can learn to enjoy one piece of chocolate candy as much as eating the whole box. And you’ll feel better! Half a normal slice of pie or cake, eaten slowly and with pleasure, can be more satisfying than a larger piece bolted down.
Reducing the amount of refined and concentrated sugars in the diet and eating more high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, will produce the right kind of sugar highs. These highs will keep you energetic and feeling good all day long.
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