Eat, Save, and Be Healthy

Give a child a giant pixie stick and what happens?  Many people would say, watch out!  Refined (processed/added) sugars may have some effect on children’s activity, according to the National Institutes of Health. Refined sugars enter the bloodstream quickly, so they produce rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels.  This might trigger adrenaline and make a child more active.  And falling adrenaline levels may bring on a period of decreased activity and/or a desire for more sugar to kick the level back up to high.

However, research is inconclusive as to whether or not sugar is linked to hyperactivity.  Some child may be genetically predisposed to hyperactivity after doses of sugar, while others may not respond in the same way.  Scientists also reason that if a special diet of foods with less sugar works for a child, it may be because that family has begun to interact with each other differently when they are following the special diet.  These behavioral changes, not the diet itself, may improve the child’s own behavior and activity level.

For every child, there are many reasons to eat whole grains and less sugar.  Sugar remains a key cause in tooth decay.  High-sugar foods tend to have fewer vitamins and minerals, and may replace more nutritious foods.  Also, high-sugar foods have many unnecessary calories that can lead to obesity.  Adding fiber to your child’s diet may help to keep adrenaline levels more constant.  Check out previous posts on identifying added sugars and improving fiber intake for ideas.

Cheers, Julie

The nutrition science has pointed to added sugar in the diet as a problem for a long time (linking it to high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and obesity), but until yesterday, there was no set amount that was recommended.  How much is too much?  2 cookies or 5 cookies a day?  2 can of soda a day?  a single poptart? (I’ve eaten 3 pieces of chocolate since I started typing this article….too much?)

The American Heart Association is the first to release specific guidelines for added sugar intake.  Added sugars supply “empty calories” and tend to replace nutrient-rich foods.  New AHA guidance recommends added sugars account for 100 calories a day for women or 150 calories for men. For the average adult, that’s roughly 5 to 9 teaspoons of sugar per day, or about 20-40 grams of added sugars.

Added sweeteners are sugars that aren’t naturally part of the food we eat.  Added sugar not only includes the white table sugar you might spoon into a cup of coffee or a bowl of cereal, but also sugar added to food and drinks before you even purchase them. Some foods high in added sugar are not surprising – soft drinks, candy, cakes, and cookies, but would you have considered some yogurts and granola?  In fact, figuring out how many added sugars are in a food can be quite a challenge!  Added sugars are not listed separately on the food label.  The term “Sugars” or “Carbohydrates” will not tell you the amount of added sugar in the food.

Instead, look at the ingredients listing.  Some of the most common added sugars are corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, sucrose, and syrup.  How many are listed?  Is the sugar a main ingredient (one of the first ones on the list)?

The most common naturally occurring sugars are fructose and lactose, found in fruit and dairy products.  Fruit and dairy foods with naturally occurring sugars deliver nutrients while still satisfying our craving for sweetness. For example, fruits have essential vitamins and minerals as well as protective agents known as phytonutrients (e.g., carotenoids and lycopene); dairy products contain calcium, protein, and vitamin D.

Any easy way to cut back on added sugars: replace soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages with water, milk, and a small amount of 100% fruit juice.  Or exchange your signature coffee drink for a cappuccino or regular coffee.

For more information, check out this article from CNN.

Cheers, Julie