Let’s talk about sugar.
Today we are massively over consuming sugar. The average person is getting 3-4 times more sugar a day then the set recommended guidelines made by The World Health Organization (this vary from country to country). A sugar rich diet is damaging for our gut flora, insulin lever, cholesterol and liver to just mention a few. As you properly know, excess amount of sugar is stored as visual fat on the body but it’s also stored as fat in the liver. Taking control over your sugar intake is super important and I will give you the right trick on how to do so. I want to bring awareness on sugar so you can make the right decisions for your health and find your own way of healthy living.
There are 2 different ways of consuming sugary food.
First one (the obvious one): When you’re fancy something sweet and get a treat such as chocolate bars, pastries, soft drinks and desserts.
Second way (the less obvious): The sugar you’re getting from most things you’re eating on an average day without knowing about it.
By spotting the hidden sugar in your food, you can massively lower you daily intake and bring more health to your life! Sugar is hidden in so many things today. Sure there are those more obvious items that you kind of do know has sugar in them like salad dressings, ketchup, cereals, dried fruit, yogurt and juices. But you’ll be surprised to find it in other things such as canned tomatoes, spice mixes, flavoured nuts, ‘real’ mayo, dark bread and all those products labelled ‘healthy’ or ‘natural’ on them. It amazed me (and still does) how many of the well-known health brands that use sugar in their products.
When I first started my journey to a healthier lifestyle this was one of the most frustrating parts of it all. I wanted to control my intake of sugar and that’s when I started to read the back of the labels. I was so chocked that most of the things I would normally buy had sugar in them! I remember running up and down the aisle frustrated and confuse. Like, what do I eat now? And is there anything that’s safe to eat? Mostly, I was so annoyed with the fact of how little I knew about the food I ate and that I’ve been happily filling my body with these things on a regular basis until this point. That was the turning point for me.
Sugar is hidden in everything today and I encourage you to check it out for yourself. Here’s a challenge for you: Next time you’re at the shop, take a bit of extra time to stop and read the labels before putting it into your basket. Trust me, you will be chocked of the things that has sugar in them.
This is not me saying that you should avoid it like the plague for the rest of your life. Not even a bit. It’s all about living a balanced life where you’re most of the time are focusing on nourishing your body and occasionally treat your souls with something sweet. Trust me, I too enjoy a sweet snack at times and most of my friends can testify my weakness for chocolate cakes.
The food industry are developing faster than what we can keep up with and it’s far from easy to understand all the ingredients at the back of the packages. Reading labels is almost like reading a different language, it can be so confusing! Personally I try to avoid packaged food (due to it’s the easiest and safest way) but if there is something I need that comes in a box, I got a couple of rule to follow.
1. Spot and avoiding sugar.
2. If you can pronounce it or visualise how it looks like, then don’t eat it.
If you want to be more aware of what you’re consuming and be able to spot sugar at the grocery store, then I got a list ready to use! It will be challanging at the start but everything is difficult until you learn. I’ve been there myself but trust me, it’s worst it.
Here it is!
