Monday, April 9, 2012

What is Sugar?

Hey folks!  Tom Rio here.  Today I am addressing the issue of Sugar.  What it is, its different types, and whether it is good or bad.  I also hope this post can clear up some of our confusion on what foods actually are sugar!  Here we go...

What is Sugar?

Sugar = Carb.  It is true.  Many people don't realize this.  You have heard of Good Carbs and Bad Carbs?  So we have Good Sugar and Bad Sugar.  Okay, I'd like to keep this pretty simple as it can get quite intricate. 

Bad Sugar
We won't get into the polysaccharides and disaccharides of it all, but, we should know about Sucrose, Glucose, Fructose, and Lactose.  Sucrose is bad.  The others aren't so bad.  Easy huh?  What's the catch?  Sucrose tastes way better than the others.  So, to help us get over that fact, let's look at why it's bad. 

Why is Sucrose so bad?
    Well, the way your body works is, when there is an excess of needed nutrients, it either stores them (as fat) or kicks them out (as you know what).  When you eat Sucrose, since it is not a needed nutrient, your body automatically goes into the store or kick mode, and because our bodies are greedy...they store it.  (again, as fat)  I think we all know why that is bad.

I won't even step on the facts about how Sucrose lowers your immune system, causes fatigue and irritability and possibly is the main cause of ADHD and Diabetes. 

What are some examples of Sucrose (Bad Sugar)?
  • Table sugar
  • Soda
  • Basically all candy
  • White rice
  • White bread
  • Fruit juice that is not 100% Juice

Good Sugar
Good Sugars are Fructose, Glucose and Lactose.  (Fruit, Whole Grain Breads, and Dairy)  They still give you that sugar high, but they don't turn into fat cells the second they get metabolized.  
Good Sugars come with Fiber, Vitamins and Minerals, and a different chemical structure.  While too much fruit juice (100 percent juice) doesn't usually send you to fat camp, it can still have adverse affects on other parts of you body.  (kidneys, liver, and more)  So this isn't a free ticket to drink all the juice you want, (but Tom said this is good sugar!) it's good but it's not that good!  

What are some examples of Fructose, Glucose, and Lactose (Good Sugars):
  1. Fructose
  • Apples
  • Blueberries
  • Oranges
  • All fruits and some veggies...

     2.  Glucose
  • Wholegrain bread
  • Triscuits
  • Brown Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Rye Bread 
  • Whole wheat anything (Cereal, Bread, Crackers)
  • Veggies that are more starchy like eggplant and potatoes
      
      3.  Lactose (These are also part fat (good fat))
  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Creams (Though a lot of creams contain SUCROSE, watch out!)

Final Tips:

  • Choose products that say, "No added sugar" and "Natural Sugar" when you can.
  • Warning!  Some products masquerade as Whole Grain, since federal law only demands that foods which claim to be whole grain actually only need to be 51% whole grain to claim it on the label.  This means basically half your food is Sucrose!  Be wise, if your box of Marsh mellow cereal says "Whole Grain"  it's probably only that 51%.  
I truly hope this has helped you.  As always, thank you for reading my blog.  Please feel free to comment or leave questions, they are welcomed!  Shout out to Julie Hanson for commenting in person on my blog.  Thanks!


Stay Healthy Everyone!










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