Sugar Nutrition Facts

Sugar: Our brains can’t function without it, yet it’s considered a dietary evil.

Should sugar be avoided like the devil, or is it OK to have plenty of it as long as it’s in the form of fruit sugar (fructose)? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between?

Some sugar nutrition facts to ponder...

A nutritional paradox, sugar is vital for all life on Earth, supplying every muscle, organ and cell in our body, while simultaneously being blamed for the obesity and diabetes onslaught in this country.

Is sugar culpable in bloating the health care system, feasting on nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy?

Perhaps Dr. Andrew Weil says it best on his website: “The problem with … sugar is not that [it is] ‘bad’ for you, but that we eat far too much of [it].”

No doubt nearly every nutritionist on this planet feels the same as Weil. The American Heart Association has the facts to prove it. The AHA recommends no more than 9 teaspoons a day of sugar per day for men (equal to 150 calories, or about a little more than a can of regular soda) and 6 for women (100 calories).

The average daily sugar consumption for an American: 22 teaspoons (330 calories, yikes!)

Consuming 330 calories a day, equals 2,130 calories per week, equals 9,240 calories per month. Trying to lose weight, specifically body fat? Consider that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat. Doing the math, this is an excess of almost two pounds per month.

Gaining two pounds of body fat a month leaves you 24 pounds heavier in a year. It’s easy to see how the battle of the bulge is lost.

What about alternative sweeteners? Are they healthier?
What if people switched from white table sugar to one of the following alternative sweeteners:

• Agave nectar
• Molasses
• Raw organic honey
• Evaporated cane juice
• Brown sugar (raw)
  
  

The two biggest advantages of alternative sweeteners is that they contain trace minerals (calcium, manganese, iron, zinc and potassium) that aren’t found in white table sugar.

Some sweeteners also have a lower glycemic index (GI) rating than regular sugar, thus potentially raising blood sugar levels less quickly than white table sugar. High blood sugar levels may contribute to diabetes and other health problems.

For example, agave nectar has a glycemic index of only 30 compared to the simplest broken-down sugar known to man and the chemical compound that fuels our brain: glucose, which has a GI rating of 100.

Honey averages 55 on the GI scale; fructose averages about 20; lactose (milk sugar) checks in at 46 and sucrose (common table sugar; a combo of fructose and glucose) has a GI of 68.

If fructose has a lower GI, should I eat a fruit salad for dessert?

As Weil mentioned above, sugar is sugar and too much of it may cause you to gain weight, not to mention the damage to your teeth. Despite some sweeteners eliciting stronger, more effective insulin releases to help regulate sugar’s distribution in the bloodstream, all sugars are pure carbohydrate and contain mostly empty calories, with the exception of the trace minerals in alternative sweeteners and fruit.

But eating too much fruit at one time can cause both indigestion (including the embarrassing kind) and can cause blood sugar levels to crash below normal levels.

The bloodstream can only circulate so much glucose before the sugar gets processed by the liver and stored as body fat.

What about zero calorie sweeteners?

Most health experts recommend natural, plant-based sweeteners like xylitol; another recommendation by many natural health practitioners is to avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

The American Cancer Society, however, claims that aspartame does not cause cancer and is safe for consumption.

The bottom line: if you’re trying to watch your weight, limit your intake of all sugars. If you have a sweet tooth, opt for small amounts of stronger-flavored alternative sweeteners that have lower GI loads. To keep blood sugar levels down, always eat some natural fat and protein either before or with a sweet food.

3 Simple Healthy Living Tips to Live by (a Review)

Let's jump right into it and review a few wellness tips to live by for optimum health.

1. Eat High Quality-Lean Protein and High Fiber Foods at Every Meal

I hate giving one-size-fits-all tips, especially with nutrition, with everybody having a unique biochemistry and therefore different nutritional requirements, however, every single person I've helped get healthier over the years has done so by eating a high-quality (lean) protein and high fiber diet. 

Extensive research shows that in this country, approximately two-thirds of the population are protein-dominant, meaning this population thrives on a high-protein/higher-fat diet. 

That means the other one-third fares well on a diet higher in carbohydrates. 

But even the higher carbo population who can handle more rice and grains in their diet and not bloat like a beached whale will thrive eating high-quality protein and foods rich in fiber. 

Some people need to eat pancakes, french toast, bagels and other typical breakfast foods for the first meal of the day. If you absolutely must have these types of breakfast grains in the morning, try to add some sautéed greens. Adding spinach to an omelet is an easy way to make sure you're getting enough fiber to keep the (digestive) action flowing. If you don't add vegetables and other high-fiber foods to every meal, especially those breakfasts when you gorge at the all-you-can-eat pancake buffets, you'll  be bloated and constipated...not a great start to your day!

2. Go for a Walk After Every Meal

Extensive research has shown that taking just a 10-minute walk after every meal can reduce blood sugar levels significantly. Know someone who has diabetes? Share this info with them. And even if you don't typically have serious blood sugar problems, going for a walk after every meal will prevent energy crashes. 

Personally, I've been doing a good job as of late eating at least three meals a day, all of which contain high quality protein, high-fiber vegetables and some natural fat and never any refined carbohydrates. But the other night, I feasted on my favorite burrito, one containing carne asada, shrimp, avocado and the best chipotle sauce this side of the border. 

I scarfed it down in about two minutes. Rather than get right back in my car and drive the 20 minutes till I got back home, I walked for 15 minutes around the block, including a couple hills. The blood that was coursing through my veins prevented me from feeling sluggish. True, sometimes it's good to chill after a meal to aid digestion, but I'd rather suffer a minor bit of burpitis than feel like a useless lug. 

It wasn't the food in the burrito that caused me to energetically hit a brick wall, it was the tortilla. Mixing a starch with a rich protein like red meat can be tough for your system to digest. But food combining is another topic.

For sustained energy, take a walk after every meal. If you don't already take post-meal walks, try it and see if you notice a difference in how you feel. 

3. Cook Foods with Coconut Oil and Avoid Cooking with Canola Oil (to lightly sauté is OK)

When cooking foods at a low-medium, medium, or high temperature, use saturated fats like extra virgin coconut oil. Contrary to mainstream belief, consuming saturated fat is vital for optimal health. The reason why can be found here. 

Light vegetable oils like canola turn rancid when exposed to high heat. Saturated fats are stable and don't alter molecularly. But be careful when cooking with coconut oil as it does have a tendency to smoke when exposed to high heat. Enjoy the process of cooking and cook foods at a lower temperature. Got screaming kids and need to feed them fast? Prepare some cheese, tomato paste and rice crackers for a healthy quick appetizer. Take your time with the main entrée. 

Don't worry if you use canola oil every now and then to cook at low temperatures, but pass on the message to friends that commonly cook their food by frying with Wesson. Wesson oil has virtually no saturated fat (again, this does not mean a healthier product), but if you cook it at high enough temperatures, it'll get rancid.

(Interestingly enough, ConAgra, the gigantic Franken-food science agri-business, claims that their product, Wesson, is healthier than olive oil. Can you believe the chutzpah? Hope I don't get slapped with an injunction for writing this!)

Adopt these three principles daily if you're not already and you'll feel better in a very short amount of time. 

My Nutrition Revolution Evolution: From Grape Soda to Grapeseed Oil

Every day until I started high school, it was grape soda and doughnuts after school or practice. My family friend who would take care of me after school put a blanket on me as I passed out on the "Archie Bunker" chair after watching Scooby Doo and other classic cartoons.

I often woke up with headaches. I was lethargic at times, even though I was constantly playing sports after school, be it football, baseball or basketball. I was a three-sport jock dumping the wrong fuel in my system.

Back then, I, as well as my family, lacked the knowledge we now have of the Glycemic Index. I encourage everyone to find a copy of one online, print it out, post one copy on your fridge and keep another in your wallet for when you dine out.

I know now that if I eat a plain baked Russet potato, the glycemic index is 98 (out of a possible score of 110;); not good for somebody who burns carbs way to quickly. A plain baked potato for me is all-too quick burning octane. I've got to add some sour cream (hopefully organic) to it to slow my oxidation rate. The quicker the oxygen burns the food up, the more likely I will feel lethargic later from exhausting my energy supply.

Up through college, I ate anything that I could lay my hands on in order to gain weight, as I entered college weighing 140 pounds, standing at 6-ft tall.

I became friendly with a powerlifter who taught me to stack layers upon layers of bread in between peanut butter and honey. I would watch this squat, adrenal-charged powerlifter fold a whole pizza in half and almost swallow the whole thing in one bite.

So I scarfed down multiple plates of pasta and pizza and always, as per the suggestion of my powerlifting friend, ended my meals chugging four glasses of milk for the extra calories.

I finally started getting a little bulky and no longer felt self conscious about my stick-figure frame. But for the first time, I was also fighting a mini battle of the bulge. On a family trip to Hawaii in my senior year of college, my sister taunted me: "You've got lovehandles."

I would never go back to that burrito place and order that again -- I try as much as possible now to eat organic meats -- but the experience turned me back into an omnivore.

It only makes sense that my body naturally gravitated back towards meat consumption. In 2006, I discovered METABOLIC TYPING. Through MT, it was determined that I should feel free to eat liberal amounts of grass-fed beef and other rich protein and fatty foods. No, it wasn't the Atkins Diet; I still consume 30-40% of my caloric intake in the form of carbohydrates.

Determining what your body prefers to burn for fuel is priceless. Doing this will provide you with rock steady energy all day. It will keep you calm, focused and healthy.

I also have recently discovered further sources of holistic nutrition to determine my Metabolic Type, which isn't new; it's been around for at least 5,000 years. The ancient yogis in India developed Ayurvedic medicine, which consists of three main constitutional types (Vatta, Pitta, Kapha).

I visit an Ayurvedic practitioner in town who told me to stay away from spicy and citrus foods because they just add more fuel to my rapidly-burning fire. Makes sense. Ayurveda and food-allergy tests are great supplements to finding out what your Metabolic Type is.

Now, I'd be hard pressed to be able to pinch and inch on my midsection. Hardly a drop of flour in my diet, no refined and unsprouted grains except for oatmeal and quinoa flakes in the morning. Very little processed food; nothing my body doesn't like.

My blood sugar is steady Eddie. My energy is constant. I have discovered my true self a lot more by staying positive and energetically- efficient.

I hope everyone in the U.S. discovers how to eat for their specific needs and learns to cook with healthy oils like coconut oil and grapeseed oil. And I hope there will be a lot less people one day pounding bottles of grape soda.

To have me help you determine your Metabolic Type, visit HealthExcel's website and enter my name and adviser number: Judd Handler; JH868. Call Judd at 858.442.6861 for more details.