Apart from giving us a rush of quick energy and delicious experience it is also highly addictive: according to a new research study, refined sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine!

The white death, the sweet poison… there is a reason why sugar received so much bad press recently. From poor skin, weight gain, fatigue, acne and skin ageing to Diabetes, heart disease, dementia and even cancer – sugar causes enormous harmful health effects.

We’ve asked our experts to put together The Ultimate 12 Step Sugar – Free programme:

PORTION CONTROL

Cassandra Barns, Nutritonist advises, “Aim for foods that have a low glycaemic load, as their impact on blood sugar level is minimal and you’ll be less likely to experience blood glucose highs and lows that will have you reaching for the cookie jar. Make sure each meal includes protein, non-starchy vegetables and unrefined carbohydrates. Limit sweet tasting veg (parsnips, potato and carrots) and opt for green veg like broccoli and spinach, ideally making up half your plate. Good protein (lean turkey, eggs, fish, beans) are digested slowly and make you feel fuller for longer, carbs should be wholegrain varieties for the same reason”.

I MUST NOT SKIP BREAKFAST

According to Shona Wilkinson, Nutritonist at Superfooduk.com, ‘’If we don’t have breakfast, often by 11 am or midday, we become hungry and crave sugar, as our blood sugar levels drop too low. Try two poached eggs on a slice of wholemeal bread with some rocket leaves or a pot of sugar-free yoghurt with nuts and berries’’.

THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU SNACK

A healthy snack between meals can help while you’re giving up sugar, as it stops your sugar levels dropping too low, which can cause sweet cravings. Good examples include: two oatcakes topped with a tablespoon of humus or guacamole or cottage cheese and half an avocado. Avoid bananas and grapes and opt for berries as they are naturally low in sugar’’ Cassandra warns.

Want to quit snacking for good? Psychologist, Corrine Sweet, says “It is entirely possible to retrain yourself to break old, bad habits and adopt new, positive ones, to help you curb your food cravings. You need to identify your behaviours and make a decision to stop them. Then replace them with a positive strategy for curbing old habit patterns. This may take effort and time, as we often hang on to what is familiar, but if you stick to it, you will soon be reaping the rewards for a little thoughtful decision-making, retraining and application of willpower – with a little help from your Slissie friend.” Slissie (from £39.99, www.slissie.co.uk), which is the first of its kind as it delivers appetite-suppressing flavourings that instantly help you resist snack temptation. Slissie releases tasty, appetite-suppressing flavours, from vanilla to chocolate, which can help you resist eating things you know you really shouldn’t.

LIMIT ALCOHOL

“Alcohol raises blood sugar, but being a liquid, it is even more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream than sugar. Alcohol also contains more calories than sugar: 7 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram! Alcohol binges are a classic way to set up a cycle of cravings for sugary, stodgy foods the day after’’, advises Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading Nutritonist and author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar.

LOOK AFTER YOUR GUT

Cassandra explains “Overgrowth of unhelpful yeasts in the gut, such as candida, can contribute to, or exacerbate sugar cravings. Ironically, eating sugar and high-starch foods makes the candida overgrowth worse, so we become stuck in a catch-22 situation. To help solve this, try taking a high-strength, good quality probiotic supplement such as Immune Biotix from Quest Vitamins (£13.49, www.qnutrapharma.com) loaded with friendly bacteria’’.

GO EASY ON THE TEA AND COFFEE

“Caffeine is a stimulant that causes our body’s stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to be released, which in turn cause a cycle of energy dips and peaks, and make you more likely to crave sugar later on. Decaffeinated coffee and tea contains other stimulants, so try better options such as naturally caffeine free rooibos tea” suggests Marilyn.

CONSIDER NATURAL SUGAR ALTERNATIVES

“Xylitol is a naturally sweet substance found in many plants. In commercial preparations, it is found in granules and looks and tastes like sugar, although slightly less sweet. Stevia is a substance extracted from the leaf of the stevia plant. It is an intensely sweet substance and very little is needed to give a sweet taste – it has very few calories and minimal impact on blood glucose” says Shona.

TREAT YOURSELF

Treat yourself to three squares of good quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa). Cassandra says, “this amount will only contain a relatively small amount of sugar, and there is also evidence that dark chocolate has health benefits or try a small pot of sugar-free plain yoghurt, with a teaspoon of pure cocoa or raw cacao powder.”

CHROMIUM TO CONTROL CRAVINGS

“Chromium, this trace mineral has a vital role in supporting normal blood glucose levels, and therefore helping to prevent the dips that cause us to crave sugary foods. Try Quest Vitamin’s Ecuigluco (£12.40, www.qnutrapharma.com). This supplement also contains vitamin B3, which works closely together with chromium as well as green coffee extract to boost your metabolism. Chromium can take a month or longer to have its full effect, so persevere or start taking chromium before attempting to give up sugar” Cassandra advises.

EXERCISE!

Cassandra stresses “Moderate exercise helps us to feel energised, less sluggish, and healthier. It can help to control stress levels and also support blood sugar control to avoid dips that will induce cravings”.

REDUCE YOUR STRESS

“Stress is one of the primary triggers for sugar cravings, as our body is being prepared for physical action (the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome). So try in any way you can to reduce stress, whether it is by delegating or reducing your workload, taking some gentle exercise, or practising yoga or meditation to help you relax. Reduced stress will often mean better sleep as well, which will mean better energy levels the next day’’ explains Dr Glenville.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D can help boost serotonin levels, your happy hormone. Cassandra explains, “when serotonin levels are low, most people immediately turn to simple carbohydrates like sugar and chocolate. Include a supplement – go for a new, chewable Urgent-D
(www.vegavitamins.co.uk, £7.95), which provides 2000IU.”

The post How to quit sugar appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Perhaps before debating this issue I should start with a few basic facts so we all know where we stand. Here is a quick run through of sugars and where they come from. Glucose is the main energy source for your body. Your brain requires glucose to function, and a huge percentage of your daily calories go to powering your brain. Fructose as you all probably know, in excess can lead to all sorts of metabolic health issues as the liver can get “overloaded”. The suffix ose is used in biochemistry to form the name of sugars.

Sugar –  Let’s break it down

• Glucose = from carbohydrates
• Fructose = from fruits, honey, agave, and high fructose corn syrup.
• Dextrose = usually produced commercially then added to food to sweeten it.
• Sucrose = white table sugar, produced from the sugar cane plant and other sources.
• Maltose = found in germinating grain, corn syrup, molasses, malted beverages, component in brewing beer and distilling alcohol.

So those are your basics, now lets see what the sugar alternatives are and have to offer us, if anything?

Are sugar alternatives any good for us?

There are quite a few natural forms of sugar to choose from and the growth in so called health gurus might lead you to believe that a sugar free recipe is healthy. Not so I’m afraid. Claiming something is sugar free does not mean it is healthy. Essentially sugar, is sugar… is sugar. Any form of natural sugar no matter what it is, i.e. raw sugar, maple syrup, honey, date puree, agave syrup, or fruit will impact on our blood sugar levels. There will be a release of insulin on ingestion of all these sugars. So, no matter how natural and wonderful you think these are your body will respond in a very similar way. All sugar no matter what should in my book be used in strict moderation. I’m not a fan either of low calorie natural sweeteners – this includes xylitol and stevia. All we are doing here is kidding ourselves that these are harmless but these may very well encourage your taste buds to want more sugar in the long term. I often get asked is stevia better than brown sugar, is diet coke better than normal coke. The answer, in short, is none of them.

We now have some up to date comprehensive research on sugar which shows that if the brain and taste buds are receiving signals that a food is sweet, the body will prepare itself anyway for a dose of glucose. The body in its wisdom will trigger metabolic and hormonal responses to manage blood sugar increases. So in essence you can end up with the same consequence of eating sugar anyway.

I would also try to avoid chemical sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin, aspartame and acesulfame K. Also when looking at ingredients lists avoid fructose, fructose syrup, glucose fructose syrup and high fructose corn syrup. The key with sugar is the less you have the less you want. When you do have something sweet you should be able to taste it more and it will hopefully have more impact, in the sense that you won’t be able to eat so much. Diabetics tend not to be able to notice the natural sweetness of food so accurately as non diabetics. It’s also vital that young children don’t get used to really sweet food from an early age.

POPULAR SUGAR ALTERNATIVES

Agave Syrup

This comes from a cactus grown in South America and is made from the cactus leaf pulp. It’s the same plant in which we get tequila. This is a traditional plant historically used by native Americans. However what we buy in the supermarkets is not quite the same. It has usually been highly processed and contains a high fructose content. When agave became fashionable a couple of years ago, one of its selling points was its low GI content. However we now know that excess fructose goes to the liver to be processed and long term is far worse for us than glucose potentially increasing our triglycerides and cholesterol. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which I’ve written about at length before (popular in the US) is similar to agave and some brands of agave dilute with HFCS.  I think this should be avoided at all costs. This was one of those fads that people got swept up in and some people think this is a healthy alternative.

Stevia

This is extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant grown in Peru. It works by stimulating receptors on the tongue. The products we buy can vary enormously from whole leaf powders to highly processed white sugar. It might be useful for diabetics but a little goes a long way. If you do use this try the pure leaf options. I think this is useful for diabetics but personally I would give this a miss. The active ingredients in stevia make it 150 times sweeter than sugar which I take issue with although it has a negligible effect on blood sugar. It can also leave a bitter after taste.

Fruit purees

This is essentially using fruit instead of sugar i.e. a mashed ripe banana, a few dates or stewed apple, for example. There really is no downside especially if cooking for children as you are fundamentally eating real food. It’s just a question of how much you eat. Dates and bananas are fairly high GI foods but this is marginally better than other sugars. A favourite of mine is banana bread, you can quite easily make it with the sweetness of the bananas without any extra added sugar and it certainly trains smaller children to have less of a sugary tooth. Basically a puree is stewed fruit or a fruit mashed to a pulp.

Maple Syrup

This is the concentrated sap of the Canadian maple tree. It is generally lower in calories and fructose than honey and has a lower GI rating, however it is lower in vitamins. Grade A is lighter and milder and Grade B is darker and has a higher nutritional value. Maple flavoured syrup is not real maple syrup and is to be avoided. The sugar is primarily sucrose with some fructose and glucose. The classic meal with this is of course the American breakfast of pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup. Most of the maple syrup in the US has added high fructose corn syrup. Many of the new cooks that have sprung up in the last few years are using maple syrup as a sugar substitute due to its low GI rating, however I’m firmly of the opinion that it won’t stop you yearning for more sweetness.

Honey

Raw honey has more nutrition and health benefits than more highly processed products. It is roughly 50% fructose (a 50:50 ratio of fructose to glucose is easier for the body to metabolise than a higher fructose content product). Honey is a natural sweetener and has moderate nutritional benefit providing vitamins such as B6 and C. Some types of honey, such as Manuka or those which are not pasturised have additional antibacterial/antifungal benefits if used raw. Many people find eating a local honey around hay fever season can reduce their symptoms.  However just because honey is natural, does not mean you can use it without consequence – it is still a sugar. Cheaper honey may be blended with HFCS or glucose syrup to reduce production costs.

Xylitol / Sorbitol / Mannitol

These are wood alcohols that come from the fibre of many types of plants such as oats, mushrooms, raspberries and corn. Personally these are not sweeteners I recommend but it may be a useful option for diabetics who may only be able to use natural sugar sparingly. It is thought to benefit your teeth as it prevents growth of oral bacteria – it is often used in chewing gum for this reason. The ‘alcohol’ side chain on this sugar stops it from being absorbed from the gut – this stops any metabolic effect but can cause digestive issues. Moderate to high consumption of wood alcohols can lead to a laxative effect giving diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Often wood alcohols are made from GMO corn – look for non-corn or certified organic alternatives if you can. Don’t forget that wood alcohols are highly toxic to pets and animals, so keep them in a safe place.

Brown Rice Syrup

Brown Rice Syrup looks and sounds natural but is highly processed, contains little in terms of nutritional value and has a GI index of 98 which is super high and will greatly effect your blood sugar. It has a butterscotch flavour and is added to products like cereal bars. It is produced by culturing cooked rice starch. Also called rice syrup and rice malt. You can find it in some rice milks, so do look at labels carefully.
So what can we conclude about all this?

Well it is a bit depressing if you have a sweet tooth, but health is not worth risking for a poor diet. Natural sweeteners like agave are really no better than table sugar for you. Probably fruit purees are the best natural sweetener if you are trying to use an alternative, otherwise don’t kid yourself, if you are going to use one of these alternatives thinking you are doing yourself some good, to be really honest, you might as well use sugar. If you reading this and it’s mid afternoon go make yourself a cup of tea and have a cracker and a slice of cheese instead. The less you eat, the less you will eat.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues you can contact Kate on 01323 737814 www.katearnoldnutrition.co.uk

The post Sugar alternative appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Important changes need to be made at the highest level to urgently address the UK’s deteriorating dental health from sugar consumption, an oral health charity says.

The British Dental Health Foundation is fully supporting new proposals made by one of the most outspoken voices in the campaign against excess sugar, chef Jamie Oliver.

As part of his new documentary looking into sugar consumption, ‘Jamie’s Sugar Rush’, Mr Oliver took an in depth look into the devastating effects sugar consumption is having on our dental health, with particularly worrying signs seen on the effects it is having on the nation’s children. Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, highlighted why the charity is adding their voice to the calls for change:

“The effects that sugar consumption is having on children’s dental health cannot be understated. Shockingly, a recent study found half of eight year olds have visible signs of decay on their teeth and a third of children are starting school with visible signs of tooth decay.

“These figures are alarming but are unfortunately only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effect sugar is having on dental health. More regularly we are hearing first-hand accounts from dental professionals about just how children are suffering due to sugar and this is being played out in every dental surgery across the country. “Tooth decay is the number one reason for hospitalisation in children and while we cannot blame the food and drink industry entirely, they do have to take a sizable portion of the blame. We believe that if decisive action is not taken soon, then all of our dental health, not just children’s, will continue to suffer the consequences.

“Mr Oliver has highlighted the fact that 26,000 primary school aged children were admitted to hospital due to tooth decay last year, with children’s tooth extractions costing the NHS around £30 million per year, the key cause being tooth decay. This cannot be allowed to continue.”

Tooth decay happens when sugar reacts with the bacteria in plaque. This forms the acids that attack the teeth and destroy the enamel. After this happens many times, the tooth enamel may break down, forming a hole or ‘cavity’. Tooth decay almost always leads to fillings and often leads to teeth having to be extracted.

Early tooth decay can have no obvious symptoms, but your dental team may be able to spot a cavity in its early stages when they examine your teeth. This is why you should visit your dental team regularly, as small cavities are much easier to treat than advanced decay.

“We now have the public’s attention in the battle against sugar more than ever before and need to use this platform to force through important changes,” added Dr Carter.

“We cannot trust the food and drink industry to make the necessary changes themselves – more radical action is required. We are supporting all of the measures which Mr Oliver has set out in ‘Jamie’s Sugar Manifesto’ and believe lobbying the government for the introduction of these can make a serious difference to our dental health.”

Measures which are outlined within ‘Jamie’s Sugar Manifesto’, which the British Dental Health Foundation endorses, include:

• A 20p levy per litre on every soft drink containing added sugar.
• Legislation of the responsibility deal allowing the government to set guidelines that must legally be followed by the food and drinks industry.
• Penalties to be implemented to any food and drink companies that do not reach the targets.
• An extension of the regulations banning junk food marketing on TV to 9pm.
• Creation of more robust digital marketing regulations on junk food to cover all non-broadcast media.
• Making traffic light labelling compulsory on all packaging.
• Showing sugar content in teaspoons on the front of packaging.

Dr Carter added: “As well as these measures we also support Mr Oliver’s move to add a 10 pence child health levy on sugary sweetened drinks within his restaurants.

“By lobbying other restaurants to adopt this small measure we will be able to start a dialogue which will effect real change and lead to oral health benefits for generations to come.”

The post The dangers of sugar appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.