I try not to get preachy when talking about nutrition, but when someone asks me what “healthy eating” is, I usually give this answer: Pretty much anyone can do themselves a favor by eating more vegetables and eating less added sugar.
Today we see sugar in all kinds of products—sodas and juice drinks, yes, but also in beverages like soymilk, in bread, salad dressing. Snack foods are also abundantly available and cheap. Portion sizes of carbohydrate-rich foods have also grown tremendously, making it even more difficult for consumers to control their sugar intake.
Personally, I believe that an occasional ice cream cone or piece of cake is perfectly fine. When you eat these foods, you actually feel like you ate something. The problem starts when people consume excess calories from foods that don’t make them feel full.
Excess calories are only the beginning of the ever-growing list of the negative effects of sugar. There is a lot of interesting information to found. Some of it’s alarmist BS with little basis in scientific evidence, and some of it is well-researched and clearly explained.
In this video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, in the Division of Endocrinology Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program at UCSF, shows how added sugars in prepared foods (especially soft drinks) have contributed to the rising obesity rates over the past 30 years.
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So true…. and the sad thing is even “healthy” foods have added sugar. I keep swapping and swapping for healthier options and find I am doing ok sticking to o sugar but sweetening this and that with stevia instead. Luckily it’s fruit season so there is a nice way to help out my sweet tooth!
I also was reading about how aspartame raises blood sugar and shouldn’t even be used by diabetics. Will be interesting when further studies come out. Sugar is just not a good friend to have in almost any form!