Is sugar a villain?

Lately the danger of consuming too much sugar has been a popular topic in the media. Start reading labels, and you begin to realize just how large a role it plays in our food system. Sugar is added to everything, from yogurt to salad dressings to crackers.

It's not a surprise that cutting out sugar is a popular diet option for those looking to improve their health. By aiming to reduce your intake of added sugars, you will naturally eat better because you will be cutting out a lot of high-calorie packaged food, sweetened beverages, and of course desserts.

Are some sugars better than others?

Sugar is sugar. All sucrose is broken down into glucose and fructose by the body to either be used immediately for energy, stored for energy use later, or converted to fat. What does change is the rate in which the sugar is absorbed. When you eat, let's say an apple, you are also ingesting fibre, water, and pectin along with the naturally-occurring sugars in that  apple. These other components slow the rate at which the sugar in the apple is absorbed, giving you a steady release of energy over a longer period of time. This helps you to avoid rapid spikes and drops in your blood sugar, and keeps you feeling full. In contrast, if you drink a can of pop, there would be nothing else to slow down those sugars from being absorbed. Your body cranks out insulin to convert the energy your body doesn't immediately need into a storable form, then once these stores are full the rest is converted to fat. What can occur over time if you consume a lot of sugar is that your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, and glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed into cells, which can lead to the development of diabetes and other health problems down the line.

 It doesn't matter if the sugar is coming from honey, maple syrup, or refined white sugar, it will all be turned into glucose in the body. The one advantage to using sweeteners like honey and maple syrup is that they contain fructose, which is sweeter than table sugar, so you can get away with using less of them when baking or cooking than you would with white sugar. I'll also let you in on a little secret, brown sugar is just white sugar with the extracted molasses added back in afterwards. It's not "less refined" or more nutritious.

How to cut back on sugar

One action you can take to cut down on your intake of added sugars, is simply to cook more. By making your own food items, like salad dressings, sauces, and dips, you can ensure that there is no sugar when there doesn't need to be. 

• Try buying a bag of quick-cooking oats and making On-the-Go Oatmeal instead of buying the flavoured instant-oatmeal packets.

• Bake a loaf of my 18 Hour Bread over the weekend, cut it into slices, then freeze so that you have individual pieces at hand whenever you need them.

• Try replacing pop and juice with water. These strategies will not only help you to stay healthy, but will save you money too.

• Use herbs and fresh citrus to add flavour to your meals.

• Make your own salad dressing for your weekday salads, or a quick pasta sauce for your pasta