Bringing together the best of the
industry to discuss sugar. Good sugars, bad sugars, the causes for confusion
and why it matters.
The demonisation of sugars in the press is
causing quite a stir. On the one hand, you could argue that it’s a good thing as
people are starting to think about their sugar intake and the implications it
can have on one’s health. Yet on the other, we find that mixed messages and opinions have caused for a lot of confusion when it comes to the sweet stuff.
You know this is so when the lifestyle advisors in
the tabloids feature not only low fat dietary guidance but also a
sensationalist and evangelical anti sugar scoop within the same section. The
demonising process is often, sadly, a rather all-embracing, crowd-pleasing
selection of simple sweeping statements. Just as all FAT is bad, and makes you
fat/die, all types of SUGAR are now considered really bad and will make you
spotty, blotchy, moody, bad tempered, fat, ill and of course, die.
As Rude Health co-founder, Nick Barnard, says it; get ready to be afraid and, of course, worried,
about sugar. Here’s some cold turkey advice from the popular press for all of
us sugar addicts (sinners): wine contains sugar, so that’s off limits. Honey?
Bad. Tonic water? Switch to slimline. Diet fizzy drinks? Find your zero sugar
fix out there. Careful: bread contains sugar so you jolly well can’t have
any.
This is of course absurd, yet inevitable. Be ready
for the sugar damnation brigade to take over, and for the low sugar or
sugar-free sweeteners (natural like Stevia, or synthetic like sucralose) to
take the moral high ground. But we will all suffer, as usual, from this
simplistic evangelism. Just as not all fats are equal – there are good fats and
bad fats – sugar is not a homogenous substance.
We brought the best of the industry together to
discuss their views on sugar at London's brand new healthy cafe, the Good Life Eatery. The brains round the table ranged from Women’s Health writer Amy
Grier, author and health coach Laura Bond,
blogger of the moment Ella Woodward,
creator and founder of Honestly
Healthy, Natasha Corrett and yoga guru and nutrition coach Jo Arthur. Also
represented were REN skincare by Marielle
Alix, Trekstock founder Sophie
Epstone alone with their nutritionist Alex Newte Hardie. As well as
journalist and author Nicole Mowbray, and Waitorse Kitchen’s Eleanor Maidment.
However different everyone’s opinion, the thing that united us was a commitment to better education and to encourage people to think harder about their sugar consumption and the alternatives that are out there. It’ll be a long road, but with more discussions like these and influencers getting behind the issue we can move in the right direction, one step at a time.
However different everyone’s opinion, the thing that united us was a commitment to better education and to encourage people to think harder about their sugar consumption and the alternatives that are out there. It’ll be a long road, but with more discussions like these and influencers getting behind the issue we can move in the right direction, one step at a time.
After enjoying our delicious ‘clean and
lean’ breakfast we stepped out into the sunshine feeling energized and
inspired, we were definitely up for more debates, discussions, eating right, and
staying brilliant.
Recent articles in the press:
‘Sugar is the new tobacco’ Daily Mail
‘Sugar as dangerous as alcohol and cigarettes’ The Telegraph
Topics
Sugar
and fitness – Feeding your muscles and hardworking body
Sugar
and beauty – Skin, beautiful starts on the inside, hair
Sugar
and illness – POTS, Cancer
Sugar
and energy – spikes and lows
Sugar and health and nutrition – looking after your health, organs
Sugar and health and nutrition – looking after your health, organs
Questions for the
table:
How the press understands sugar and are these the right
messages?
What is one’s understanding of sugar?
Refined table sugar vs Fruits. What does the message sugar-free mean?
What are the primary issues surrounding sugar?
In what order would you order the nutritionally values of the
sugars displayed on the table:
Agave, Maple, Sugar Cubes, Honey, Fruit, Rice
Malt Syrup?
Is everyone the same in how they’re effected by sugar?
Is all sugar the same?
Jo Arthur teaches Power Yoga and Yin Yoga and is a certified Nutrition & Health Coach. She swears by doing everything in moderation. Fruit is great when you need a pick me up. However, if one is ill with cancer or other inflammatory diseases, which are fed by sugar, than any kind of sugar can be an issue.
Natasha Corrett from Honestly Healthy doesn’t
agree with any refined foods at all. Part of the problem for her is that when
foods become fashionable, demand increases, therefore supply has to meet demand
by refining and over processing food that was originally wholesome. E.g. Agave.
Now we have to look for raw agave to ensure it's the real deal. She firmly
believes that it’s all about educating the mind and the palate and giving
yourself a break sometimes when it comes to the sweet stuff. Otherwise your
life will be based around willpower, which is completely unsustainable.
Rude Health
co-founder Nick Barnard is our chief ranter and isn't afraid of standing up for real,
honest food - the way it should be. He's got a thing or two to say about sugar,
read all about it in his blog post; Not All Sugars Are The Same.
Co-founder of Rude Health, Camilla
Barnard, sharing her views above. At Rude Health we vehemently reject any refined
sugars. The fruit we choose to use in our cereals are just fruit pieces dried
and nothing else. Our more indulgent cereals and granolas are sweetened with a
drizzle of honey or date syrup and sometimes we use, sparingly, rapadura sugar,
which is unrefined cane juice sugar, and the same as jaggery – in the Oatys and
7 Grain granolas. We don’t use any sugar or sweeteners in our drinks, not even
Agave. We also cleverly spice our Ultimate Muesli, Spiced Apple Granola
and Fruity Date with a hint of cinnamon.
"I would never describe myself as being sugar-free, because to an extent, there is sugar
in everything - veggies, milk, nuts. I'm low-sugar and believe that people
should be informed with the knowledge of what sugar is so they can choose the
degree to which they want to cut back; a degree which works for them and their
lifestyle. To me, there's no point saying one type of sugar is ok and one type
is not or that it's allowed sometimes and not others. It confuses the message.
Sugar - whether that's natural or refined - does a very similar thing inside
the body. That's not to say that it's 'bad' to eat honey or agave - nothing is
'bad' - but it is still a form of sugar, one that some may choose to eat and
some (like me) may not. I think we need consistency on the message and not to
impart value or meaning into things because their image is somehow more
palatable, wholesome or natural.
Also, I want everyone to eat what they want. I'm not fanatical - every now and
again I'll have a glass of wine or whatever - but I am honest with myself about
what I'm doing. I only do low sugar because I want to and the results have
changed my life, to me after two years, it's not a chore or boring or hard. It
doesn't have to be a fad. I know lots of people who do it now and don't feel
deprived by it, done right it's actually quite luxurious and enjoyable."
Eleanor Maidment (above right) is the editor of Waitrose Kitchen magazine.
She found the way other foods such as fruits and alcohol are converted into
sugars in your body very confusing, and could only imagine how the rest of the
population were feeling about this issue.
Ella Woodward from DeliciouslyElla blog feels that “everyone has some form of sweet tooth, so it’s
really important that we don’t feel deprived of sugar when you’re starting to
eat healthy, just try and reach for the most natural sugars" - fruit, raw honey,
dates and maple syrup are her favourite options.
Amy Grier (left) is Women's Health Magazine's Features
Editor. She feels that the demonisation of sugar isn't the answer. Cutting out
sugar completely is not sustainable for a lot of the population. Instead, we
need to educate ourselves about making better choices – small changes in our
diets will make a bigger impact.
Health Coach Laura Bond’s mum unfortunately had
cancer. This when Laura realised how bad sugar can be for inflammatory
diseases. She raised the very important issue that there is not enough
awareness about the neurotoxicity of these sugar substitutes - it’s crazy to
order a diet drink when you’re claiming you’re off sugar.
"
"
Sophie Epstone, founder of Trekstock, believes it is
all about balance. Half of cancer cases are caused by lifestyle choices and
diet. Trekstock’s goal is to work towards a healthier, balanced lifestyle.
Alex Newte Hardie is the Nutritionist for Trekstock. She helps
educate people about what’s happening in their body. Not just what we crave
mentally, but also the glucose and quick fix of energy our body craves. "We
are well-adapted to tolerate and utilise small amounts of sugar from whole food
sources e.g. fruit/vegetables/some grains - in fact we actively need a little
sugar for brain function and other bodily processes. Understanding the role
sugar plays in our body and how much sugar we need before it interferes with
the subtle biochemical balance of the body is key, alongside investing more
into being mindful of our emotional and mental health, which left unchecked can
be key drivers for over-consumption of sugar."
Marielle Alix (right) is the head of Beauty Therapy
at REN Skincare. She finds it
difficult to find proper wholesome sugars. Even maple syrup can't be trusted at
times. She's also noticed that sugar can affect the quality of her patients
skin.
"
"
Carbohydrates
is another great general subject. Most people now understand that
wholemeal tends to be better than white but what people do not know much about
is how the processing affects the end result. And my latest topic of
fascination is the process of natural fermentation – vegetables, dairy
(everything can be fermented) and how this can help heal our guts (another
culprit in adult acne)." Marielle Alix
For reference:
Types of Sugar
Fructose, glucose,
lactose, maltose, and sucrose are all types of sugar molecules.
Fructose and glucose are single sugars while lactose, maltose and sucrose are
double sugars.
Fructose or fruit sugar occurs naturally in fruits, some root vegetables, cane sugar and honey and is the sweetest of the sugars. It is one of the components of sucrose or table sugar. This sugar is broken down in a person's liver, which turns it into glucose, or when there is sufficient glucose available, into glycogen, and then if necessary to fat.
Fructose or fruit sugar occurs naturally in fruits, some root vegetables, cane sugar and honey and is the sweetest of the sugars. It is one of the components of sucrose or table sugar. This sugar is broken down in a person's liver, which turns it into glucose, or when there is sufficient glucose available, into glycogen, and then if necessary to fat.
Glucose or grape sugar occurs naturally in fruits and plant juices and is the primary product of photosynthesis. Most ingested carbohydrates are converted into glucose during digestion and it is the form of sugar that is transported around the bodies of animals in the bloodstream. It can be manufactured from starch by the addition of enzymes or in the presence of acids. Glucose syrup is a liquid form of glucose that is widely used in the manufacture of foodstuffs. It is the sugar that a body prefers to use for energy.
Lactose is the naturally occurring sugar found in milk. A molecule of lactose is formed by the combination of a molecule of galactose with a molecule of glucose. It is broken down when consumed into its constituent parts by the enzyme lactase during digestion. Children have this enzyme but some adults no longer form it and they are unable to digest lactose.
Maltose is formed during the
germination of certain grains, the most notable one being barley, which is converted
into malt, the source of the
sugar's name. A molecule of maltose is formed by the combination of two
molecules of glucose. It is less sweet than glucose, fructose or sucrose.
Sucrose is found in the stems
of sugar cane and roots of sugar beet. It also occurs naturally alongside
fructose and glucose in other plants, in particular fruits and some roots such
as carrots. The different proportions of sugars found in these foods determines
the range of sweetness experienced when eating them. A molecule of
sucrose is formed by the combination of a molecule of glucose with a molecule
of fructose.
How our body reacts to
Sugar
Energy Spike and Crash
Consuming lots of sugar causes a huge rush of glucose into the blood, and the pancreas releases extra insulin to turn the glucose into glycogen, which the liver and muscles use up.
Consuming lots of sugar causes a huge rush of glucose into the blood, and the pancreas releases extra insulin to turn the glucose into glycogen, which the liver and muscles use up.
After the sugar rush, blood sugar levels drop
dramatically, triggering the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and
cortisol to activate stored sugar supplies. Stress hormones raise our heart
rate, make our stomachs clench in anticipation of an attack, and leave us shaky
and nauseated once our bodies realize there’s no danger to respond to.
Lowered Immunity
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people’s white blood cell counts were reduced for up to five hours after they ate one hundred grams of sugar.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people’s white blood cell counts were reduced for up to five hours after they ate one hundred grams of sugar.
Fat Conversion
If there’s any glycogen left over after your liver and muscles become full—and chances are, there will be, unless you were physically active before eating lots of sugar and your raised metabolism can burn through all of it—that extra glycogen gets converted into fat. People mistakenly believe that eating fat-free foods prevents weight gain, but since they’re usually supplemented by extra sugar, those foods can be just as fattening.
If there’s any glycogen left over after your liver and muscles become full—and chances are, there will be, unless you were physically active before eating lots of sugar and your raised metabolism can burn through all of it—that extra glycogen gets converted into fat. People mistakenly believe that eating fat-free foods prevents weight gain, but since they’re usually supplemented by extra sugar, those foods can be just as fattening.
