Sugar Babies

One of the most loved foods in America is SUGAR. Sugar is popular. Even those who are health conscious love it and it is in everything we consume. 

However, as much we all love sugar we also hate it. Only because of what we as a society believe about it. We believe it taste good but it’s not good for us. We believe it’s the reason why most Americans struggle with obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. We associate it with all bad things but that may not necessarily be true. 

Today, I’m going to educate us on the topic of sugar and show facts why we shouldn’t hate it, but control and learn more about it.

Sugar is where our body gets its energy. Sugar in the body is referred to as GLUCOSE. You may have heard or seen this word before on certain food packaging or on articles referring to diabetes. This is how glucose works: When we consume foods that are rich in carbohydrates, we digest them. Once they are  digested, the enzymes in them are broken down into smaller pieces, then GLUCOSE is released into our intestines and then passes through our bloodstream. (Web MD) defines GLUCOSE as “A type of sugar you get from foods you eat, and your body uses it for energy.” “Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula C₆H₁₂O₆, which means that it is a molecule that is made of 6 carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms” (Wikipedia). Once glucose is released into your bloodstream, INSULIN’S job is to carry it where it’s supposed to be, to your cells, such are your muscles, fat and liver cells. Inside of your pancreas there are cells referred to as Beta Cells. When blood glucose rises Beta cells releases insulin. This is where we get our energy to work, workout and be active on a daily bases. We cannot do this without Glucose and Glucose is from the sugars we consume.

It’s almost impossible not to consume sugar. Most foods have sugar in them. Avoiding sugar is not really the goal. However, how we consume it is a concern. Sugar should be consumed with foods that are high in fiber, protein and good fats. Which is why fruits and vegetables are the best sugars to consume. All of these play a role in METABOLISM functioning, energy, and stabilizing blood sugar levels. “The three main purposes of metabolism are 1. The conversion of food/fuel to energy to run cellular processes, 2. The conversion of food/fuel to building blocks for proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and some carbohydrates, and 3. The elimination of nitrogenous wastes” (Wikipedia). Stabilizing blood sugar levels are important to metabolism, which leads to weight loss and so is having the right fiber content in your diet when consuming sugar to increase energy and burn calories.

GRAINS are sugars referred to as refined carbohydrates. These kind of carbohydrates can raise blood sugar levels because of its starch and fiber content. Most foods that contains STARCH in them contains a kind of fiber that is different from fruit and veggies. According to Rob Thompson, MD. “Keeping blood sugar steady is an important tool for preventing insulin spikes, which can lock fat into your cells and prevent it from being used for energy. The substance in our diet that's most responsible for these blood sugar surges is starch. But the good news is you can blunt the blood sugar-raising effects by taking advantage of natural substances in foods—like fiber in fruits and veggies—that slow carbohydrate digestion and entry into the bloodstream”. “Of course, all fruits and vegetables contain sugar; that's what makes them carbohydrates. Nevertheless, most contain proportionately more soluble fiber than sugar, so they don't raise blood sugar as much as grain products and other refined carbohydrates do.” Grains contain in them INSOLUBLE FIBER. Insoluble fiber speeds up digestion by helping food pass through the intestines quickly. It helps get rid of bloating by cleaning out the stomach. However most foods with this kind of fiber contains starch. Yet they are still important to bowel related matters such as constipation and fecal incontinence. It is not safe to cut insoluble fiber from your diet but balance them in your diet.

FRUITS and VEGGIES are sugars referred to as Carbohydrates. They contain a proportionate balance of sugars and fibers in them to keep blood sugar levels from spiking. This is also if the fruit you’re consuming aren’t as ripe. It depends on the type of fruit as well. Some fruits are still balanced when fully ripened but some aren’t. According to Rob Thompson, MD. In his article Natures Bet Sugar Blockers, “All of the carbohydrates that have been associated with increased risk of obesity or diabetes have glycemic loads greater than 100. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables with glycemic loads less than 100 have been associated with reduced risk. Thus, you should avoid fruits or vegetables with glycemic loads higher than 100, even though they contain soluble fiber. Fruits and vegetables whose glycemic loads are between 50 and 100 are themselves acceptable to eat, but they release enough glucose to nullify their usefulness as sugar blockers. The best fruit and vegetable sugar blockers are those with glycemic loads less than 50”. Fruits and veggies contain in them SOLUBLE FIBER. Soluble fiber slows down digestion which can cause the stomach to bloat but for a good cause. It’s just bloat until digested. Foods that contains soluble fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol and aids in weight loss. It also helps with constipation. Soluble fiber blocks sugar best when consumed before, rather than after, you eat starch. “For instance, if your meal includes a salad, steak, potatoes, and green beans, eat the salad and at least some of the green beans before eating the potatoes” (Rob Thompson, MD). According to Rob Thompson, MD. In his article Natures Bet Sugar Blockers, “It takes about 10 grams of fiber to reduce the after-meal blood sugar surge from a serving of starch by approximately 25%. No single, typical serving of fruits or vegetables comes close to providing the 10 grams needed to lower your blood sugar by 25%; you would need to include several portions”. “A good way to ensure that you get enough soluble fiber to do the job is to have a salad with your meal—preferably before you eat starch. Salads allow you to combine enough sugar blockers to have a beneficial effect. For example, a salad containing 2 cups of romaine (2 grams of fiber), a cup of chopped tomatoes (2 grams), and a cup of red bell peppers (3 grams) provides 7 grams of fiber. Add that, say, to a cup of broccoli (4.5 grams) with your meal and you have 11.5 grams of fiber”.

Sugars aren’t as bad when we understand why we need them, how we can benefit from them and how we should consume them.