Lamentations to the silent killer…
The culprit, a green snake under green grass.
Delicious treat that suits the most tasteless of tongues.
Seemingly innocent ingredients smuggled into human foods.
An arch enemy to good health, pleasurably eating people’s health into death.
SUGAR!
Yeah, that’s the bad guy, a dangerous yet famous ingredient in most foods today.
Well, are you on seat? If not, grab one because it’s about to get interesting.
The Truth About Sugar!
Good news; your body needs glucose to survive. Glucose is a type of sugar and an extremely important source of fuel for the body to function optimally.
It:
Helps power your cells .
Helps store energy for later use.
makes up the backbone of your DNA and many other functions.
Happy you got an excuse for consuming sugar?
Here is the bad news, despite all these vital roles, “sugar” still remains the bad guy!
The Darker Side…
You probably think you only consume sugar when you add to beverages but sugar is far beyond that.
We have natural sugars: they are sugars that are naturally found in whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, honey and some grains.
However, the natural sugars in these foods are nothing to worry about, as they are enough to help fuel your body and also contain other essential minerals.
On the flip side, free sugars are sugars added to food products by the manufacturer or consumers. They are mostly found in baked foods, junk foods and soft drinks.
They are high in calories, provide few nutrients and little fiber.
Unfortunately, people unintentionally consume too much sugar because it is hidden in almost every processed food.
The Secret A Billion Dollar Industry Hide From You
No sugar in the ingredients list of a food product, then you believe it’s sugar free?
I’m sorry to say you’ve been scammed, here is the logic;
There are more than 60 names for sugar, food manufacturers know this and they give it to you in forms you aren't familiar with.
During your next shopping, these common sugar names are what you should look out for instead:
Honey
Sucrose
Fructose
Caramel
Raw sugar
Cane sugar
Palm sugar
Barley malt
Invert sugar
Maple syrup
Brown sugar
Agave nectar
Golden syrup
Coconut sugar
Maltodextrose
Rice malt syrup
Fruit juice concentrate
High fructose corn syrup and so on.
Also, you need to be aware of these deceptive tactics.
100% natural sugar
NO added sugar
50% less sugar
Darling, clearly check the sugar content of that food product now, so you won't have to check the drug list of disease conditions excess sugar is capable of causing later.
The Sweet Danger
Consuming too much sugar directly impacts organs and systems of the body causing wide range of diseases which includes:
Obesity
Tooth decay
Diabetes risk
Liver diseases
Heart diseases
Stress and depression
Increase in chronic inflammation
Skin problems like acne, dry skin, sun damage and premature wrinkling.
Are you a skincare baddie? For optimum results it’s better to stop sugar now.
If you have decided to cut out sugar, kudos to you👍. Now you're on your way to happier and healthier you.
Then, Try This Out…
Switch sugary drinks for water, home made fruit juice or milk. For extra flavor add some lemon or lime slices, mint leaves to your water.
You want to snack? Go for whole fruit instead of sugary junks.
Always check the nutrition and ingredients list on food labels, and choose low sugar options.
How much is too much? A high sugar product would have more than 22.5g of total sugar per 100g listed on the label while a low sugar product would have 5g or less per 100g.
Though, it’s generally advisable to eat more whole foods rather than processed foods.
Wrapping Up
The less sugar you consume, the more your system will function optimally.
However, eating a slice of cake at a friend's birthday party once in a blue moon isn’t a sin but eating such every passing week deserves a bombastic side eye👀.
Remember, Sugar is not healthy!
Stay sumptuous😉.