Almost all of us have that sweet tooth. How could we not when our toddler-self would not drink vitamin syrup if it does not comfort us with the delight of sugar? To add, it is almost always in every meal that we eat. In Philippine culture, we have tons of local desserts such as the halo-halo, Leche flan, cassava cake, and turon among many others coated with lots of sugar. And this also extends to many of our actual dishes such as tocino, afritada, adobo, and even our local version of spaghetti. Even when we diet, we almost always try to sneak in a chocolate bar, ice cream, some soft drinks, or a cookie, instead of a hamburger, pizza, and whatnot. Sugary foods and drinks are also widely available in the market. This is why your Crown Asia house and lot for sale is loaded with all kinds of food with sugar–SNR pastries, JCO donuts, and syrup for tomorrow’s pancakes for breakfast. Little did you know that even the simplest of things such as soup, bread, and even ketchup contain sugar.
This is why we are here to tell you the health effects of sugar since it is oh so important in our lives. If you want to be specific, the average sugar intake of an adult is 17% of the calorie absorption we take daily. As to our children, it can lead up to 14%! Well, you probably know the basic “Do not eat too much sugar” advice but we will be offering helpful details, we might just advise you the exact opposite! From cane sugar to things like coconut sugar, there are various types of sugar. But let us first discuss the sweet danger of sugar.
How Much Sugar Is Too Much Sugar? Here Are Some of the Health Implications of Sugar on Our Bodies.
To gain weight? Sugar is cheering you on
Did you know that consuming sugar, makes you even hungrier? This explains why we always crave a midnight snack even after taking in a splendid dinner with ice cream with a cheery on top as dessert. Additionally, according to Healthline.com, immoderate fructose consumption causes resistance to leptin, which is the hormone that controls hunger and tells your body to stop eating. Sugar will be the sweet devil in disguise in your Crown Asia house and lot for sale to tell this so-called leptin that your body still needs to eat. Thus, possible weight gain might occur.
Now, we are not shaming fat people. With all the delicious foods that currently exist, and with the pandemic that kept us from visiting the park to take morning jogs, pretty much all of us had gained a pound or two. Unfortunately, though, being overweight has terrible side effects on our health. As our body mass index increases, this also levels up our blood pressure, sensitivity to inflammation, and blood sugar, which can all lead to scary health defects such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and even cardiovascular death.
This leads us to the second point on why consuming too much sugar is harmful to you.
A literal heartbreaker
Remember that time when you were just in the coming-of-age stage of your life and your parents advised you to always be wary of sugarcoated words because underneath may be vile intentions that may break your innocent, pure heart? This goes the same when it comes to food heavily coated with sugar. Only, it will literally break your heart.
Do you know what ranks the first cause of death all around the globe? Heart disease. And, indeed, high sugar intake is one of the leading causes of problems relating to the heart. Sugar can all lead to, like what was mentioned earlier, inflammation, diabetes, obesity, and higher blood pressure and blood sugar levels–almost all of the factors of heart disease. Not to mention cancer.
On that happy note, it is also important to bear in mind that our body needs sugar as well!
We Crave Sugar for a Reason
Our bodies need sugar for energy. This is why you see athletes consuming a bar of chocolate in between their games, as well as how they drink chocolate milk after hardcore training. Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, gets broken down, and with this act, the energy that our cells consume springs into existence.
To add, sugar also becomes glycogen. This serves as the backup energy your body consumes when blood sugar drops when you exercise or work too hard in your work. This backup energy is very important in order for your body to not break down when you forget to eat.
So What Is the Plan?
So, what should we do? Should we consume sugar and risk developing heart disease? Or should we not consume it but risk a heavy physical breakdown? The answer? Moderation.
Like anything else, in life, we must balance our sugar intake. We satisfy our sweet tooth but in moderation, so we would not be victims of such health defects. But how much is just right? Are there any specifics?
According to a report by the American Heart Association (AHA), you can add more sugars into your meals but only at a maximum point to avoid the consequences of too much glucose intake. For men, it is 150 calories a day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons) whereas for women, 100 calories daily (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).
There are many ways to measure your calorie intake. You can base it on the ingredients and nutritional facts portion that comes with the packaging of your food, or you can download a calorie counter app to note things easier for you. One tip we recommend is to check the food labels available on most things sold in the supermarket. You can also see the ingredients used there. Be wary of things such as high fructose corn syrup and added sugar. Maybe once in a while, switch your regular brown sugar to things such as stevia.
Remember that your added sugar does not necessarily have to be a chocolate bar or a cake. It could be something healthier such as a banana or lanzones since fruits also have naturally occurring sugars as well.
Eating fruits instead of baked goods will actually be a great strategy especially when we have a tragedy in our midst.
Sugar Shortage Crisis in the PH?
Recently, there has been an alleged sugar shortage in our country. During the last week of August, reporters have quoted the government as saying that this crisis is just a ruse, that “caused by some traders’ allegedly hoarding supply to rake in profits.” However, just last week, the news has been saying the complete opposite due to the hoarding and smuggling of 466,000 sacks of sugar in two warehouses in Cagayan de Oro sometime during the first week of August.
True or not, one thing is for certain we must heavily rely on natural sugar such as in fruits, rather than in manmade sweets because if raw sugar gets wiped out on the face of the earth, at least we have strawberries, bananas, and mangoes for us to rely on our glucose intake. Perhaps it is time for you to build a garden at your Crown Asia house and lot for sale!
Read more: Alternative Sweeteners for Your Meals
