Get rid of your sugar craving
Johnny, Johnny! Yes, papa
Eating sugar? No, papa
Telling lies? No, papa
Open your mouth! Ha! Ha! Ha!
That was when you were just a baby. And since then,
the sugar fetish has just grown, hasn’t it? So what is it now? Chocolates,
brownies, gulab jamuns and rasmalais? Or several cups of tea and coffee
with lots of white sugar? Or perhaps just two glasses of fresh fruit juice? Or
just breads, pastas and other everyday regulars... Many of us indulge our sweet
tooth often, if not every day. And of course it makes us happy. But the truth
is pretty bitter. Dr Rekha Sharma, president, Indian Dietetic Association, claims
there’s no need for extra sugar in anyone’s diet. “The truth is that we can
survive on a sugar-free diet because all the sugar that our bodies need is
present in the carbs and the natural sweets we eat every day,” says Dr Sharma.
But what about
our energy requirements? After all, doesn’t the body need glucose to keep
running at its energetic best? “Sure it does. And that’s where good sugar
and bad sugar or natural and added sugar, enter the picture,” explains Sharma.
“The problem is that we love sweets too much and end up stuffing ourselves with
bad sugar.”
Experts say that the three essentials to our diet – sugar, starch and fibre –
are all basically sugar. During digestion, complex sugars such as starch and
fibre take longer to digest and enter the bloodstream, but the simple sugars
gain quick access, cause a spike in blood sugar, and have harmful effects (such
as weight gain and liver problems), if taken in excess.
While doctors claim that all bad sugar is simple sugar (such as your
white table sugar), they clarify that not all simple sugar is bad (sugar
present in fruits and vegetables, for example). “It actually depends on the
source. Most naturally found simple sugars are not bad. However, added sugar
can create havoc in the system,” says Dr Mahindra Sehgal, senior diabetologist
in Mumbai.
So what are natural sugars?
Natural v/s Added
Natural sugar in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole
grains is simple and good sugar. These foods also contain vitamins, minerals,
protein, phytochemicals and fibre.“The presence of fibre in any food item makes
a significant difference as it slows down the absorption of sugar, which in
turn moderates the impact on blood sugar,” says Dr Sehgal. “However, when any
type of sugar is added to foods during processing, cooking or at the table, the
calories consumed are without any nutrients or fibre. This added sugar is bad
sugar.”
An excess of bad sugar over time can lead to sugar addiction, say experts.
Sugar addiction
“Well, it may not be as bad as drug addiction, but in the long run it can have
adverse effects on one’s health,” says Dr Sharma. Dr Sehgal agrees. He says
that we are genetically not designed to consume the amount of sugar that we
currently eat. “And this excess sugar is what gives us that ‘happy feeling’ or
as we call it, sugar rush,” he says.
Experts insist that the average intake of sugar should not be more than
10 per cent of our daily calorie consumption. “Anything above this is
unnecessary,” he adds.
Doctors say one should consume natural sugar as far as possible. “Trade brown
for white, whole fruits for juices, stop adding sugar to tea or coffee and of
course stop bingeing on cakes, pastries or sweets,” says Dr Sharma. “Have one
if you wish, but then turn away. If you want more than one, bite into sweets
made with fructose or natural fruit sweeteners.”
Natural simple sugars
These foods are naturally sweet...
Apples Crunching on one before bedtime or during mild activity will keep your
blood sugar from dropping.
Banana This on-the-go fruit is a good source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C.
Also, it has a medium range on the glycemic index.
Pineapple A small serving of juicy pineapple packs a lot of sugar in small
amounts. Go for it when you crave something sweet.
Prunes This chewy snack gets its ‘super fruit’ nickname because it’s a great
source of antioxidants as well as potassium.
Carrots Boiled or fresh, carrots pack in a lot of good sugar.
Beetroot Easy to prepare, beetroot is sweet and very healthy. Helps maintain
your blood sugar levels.
...and so are these
Yoghurt The healthy benefits of this calcium and probiotic-rich food make it a
good source of sugar.
Whole wheat breads Carbohydrates play an active role in balancing blood sugar
levels. Opt for stone-ground whole wheat bread over the more-processed
fine-ground wheat or white bread. “Roti, paratha, pasta all get converted into
sugar and fulfil the body’s sweet need,” says Dr Sehgal.
Dark chocolate With cocoa content above 70 per cent, you still get to feed your
sweet tooth. But the sugar content is minimal as compared to milk chocolate.
Don’t become a sugar addict!
1. Be aware of your cravings. “When you crave sugar,
don’t just run to get it. Stop and think why you need it: because you are
depressed and unhappy? Bored? Hungry? Sugar creates that happy feeling in your
brain, and you could be craving sugar for a number of reasons,” says Dr Sehgal.
2. Do you feel low without sugar? Try dark chocolate
or fruit instead. Lay your hands on alternatives that aren’t as bad for you or
don’t get your blood glucose to spike.
3. Scale it down, slowly. It doesn’t matter if you
take a long time to kick the sugar habit. “If you are thinking about sugar, get
up and do something; distract your brain in another direction (other than the
sugar you are craving),” says Dr Sharma.
4. Exercise! Sugar raises serotonin and dopamine
levels, which satisfy cravings, say experts. Exercise does the same thing! Try
exercising when you have sugar cravings… get that rush safely.
5. Have it close to your workout. “There is a better
chance of burning carbs as energy if consumed close to your workout sessions
and have it stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver rather than as fat!”
says Dr Sharma
Tavishi
Paitandy Rastogi, HT Brunch,
November 10,2013
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