“You are what you eat” is a popular phrase we have all heard before, but what does it really mean? Eating is something we do to stay alive, but how much attention do we pay to what we are putting in our bodies? Sure, we need food to survive - but are we eating to live with hopes of a longer lifespan or are we unintentionally cutting it shorter?
How aware are we of the correlation between our food choices and its effect on our health in the long run?
“A healthy lifestyle allows us to enjoy a good quality of life along with the ability to live life to the fullest, by preventing chronic diseases,” says certified diabetes educator, Shehnaaz Mohamed RN BN CDE CCN(C).
A good quality of life can be determined by many of our day-to-day choices including:
- remaining physically active
- refraining from smoking, alcohol and drugs
- following a healthy eating pattern
- getting enough sleep
- managing stress
- having enough social support
- maintaining a good work-life balance
In addition, many factors play a role in preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. One of these major elements is related to our consumption of sugar. Below are some statements to help us determine our knowledge on sugar.
True or False?
- One teaspoon of honey has less sugar than one teaspoon of white sugar
- Fresh orange juice does not have any sugar and is healthy
- Corn is a vegetable; it is healthy so I can eat as much as I want
- If a product states ‘no added sugar’ on the label it is healthy
- Sugar comes from fruit and sugar cane only
- If you have diabetes you just need to avoid sugar
- Sugar is not addictive
Facts or Myths
- False: A teaspoon of honey contains one teaspoon of sugar, but also has more calories. So, if you are thinking that substituting sugar with honey has reduced sugar, then you are wrong. One teaspoon of honey will still give you five grams of glucose
- False: Fresh orange juice has about six to seven teaspoons of sugar. It is also the quickest way to raise your blood sugar, which is why it is used as a treatment for low blood sugar. Would you eat three to four oranges that quickly? It would serve you better to eat a whole orange instead, which gives you fibre and therefore makes you feel full
- False: Corn is a starchy vegetable which contains a lot of sugar. Half (½) a corn on the cob is the same as eating one slice of bread. Having awareness of which vegetables are starchy and which are not can help you make wise choices. The general rule of thumb is that if a vegetable grows below the ground it has a lot of starch, such as potatoes and yams
- False: Product labels may state there is no added sugar but the sugar can be hidden in different forms such as glucose, fructose, agave, molasses, etc. Knowing how to read a food label is essential in making healthy decisions. There is a lot of hidden sugar in products as well. Did you know that one tablespoon of tomato ketchup has almost one teaspoon of sugar?
- False: Sugar also comes from consuming starch (carbohydrates). Approximately 90-100% of the starch you eat converts into sugar in your body. Some examples of starch include bread, rice, fries, sweet potatoes, naan and chapati. Although introducing fibre to starches can help reduce the sugar it is still advisable to limit your starch intake
- False: If you have diabetes or want to avoid getting diabetes, reduce your consumption of sweet items as well as starch/carbohydrates (i.e. bread, rice, pasta, cereal)
- False: Sugar has been found to have addictive effects as it releases substances in our bodies that makes us feel good, which in turn, creates cravings for more
So what is the solution to decreasing and avoiding an excess amount of sugar in our diet?
Adapting a lifestyle better suited for our bodies’ needs is a good step to begin with. From the true and false test, it may be more evident how little we actually know about the foods we consume. Though sugar is one of several factors which create a big impact on our lives, it would be prudent to increase our awareness of what we are consuming in entirety. So, here are some tips to help.
- Be more aware of the foods we consume on a daily basis and be mindful of our eating habits
- Learn how to read food labels to understand how much sugar you are consuming. Since carbohydrates convert into sugar, we need to look at the total amount of carbohydrates, which includes the sugar
- Do some research using reliable websites, and using sources such as your doctor or nutritionist
- Understand that illness can be prevented by practicing a healthy, balanced lifestyle
- To fully achieve a “healthy lifestyle,” improving our habits can serve us very well. So as we embark on a new year, it may be a good time to add this to our list of improvements.
Soucre: UCSF
Soucre: PopSugar
