Introduction
Not everything you have heard about sugar is sweet. Well sometimes, it can leave a bad taste in your mouth (figuratively speaking!); thanks to the ill effects, that consuming excess sugar can take on your health.
Research shows that Americans consume a lot of sugar, amounting to an average of about two to three pounds a week either directly through table sugar or that other kinds of sugar that are used in processed food which forms a large part of our staple diet, if you will.
How do we know that these foods are high in sugar (glucose) that can threaten a healthy lifestyle and in rather radical cases, turn out to be fatal?
All credit goes to David J. Jenkins and his colleagues who created ‘the glycemic index’ in 1980-81. This scale measures the amount of glucose present in the food under scrutiny and is the reference food at a value of one hundred. Obviously, foods labeled with low GI values fall within the range of 55 and below; the medium GI value falls within the range 56 to 69, with the high GI values occupying the 70 and above range.
Although, this is all good for information, this index was developed to find out which foods were best for folks with diabetes. In addition, this is one example of the radical cases mentioned earlier!
Ill effects of Sugar to Human Health
The ill effects of sugar take its toll on the body in several ways such as:
a. suppressing the immune system
b. contributing to hypertension and depression
c. being the cause of several diseases (apart from diabetes) such as kidney damage, coronary heart disease, tooth decay, stomach acidity, periodontal disease, speed the aging process, obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and the list goes on and on.
So keeping this in mind, it bodes well for those who have been cautioned by their doctors to take it easy to folks who are interested in maintaining optimum health.No one is suggesting that you completely drop eating sweets, but merely regulate the intake by cutting down on foods that have a high GI value, and replacing them with foods that have a low GI value. If diabetics follow this diet and exercise (since their life depends on it), so can we all! (I’m being realistic about this because I’ve watched my Dad’s health improve after being diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic.) It is tough but it can (and in my dad’s case, had to) be done! For those who have a family history with diabetes, there is great risk of it being passed on from generation to generation, and all this sugar consumption does not help at all.
List of highest sugar foods to avoid
Since the first step is to maintain a low sugar diet, you can start by avoiding high sugar foods. In addition, here is a list of high sugar foods to start with:
a. White Flour
b. Sodas/ Carbonated Drinks
c. French Fries and Doughnuts
d. Energy and Meal Replacement Bars
e. High Sugar Breakfast Cereal
f. Cookies and Candy
g. Ice Cream & Desserts
h. Jell-O
i. Dried Fruit & Fruit Juices
j. White Sugar
As a reminder, most of these foods fall within high GI value range of 70 and above.
Conclusion
The obvious conclusion that can be drawn from this piece of writing is that if you stick with low sugar foods, you can expect to live a healthier, longer and therefore happier life. Very simply, that choice begins with you!
