No Sugar Coating

​Who doesn't like sweet stuff? But how much sweet stuff can we enjoy without damaging our health? Why do some people have more of a sweet tooth than others-are some of us more prone to sugar addiction than others? 

​There are times when nothing can satisfy your sweet tooth, which might explain why, despite learning a lot in recent years about how sugar jeopardizes our health, cutting back on sugar is easier said than done. 
Most of us, living in the Western World, are consuming far more than the recommended amount of added sugar (which means not the forms naturally present in fruits, vegetables and dairy products). ​

​Guidelines say added sugars should be less than 30g. However, many of us, adults and children alike (and especially children and teenagers), are consuming about twice to thrice as much each day. 
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We don’t put sugar cubes directly in our mouths obviously, so where's all that sugar coming from? In addition to table sugar, preserves, spreads and soft drinks are the primary sources, followed by biscuits, buns, pastries and cakes. We love sugar for sure, but why are we so smitten, and is it as harmful as reports suggest? 

Where Does Our Sweet Tooth Come From? ​

Our desire to eat sugar is natural, and not just because it tastes good but because eating is known to trigger the reward system in the brain. Sugar intake triggers a release of the feel-good substance dopamine, a neurotransmitter that works on the brain's reward and pleasure centers. When our ancestors had to find food in the wild, sweetness was synonymous with safe food, whereas bitterness indicated a potentially poisonous food that should be avoided. Humans are also born with a preference for sweetness to ensure that we readily accept the breast milk of our mothers, which is lower in protein but higher in sugar than cow's milk. This innate preference for sweetness declines in adulthood for some people, but for others, it stays for a lifetime.

Sugar not only tastes good, it makes us feel good too, which is the reason we crave sweet foods and find it so difficult to cut down on, especially we are upset. So although we are biologically hardwired to like sweet foods, craving sugar when you are tired, stressed or unhappy isn't an indication that your body actually needs the sugar. Instead, this craving may be linked to emotional rather than nutritional needs. 

The Effects on our Health

In spite of the pleasure sugar gives us, excess sugar is linked to obesity and over-activity of the immune system, which is a factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases. 

Contrary to popular belief, eating sugary foods is not, in itself, a cause of diabetes, but there is an indirect link between sugar and Type 2 diabetes. Processed foods containing added sugars are typically high in calories, so eating these foods can easily lead to consuming more calories than our body needs, which results in weight gain; and being overweight-especially with excess abdominal fat, can make insulin less effective at controlling blood glucose and, over time, this can result in type 2 diabetes. 

While diabetics don't need to avoid sugar entirely, they must choose foods carefully and reducing their sugar intake is a key part of managing most forms of the disease, even if they're a healthy weight. The sugar added to foods and drinks, as well as the natural sugar in fruit juices and syrups, can cause gum disease and dental cavities, so it's best to not only limit these foods but also to eat them as part of a meal, rather than on their own as a snack. 

When it comes to making healthier choices, it can help to weigh up the nutritional benefit of a sweet food, as some have more to offer than others. For example, fructose, glucose, sucrose and lactose are all types of sugar, making them a source of energy, but don't, in themselves offer us any other nutrients (in other words, empty calories!). 

However because these types of sugar are naturally present in fruit, veg and dairy foods-which are all a source of vitamins and minerals and form a significant part of a balanced diet-they come with nutritional benefits. It's free sugars, such as the kind that are added to soft drinks, cakes and confectionery, which have low nutritional value, so keep them to a minimum. 

Some tips to make healthier choices:

• If you often use add sugar and syrups to tea, coffee, yogurt etc., try alternative flavors, such as cinnamon or chopped banana to Greek yogurt instead of choosing flavored yogurts
• Make the most of naturally sweet foods which don't require added sugar, such as fresh fruit (choose in-season ones as they tend to be the sweetest). 
• Enjoy sweet foods as part of a healthy diet, rather than using sugar as a treat or reward, as this establishes a link between sugar and emotional eating 
• Swap sugary biscuits for options such as plain rice cakes, and then add your own toppings such as fresh or dried fruit or nut butter
• Fizzy drinks can be very high in sugar. For a healthier alternative, try making your own using sparkling water with lemon/lime slices or even cucumber slices. Alternatively, try fruit or vegetable-infused water—berries and citrus fruits work well
• Breakfast cereal and cereal bars might sound healthy, but they are all high in sugar. Instead of your regular sugary cereal, why not try a no-added-sugar brand, or choose plain high-bran cereal and add fruit and nuts yourself 
• Make good use of the Traffic Light System on food packaging, which can make it easier to choose low-sugar foods. Go for green more often than amber or red in your trolley. If the labels aren't color-coded, check the nutritional information at the back. A food can be labelled "low-sugar" if it contains less than 5g of sugar out of every 100g. 
• If you're looking for alternatives to high-sugar treats or desserts, try Greek yogurt or natural yogurt and add fruits or nuts
• Baking your own treats as an alternative to store-bought options. Baking from scratch enables you to control how much sugar you include in a recipe and experiment with using less or alternative forms of sugar, such as using bananas to sweeten your bakes. You might be surprised to find your favorite dessert is just as delicious with less of the sweet stuff. 

Finding Balance

You probably don't need to quit sugar entirely but it is definitely a good idea to learn to take in sugar in moderation, with a focus on nutrition. This is a more sustainable long-term approach. Aim for balance, with the majority of your meals including healthy, everyday ingredients, with some sugary foods on occasion. 

P.S. My Stop Binge Eating Program will help you develop more  skills to tackle sugar addiction or food addiction in general and learn more about nutrition.