Sugar is a sneaky ingredient
and our worldwide consumption of it keeps going up and up it's been a controversial topic but are all sugars
as bad as we make them out to be or are some of them ok
Which kinds? How much? And what about sweeteners like Stevia
We are gonna cover a lot of ground today.
Including 10 ways that we can manage our sugar intake
but as usual I'm going to try to keep this as brief and as uncomplicated
as possible. But we did write an article
about it on the blog. It goes into a lot more
detail. If you want to learn more, link is in the description but for now
Let's dive in
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate
and it can be found in a lot of different kinds of foods
It's most concentrated in forms like white sugar
which has been extracted from a plant and refined into a
crystalline substance. But regardless of where it comes from
Once we eat it our bodies turn it into glucose.
Which is ultimately used for energy.
Glucose is actually our brain and muscles primary and
preferred fuel source. So if our bodies
need it to function optimally. Then why does sugar have
such a bad rap?
Sugars can be extracted from two different categories of
carbohydrates. The first one is called complex
carbs. And these are usually the ones found naturally
in foods. The others are called simple carbs.
And these are usually the sugars that are added to foods.
Simple carbs you'll find in things like sweetened coffee drinks,
energy drinks, colas, fruit juices, store bought cereals
and candies. These simple carbs cause
a rapid spike in blood sugar levels followed
by a rapid drop and that's why sometimes we can
crash and feel tired after
we've eaten something especially sweet. But aside from
fatigue there is potential long term consequences of excess
sugar intake. It can be taxing to the pancreas it can cause
excess weight gain which can increase the risk of things like
diabetes and high blood pressure and so on.
but what about the sugars that are naturally found in some foods. These are things like
whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.
These complex carbs as the name would suggest; they have
a more complex structure.
means it takes longer for the body to break it down.
That means the body processes
and digests the sugars a lot more slowly and that's
a good thing. It leaves our bodies with a lasting
energy supply, it's not so taxing on the pancreas
They are nutrient dense, they give our brain
and our muscles it's preferred energy source
and the fiber helps to keep us fuller for longer.
I get asked about fruit all the time
and I think because people know that there is sugar in it, they feel the need to
avoid it sometimes. And it's true
fruits do contain simple carbs but they also
contain complex carbs
and that complicates things a little bit. But see
the main thing that fruits have that
fruit juices, for example, don't have is fiber
and that is the magic component. The fiber itself helps
the body slow down our absorption of sugars
not to mention that fruits have a whole slew of powerful
nutrients, and there are just so many benefits to eating
them. But what about something like smoothies? Smoothies
keep the fiber intact. You're just adding the whole fruit
to a blender, but sometimes some smoothies can have
a lot of fruits in them. Maybe a banana, and a mango
and an orange and maybe some others as well.
One thing we can do to offset it is to add more fiber.
We've talked about that one, but proteins and fats
also help our body to slow sugar absorption.
So for example you might some spinach for some
extra fiber, some nut butter for some extra fats
and some soy yogurt or soy milk for some extra protein.
Now what about coconut sugar
or maple syrup or agave syrup?
These are more natural than the processed white sugar so they must be better
right? But our bodies actually break them down and use them
in much the same way, there's still
in extracted form and they are still considered simple carbs.
Now we still use these sweeteners in our recipes for it's flavor
sometimes but we try to use them in moderation and
can be substituted for some other ingredients.
I'll share what those are with you in just a minute.
Now what about sugar substitutes; like Stevia
or other artificial sweeteners?
It's a controversial and hot topic and we've delved into it in a lot
more detail in the article in the blog.
Again, link in the description to learn more. Essentially,
these artificial sweeteners are usually zero calorie
which is why a lot of people opt for them.
It doesn't cause the blood sugar spike we've talked about before so no harm
right? And the most recent meta analysis says they
haven't been linked to health outcomes like diabetes, kidney disease
or high blood pressure either. But some studies point out
some other issues. For example, artificial sweeteners might
trick the brain. Consuming them lights up
similar regions in the brain in terms of satisfaction as it
does when we eat sugar. So artificial sweeteners
might not actually help us to curve
sugar cravings, cause our minds are still craving
that something sweet. Bottom line,
there's a lot of controversy on the topic
and here at Pick Up Limes, we recommend whole food sources
over processed foods whenever possible. And this includes added sugars
and artificial sweeteners.
Now we're gonna delve into our top 10 tips on how to
manage sugar intake. Number 1 for most
recipes we can decrease the amount of sugar by at least
a quarter without any noticeable difference in taste or
texture. Number 2, when we can
we use whole foods to sweeten things up. For example,
using a mashed banana in a pancake recipe in place of sugar or
some apple sauce to replace the syrup in some baked goods
like our banana bread. We use unsweetened
plant milk in our smoothies and let the fruits
naturally sweeten it instead and the
same goes for our oatmeal using some fruits
as a natural sweetener in place of syrup.
Number 3, we like to use spices
whenever possible. Things like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
or pure extracts, like vanilla or almond or
lemon extract. To help give flavor without the need
for extra sweeteners. Number 4 our sugar craving
can also be mistaken for thirst so if you're
craving a sweet beverage, try drinking a glass of water first.
Number 5, if water just doesn't cut it because maybe
you're used to the juices, or sodas or energy drinks
Try flavoring the water instead. I like
to add some fresh fruits or cucumbers or herbs are
really good like mint or basil. And
if I'm gonna have 100% fruit juice I try to dilute it
if I can with some carbonated water which makes me
feel like I'm drinking some kind of cola.
And if I'm out buying a flavored coffee or tea drink I just request it
half or a quarter sweet which means they use fewer pumps of syrup.
and number 6, try purchasing unsweetened
plant milks and plant yogurts whenever you can.
If you want to drizzle on some syrup at least you get to decide
how much goes in it. Number 7, if you're craving something
sweet after dinner, try to include some type of fruit
in the mix. We like to go for some fruit that was dipped in
almond butter maybe we melted it together with a bit of pure dark chocolate
or you can try baking some apples
that were sprinkled with cinnamon and serve it with a side of unsweetened
plant yogurt. Or my summer time favorite is just
snacking on some frozen grapes. Number 8,
condiments can have a surprisingly high amount of sugar
added to them. So whenever you can, make your own
salad dressings, or jams or spreads. So that you can control the sugar.
You can try our 2 ingredient jam recipe or our delicious
chocolate spread, or our salad dressings.
I'll leave the links for you below. Number 9,
I can't emphasize the importance of reading labels. Sugar is added
to a whole bunch of foods you might not expect it
and manufactures can be sneaky and call sugar by it's many
different names; evaporated cane juice,
caramel, molasses, dextrin and all the words ending in
-ose like lactose, maltose, dextrose
and sucrose. So try scanning the ingredient list
before you make a purchase.
If you see sugar within the first few ingredients on the list try
seeing if there are any substitutes available instead. For example,
Robin recently asked me to pick up
some cornflakes for him when I was at the store. One of them had sugar
in it as a second ingredient and one had no sugar in it
at all. Reading labels just helps us to make
more conscious decisions. Finally, number 10.
when you've noticed that you've decreased the amount of sugar in your diet
and you've substituted it for homemade versions
or more whole food options you might even start to notice that
those intense sugar cravings gradually disappear.
We retrain or taste buds to appreciate the
natural sweetness of foods.
You might be surprised to see you don't even desire highly sweetened
foods after a while.
At Pick Up Limes, we don't like the label foods as good or bad.
We prefer to label them as more often and less often.
So if I can take a quick second to recap. Not all sugars are
as bad as we make them out to be.
Those that are naturally found in foods are those that we want to enjoy
more often sources like fruits, whole grains and veggies.
Processed sugars, sweeteners, artificial or otherwise
are the ones we want to try to consume less often.
When you need to use added sugars
try a homemade recipe when you can
that way you control how much goes in it.
Also, try to read labels because sugars can be disguised
as many different things. I really hope that you found today's video
helpful and that it shared some insight into the
complicated world that is sugar.
And I want to emphasize that the information shared today
is information I learned when I was studying this stuff
in University. But everyone also has a different
relationship with sugar and they know best, you know
best what works for your body. So don't take my answer as the be all
end all. Always do your own research. Do what feels good
to you. And if you have any tips of how
to manage sugar intake, you can share it in the comments.
See you guys down there. If you enjoyed today's video it always means a lot when you
give it a thumbs up. It shows a lot of support and that's it.
Pick Up Limes signing off. We'll see you in the next video.
Now what about sugar substitutes like Stevia
Now what - now what about sugar substitutes [pop noise]
Now what about sugar sweeteners
Now what about - about
But essentially these artificial sweeteners are zero calorie
which is why - oh my gosh
but some, but some, but some studies
if