This week is all about sugar - we've been through the reasons why it's bad for you (leads to insulin resistance, fat gain inflammation and can damage the arteries), so this week I wanted you to take a little test for me. Download the app My Fitness Pal on your phone (or you can use it on your computer)- https://www.myfitnesspal.com/.
Once you've got a profile (it's free to use), fill in your daily food and drink intake for a few days. Include sauces, condiments etc.
Here's a sample of what it looks like:
Next, take a look at the breakdown - go into the 'nutrition' section and have a look at the breakdown. Click on 'nutrients' and it will give you a breakdown of how much protein, carbohydrate, sugar and fat you are consuming.
For the purpose of today just look at the sugar - what does it say? Your profile will set a target range of sugar for you to be having each day. Are you close to your target or way over? Have a look at the foods that may be the culprit - it's not always as obvious as avoiding sugar in your tea and not eating chocolate. Here is a list of products which are high in sugar which you may have thought were 'healthy':
- Muesli or granola (aim for one that has less than 15g of sugar per 100g)
- Yoghurt (aim for less than 5g of sugar per 100g)
- Juice (can contain up to 25g of sugar in a small glass)
- Sauces especially sweet chilli and tomato sauce
- Dressings - particularly ones that are fat free
- Baked beans - the second ingredient is often sugar!
- Pre made meals - even the 'healthy' ones can contain a lot of added sugar
So you see how easy it is to add up. Have a look at the ingredients on the foods you buy - check out if sugar is on the ingredients list. The higher up the list (i.e. if it's in the top 5 ingredients) then it is usually high in sugar.
Try to avoid as much added sugar as you can. There's nothing good to say about it! Stick to foods that are unprocessed and still in their 'natural' form. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, lean proteins and some good fats like avocado, olive oil etc. If you are worried about your food lacking flavour then try adding chilli, herbs, pepper, pesto etc to liven things up.
Check out this website for more ideas on how to reduce sugar:
https://iquitsugar.com/recipe/
Until next time....