Excess Sugar: the Obesity Villain of 2013
With every 1g of sugar you
eat being converted into 2g of body fat, sugar is the biggest culprit in rising obesity incidence.
A fact that needs to be taken charge off before 2014!
Its high time to cut out all sugar and
artificial sweeteners, including the 'stealth' sugar that manufacturers add to
both sweet and savoury foods (even ones you wouldn't expect, such as pizzas and
pasta sauces). According to Dr Robert Lustig, in his book, Fat
Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar, the rivers of Coca-Cola and Pepsi
consumed by young people today have as much to do with obesity as the mountains
of burgers. Multiple studies link excessive soda consumption with obesity. For
example, a study of Massachusetts schoolchildren found that for each additional
sugary drink a child drank per day, his odds of becoming obese increased 60%.
Foodstuffs containing sugar raise insulin levels
in the body. Insulin is the hormone, which causes energy to be stored in fat
cells. Sugar energy is the most egregious, but there are three other categories: trans
fats (which are on the way out),
alcohol (which children do not drink) and dietary amino acids. Originally, when
high-fat foods were blamed for making us overweight, manufacturers tumbled over
each other to produce low-fat products. But to make them palatable, they added
sugar, causing much greater problems.
Tips to Limit Sugar Craving
-
Switch from white to brown bread in order to balance your insulin
levels.
-
Ensure that wholegrain carbohydrates make
up less than a quarter of your meal.
-
 Protein and vegetables should
become the new-found heroes on your plate. Use beans (aduki beans,
cannellini beans, butter beans or kidney beans) or lentils to bulk out a
meal instead of potatoes or bread. Opt for lean protein to keep calorie
intake down and choose from fish (not
breaded or battered), chicken (no skin), pork (fat trimmed), beef (steak or
5 per cent fat mince) or eggs.
-
Include Chromium in diet. Diets high in simple sugars increase the
urinary excretion of chromium and rob the body of some of the chromium it
needs. This mineral is used to help the body balance blood sugar. Studies
have shown that many patients found it also helped lower sugar
cravings. Concentrated foods sources of chromium include onions,
tomatoes, brewer's yeast, oysters, whole grains, bran cereals, and
potatoes. The effective dosage range is 600-1,000 mcg a day, in divided
doses, with meals.
-
Fight Stress to guard sugar craving, especially as the adrenal gland
becomes more fatigued. Ways to fight stress are
innumerable with exercise topping the list. A study at the University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, shows that 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
that raises your heart rate to about 120 beats per minute at least three
times a week can lower depression and
anxiety within 12 weeks. Performing some stretching exercises or regular
exercise pattern can help you combat stress.
-
Watch your Thyroid Levels. Low thyroid activity may contribute to sugar
cravings. Symptoms of this condition include dry skin, fatigue, cold hands
and feet, brain fog, constipation and hair loss.
Thyroid
function
can be monitored using simple blood tests under the care of a physician.
Thyroid function can be affected by low levels of selenium and zinc.
-
Find Substitute: Replace sugared sodas with diet ones, one regular soft
drink (or one diet soda) per day with an alternative drink. The best choice:
water. If it's the caffeine you crave, you're better off with tea or coffee,
with minimal added sugars.
-
Set Diet Goal and Rewards, too. Overcoming poor diet habits is a big
challenge, but, setting up rewards can leave something to look forward to.
For every effort congratulate your self with a dollar or beauty treatment.
A healthy
weight, mental sharpness and optimal aging are the sweet rewards for your
efforts to handle sugar craving.
Dated 03 December 2013
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