Sugar and carbohydrates make for vast nutritional confusion among people. Are you still scratching your head? Or have you walked away from all the noise because it just doesn't make sense? If this is your response to whether sugar is evil or essential, you are not alone in that boat. Yet, there is hope for clarifying some confusion!
Because there is a lack of basic nutritional education in the U.S., information is often befuddling and incomplete. Heck, there are lobbyists working diligently to push their particular agenda around certain foods, like corn or beef and dairy to name a few. Of course confusion will abound! You have many reasons to question and wonder what is the best thing for you and your family! And the family doctor is not necessarily your Go-To person for these questions, either. What? Wait....why not?
Doctors will readily agree that sugar consumption needs monitoring, or minimizing. However, for a plan of action on how to accomplish this, your medical doctor will likely refer you to a nutritionist. Did you know that U.S. medical schools teach only ONE (1) semester of nutrition? However, if you have Naturopathic Doctors (ND) in your area, they will look at diet much more closely to educate you about how food can impact, or change your health.
A nutritionist can be very helpful for finding ways to address the battle with sugar, and many insurance companies will pay for one. (A nutrition-based health coach may go deeper than the nutritionist, but is not covered by insurance.) At the end of the day, we all really need to have a working understanding of some basics:
- Sugars are carbohydrates necessary to supply fuel for the body.
- Most dairy items, fruits, grains and vegetables are carbohydrates that the body uses as sugar for immediate energy. The body processes each of these foods differently, so not all sugar is created (or used) equally.
- Cheese, eggs, beans,meat, poultry, seafood are proteins that they body uses for energy it can use over a slower period of time.
- Oils, butters are fats, which provide the slowest supply of energy to the body but are needed to lubricate our joints, and keep the brain functioning, which is why heart healthy oils are important in your diet.
- Everybody needs a balance of these three (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) food groups.
Caveat: nutrition remains a very young science. How it functions is as individual as you are. A plan that works for Mom may be ineffective or counterproductive to Sammy, Jr. Not always! But the point here is to recognize that as individuals, there may be some very specific things that need to be addressed for individuals in families.
When it comes to processed, refined (white) sugars, its impact reaches:
- behavior (often misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD);
- brain functionality (poor memory; loss of brain function; cognitive decline);
- the immune system and cause allergies that may create skin problems;
- the brain and provokes Alzheimer's or
- the digestive tract, leads to insulin resistance, which in turn can lead to Type 2 diabetes if ignored.
The average American eats a HALF pound of sugar daily, or the equivalent of over 175 pounds a YEAR. Hold up ~ read that again: over 175 pounds yearly! So the aforementioned are just a few of the health problems attributed with over consumption of processed, refined white sugar which includes HFCS (high fructose corn syrups).
The half pound of daily sugar intake does include things like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup or molasses, but the vast majority consumed is the evil HFCS followed by refined (cane and beet) sugar sources. This translates into about 700 calories a day just from refined sugars!
To simplify the sugar battle, consider fresh fruits and fresh vegetables as the essential sugars to have in your diet. These carbohydrates bring much more to the table than just gorgeous color and texture to the palate. They bring essential nutrients that also fuel the body in a healthy way: vital fiber, vitamins and minerals.
For greater health, a balanced diet of fresh, organic fruits and veggies are always winners. Contrary to what Atkin's preached, and in line with what the Paleo plan recommends, fresh veggies and fruits are important parts of a well-balanced food plan.
If "I know I should eat better"is the hardest piece of thispuzzle, you have tons of options. Really! Part of the challenge to kick the evil sugar demon is to adjust your overly sweetened palate to a diet that is not saturated with sweet tasting foods:
- There are plenty of sweet vegetables to try.Perhaps the number one winner is sweet potatoes (or yams). Try these gorgeous orange gems baked (not fried!) as a replacement to your favorite mashed potatoes.
- Experimentwith using coconut milk, some cinnamon, ginger and cloves mixed into a yam mash. All of a sudden, that yummy side dish tastes like dessert! Loaded with fiber (if you eat the skin) and beta-carotene (vitamin A) among other things.
- Try raw, steamed, stir-fried and baked versions of certain veggies. Carrots and broccoli are perfect examples. They can both be eaten raw, steamed with garlic, olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. Tossed into stir fry, pasta or salads. Some recipes even combine fruits in the salads.
- Seasonings can work magic to change the whole experience of eating. Use oil carefully, and be sure to add some acid (lemon, lime or vinegar) to bring more flavor to the taste buds. When selecting seasoning blends, chose wisely: there are all kinds of hidden sugars in most commercial seasoning blends!
- Be prepared to try something at least 5 times before you completely decide you are unwilling to include a vegetable. Experiment with how your veggies are prepared to have diverse taste and new texture experiences.
- Try pureed soups as an easy way to have a batch of veggies. Simply add organic chicken or vegetable stock and seasonings, cook until veggies are fork tender. Then throw everything in the blender (including the cooking water where all the vitamins and minerals cooked out), and puree until smooth. A dollop of creme fraiche, light sour cream or even plain yogurt can add some extra creaminess to the soup's texture!
- Butter does a lot to please the taste buds. Again, go carefully with its use. Butter has twice as much energy value (calories that are more easily stored as fat, too!) as sugar. So rather than trade one evil for a lesser one, begin with a lighter touch. After a while, you may find that you need very little butter at all, and olive oil steps in as a healthier alternative.
Learning to move toward change around food is an emotionally charged process for most people. Take small steps forward to see how you can test the waters. Be prepared for the challenges ahead of time by accepting them as part of the process. Just as babies learn to toddle before the walk, there's a lot of falling back to the floor that happens before they even learn to stand up.
Release expectations that you eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables by the end of the first week. Start with one new color, or one particular veggie for a week. Your palate can and does change over time, so there's another unexpected change for the positive! Flexibility creates a manageable approach to switch a long-held mindset. See how curiosity can pave a smoother experience: when the mind is curious there is little expectation about anything new!
Buen Provecho & Bon Appetit!
