Let’s talk about sugar. I love sugar. It’s not just me, either. Babies prefer sweets because hey! calories! Brains prefer glucose as a source of energy and, like all those -ose words, glucose is a sugar. (All right, otiose is not a sugar and it’s not sweet either, and I’m sure there are other exceptions, but otiose doesn’t usually turn up on food labels.)
However, the thing about sugar is that, aside from calories and some instinctual comfort, it doesn’t have a lot to offer us, all by itself. This makes it tricky for those of us—ahem—all of us—who need to pay attention to avoiding too many calories.
While all sugars more or less process the same in the body, sugars that exist in whole foods already are better choices. Which is to say a bowl of strawberries is better than a bowl of strawberry jam (processed with sugar) or strawberry ice cream (ditto). The strawberries have vitamin C, manganese, B9 (folate), and potassium in them, so they’re more than just a pretty berry with a sweet aftertaste.
Sugar consumption, of course, is an issue for folks with diabetes (both kinds). It seems to increase inflammation in tissues. Some folks find that eating more sugar leads to more hot flashes in populations who experience them. Also, sugar can be addictive and thus challenging to wean ourselves away from.
Please note: I’m not saying to avoid all sugar everywhere all the time. Just make good choices.
No comments:
Post a Comment