Episode 9 – Sugars

Is sugar making me fat?

This week I talk about sugar, how it is in our diet, and I share my thoughts on whether it’s making us fat.

What is sugar?

Sugar is a form of carbohydrate and is quite often processed. Sugar is converted by our bodies to glucose for energy, this is why we often crave sugar as we feel that we need the energy. If we have too much, our body stores it as fat as it wants to hold on to it for the next time we are hungry. Our body stores it for when we need it but then if the time comes when we don’t need it, the fat is never used. It can be stored in 2 places around our organs or around our middles; this will affect your body’s receptors and you will not feel as full as you should do. Lots of processed, tinned and other foods contain sugars that you would not even realise. For example, brown bread contains a lot of sugar to make it taste nicer. This would be classed as “healthy” within your diet but upon further investigation, there are a lot of hidden sugars.

The problem…

When your body tastes something sweet, your body will expect sugar and the energy that follows. If you replace sugar with artificial sweetener, your body will not get the energy that it expects and will become very confused and will want you to eat something else, due to the craving that it has.

The solution…

Do not have artificial foods – eat real foods that have not been altered in any way.

Have natural sugars – eat fruit and add some nuts and seeds to balance it out.

My top tips

  • Maple syrup and honey can add a very sweet layer to your food
  • Be aware of what you are eating – look at the ingredients to see what it is in it
  • Be wary of low fat products – they will often have sugar or artificial sweeteners in to make them taste sweeter

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