Sugar is the New Killer
It has been a great 2017 so far when it comes to health consciousness and physical activity. I am glad to see that there are more and more people on the street going for walks and runs and it is nice to see people reading the small prints on the back of the products in the supermarkets.
The industry is still trying to sell us a lot of unhealthy products and as we have heard a lot lately, cutting down on sugar should be one of our priorities.
We keep getting information on how sugar can be harmful for our bodies by turning into fat, which can potentially cause heart disease, diabetes, and from a dentist’s point of view tooth decay.
I still see quite a few youngsters downing sugary protein shakes at the gym and finishing off their healthy sessions by taking even more unhealthy products.
If there is such a theory that the body needs to recover its loss of energy (not that we do not intake enough energy by eating a huge amount of products non stop!) then a protein rich fruit such a banana can be a good vitamin and energy substitute.
I know it’s very difficult to take radical steps when it comes to diet changes so I would like to suggest maybe taking onboard one or two of these steps and seeing how you get on!
- Try to clear the sweetie cupboard and limit access to all of the unhealthy products. There is no nutritional value in any of these products so you might want to eat those snacks on a Saturday night but keep them away for the rest of the week.
- Replace your snacks with some fresh veggie sticks in the fridge so that they are handy when you get the craving.
- Eat a handful of nuts; they are a very good source of nutrition and will keep you full for a long period of time.
- Try to avoid ready-made sauces as they are PACKED with sugar and salt.
- Dairy products are very nutritious and despite the latest warnings, natural sugars that occur in milk, yogurt and fruits are not as much of a concern as long as you consume them moderately. However, stay away from fruit yogurts which are labeled low fat as they are probably high in sugar.
Remember these sources of sugar and try to limit these products in your house:
- Cokes – contain too much sugar and acid which erodes your teeth
- Juice – too much juice can have a similar effect and the sugar can turn into fat in your body
- Buns, biscuits and cakes – very high in fat and sugar, can cause tooth decay, obesity and other health issues.
- Sweets and chocolate – have ‘sweet tooth Saturday’ and have as much as you wish in one period of an hour and THAT is it for a week!
- Look into your cereal sugar content and swap them with Porridge or biscuit cereals as long as they are wholewheat.
Obviously you do not have to take on all of these steps in one go but it can definitely be put onto your to do list; perhaps one bullet point a week!
Good luck and please let me know how you get on.
