“No sugar, thanks honey”

If there’s one thing in our Western diet we’ve got to change is the sheer amount of sugar we consume.

There’s other things as well but sugar is a major factor in so many negative health issues, especially weight gain and obesity.

Sugar is so pervasive in our diet we hardly notice it any more.

When’s a diet food not a diet food?

When it’s full of sugar. So many so-called ‘diet’ foods are laden with sugar. That’s how they make it palatable. It’s certainly not how they make it a healthy food.

When you’re next scouring the supermarket aisle for diet food, say “no sugar, thanks”. The answer is on the nutritional panel.

When’s a healthy breakfast cereal not a healthy breakfast cereal?

When it has dried fruit in it. Dried fruit is a sneaky way to add the flavour of sugar without actually adding sugar in the ingredient list. But it’s there. Again, the answer is on the nutritional panel.

By the way, a sugary breakfast cereal can make the ‘most important meal of the day’ far less important. Sure the sugar gives you a burst of insulin and energy but it’s short-lived. Plus there’s the bust of a mid-morning energy slump.

Would you like a meal with your sugar?

Alternatives to sugar

• Try products with no sugar added. Give them three days to change your palate from sweet to neutral.
• Stevia. It’s an all-natural sweetener ‘no sugar sugar’ I’ve been using for years. I actually tried a dried Stevia leaf the other week and you can tell where it gets it’s sweetness from.
• Low Glycemic Index (Low GI) foods. Not a guarantee of no sugar but at least a low GI diet will even out your body’s burning of carbs.
• Honey. Still a sugar but in a far more natural, unprocessed form. Use sparingly.
• Fresh fruit. Again, still lots of sugar in them but you get added nutrients and all important fibre.