Sugar: the rational approach (Part 2 on the sugar topic)

Some of you may have seen the recent article I was interviewed for here in Marin County, CA. It was quite timely as it was about the Halloween sugar issue that got me going to write the first part of this missive. As promised, I've got some more info for you on our sweet friend/foe.

Keep in mind one of the things I say over and over: you can take any item we ingest and make it into a poison if you take in enough of it. Even excessive consumption of water can cause huge issues such as hyponatremia which is an electrolyte imbalance that produces symptoms that look like drunkenness. When it comes to sugar, the body doesn't actually need the refined stuff. It needs the unrefined versions that come with a complete package of nutrients. As I mentioned last time, there is a big difference between the amount of fructose in an apple and the amount in a 12 ounce soda. Add in the fact that the apple also brings with it fiber, vitamins A, C, K, folate, choline, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and even a few omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. That soda? Nothing but sugar, artificial flavors and colors, and probably caffeine.

When you look at sugar itself as we think of it, the white granulated kind, there is a good website that has translated sugar content equivalents into stacked sugar cubes so you get a clear visual on the amount of sugar in various foods. Check out Sugar Stacks with your kids sometime. It's an eye opener for sure. They also use the visual of the equivalent amount of carrots which is a fun alternative when you consider that a 20 ounce bottle of Coke has the same amount of sugar as about 3 pounds of carrots...

I'll say it again: Sugar that comes in the form of food isn't bad in and of itself. It's the amounts of the refined stuff that we have become accustomed to consuming that are the problem. One of the things that often confuses my clients is that the whole food group called carbohydrate is partially defined by the fact that these foods all end up being at least partially converted into blood sugar. Carbohydrates include table sugar and bread, but also spinach and peaches, broccoli and strawberries. It is all the veggies, fruits and grains and everything made from them. This is a HUGE food group. The key is that each unrefined carbohydrate also contains other vital nutrients, as in the example of the apple above. To eliminate this entire food group is a big mistake in the long run. The Atkins people learned this the hard way and have now modified their approach to include the foods that turn into blood sugar more slowly.

This brings me to the Glycemic Index. This is a way to look at the speed at which sugar enters the system. Each carbohydrate you can eat "clocks in" on a speedometer that goes from 0-100. A simple rule of thumb is that your speed limit should be 55 or lower. You can look up any carbohydrate to find it's Glycemic Index here. An easy way of thinking about the speed is by thinking about how refined or processed a food is. The more it's been broken down outside the body (by mechanical processing, heat, pressure, etc.) the less time it takes your body to absorb it and so the higher it is on the Glycemic Index. That said, it is important to also consider the serving size and what other foods you are eating at the same time. For example, watermelon clocks in at about 75 on the Glycemic Index, but when you take into consideration that the amount water and fiber in watermelon is pretty high, the actual load of a 120g serving is only about 5. This is an extreme individual food example, but you will see some of the same sorts of interesting numbers when you combine foods. If you look at a plain corn tortilla, it's Glycemic Index is about 52. If you add refried beans and salsa, then that tortilla clocks in at about 39 on the same scale. However, if you fry that tortilla (corn chips) you end up at around 74! Same base material, but processing and food combining have dramatically different effects on the blood glucose outcome.

So the trick here becomes HOW to eat carbohydrates, yes, including sweets. It is important to make a mess for your body to sort through to find the sugars. As I sometimes say in sessions with clients, think of your stomach as a teenager's bedroom. You want it to be really messy. You want to have to search hard to find a clean pair of socks (the sugar). So if you want that dessert? The best way to do it is to have it immediately following your meal, not 2 hours later. And, as you learn more about real foods, make lower glycemic choices more often.

Get smart. Get healthy. Get REAL.