Hitch Fit Living Magazine Volume 9 - November/December 2016 | Page 21

I would say that just about everyone on the planet has heard that sugar is bad and its overconsumption is the direct result of rising obesity rates and diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Why is this? What makes sugar bad and is it really that bad for us? The truth is that sugar is not inherently bad and does not magically cause obesity or disease. Over consuming sugar over an extended period of time can start to have negative side effects on the body such as weight gain, insulin resistance, etc. However, this is not something that just happens overnight when you consume sugar. In this article I will educate you on what sugar is and why we shouldn’t just fear it. What is sugar? Sugar is a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred and most efficient source of energy. Generally when we hear the word sugar, we immediately think of table sugar also known as sucrose. However sugar comes in many forms. One thing you must understand is there are two types of carbohydrates: complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are what most would refer to as sugars or simple sugars. Simple sugars come in many forms. It consist of just 1-2 sugar molecules, they are rapidly digested and provide a quick source of energy. Simple sugars can be broken down into 2 sub-groups: Monosaccharides (1 molecule) and Disaccharides (2 molecules). Some common monosaccharides are glucose, fructose, xylose, galactose, and ribose. Common disaccharides are sucrose, lactose, and maltose. When it comes to carbohydrates the bulk of the average person’s diet should consist of complex carbohydrates. This is because they are slower digesting and typically have lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Since simple carbohydrates digest very rapidly you will most likely see a big spike in blood sugar, resulting in a big spike in insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas to regulate your blood sugar. Overtime this continuous overproduction of insulin can start to lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. This is why it is very important to watch your simple sugar intake and to exercise regularly. However with all that being said having a soda with your lunch or enjoying a piece of cake at a party will not harm the average person. Now if you drink a two liter with lunch and have the whole cake this is when you may start to have problems. Not in just one day but over time that much over consumption can lead to health complications. The key with sugar is moderation. Knowing how much you are consuming on a regular basis will help to limit your intake. This is where things may get a little tricky for some, especially anyone that might be new to monitoring their diet and reading nutrition labels. This is because there is a lot of clever marketing on food products. Even those products in the health foods section at your local grocery store. For example, let’s look at the sugar, fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar mainly found in fruits. Most people will eat fruit without thinking twice. Since fruit is healthy, right? Fruit is healthy but fructose is still a simple sugar that digests rapidly and can result in spiked blood sugar and insulin. Once again, moderation is what is most important. If you buy a basket of strawberries, just have a few rather than the whole basket in one sitting. Don’t be tricked by those clever labels. A lot of products now say, “No sugar added”. A great example of this is Welch’s grape juice. The bottle says no sugar added on the front but flip it over and the nutrition label still lists 36 grams of sugar, also known as fructose, per 8 ounce serving. One 8 ounce can of Coke as 39 grams of sugar. Most people would still argue that the fruit juice is better for you but the sad truth is they are both simple sugars. My personal favorite label is, “No sugar added, sweetened with honey”. Honey is marketed as a health food but is pure sugar. It’s actually made up of both glucose and fructose. When looking at the ingredients of a product, look for things such as nectars, canes, syrups, or extracts . These are all sugars that are hidden in plain sight. The truth is, some form of sugar is going to be in just about every food item you consume. Our bodies run of off sugar (glucose) but the most important thing you can do is read the nutrition label and listed under carbohydrates will be the amount of sugar per serving. Watch your intake and do not over indulge and there is a very high chance you will be just fine. Steven Stollenwerk is a Hitch Fit Transformation Trainer at the downtown Hitch Fit Gym location. Contact him for one on one personal training at [email protected].