What Role Does Sugar And Salt Portray In A Healthy Diet

It is only natural to like sweets. Many people have become used to having something sweet daily as part of their standard food consumption. Yet too many sweets in the diet can lead to weight gain and health risks. The fact the sweets contain refined sugars add to the complications in the diet.

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Refined sugars have negative health effects including hypoglycemia, arthritis, diabetes, headaches, suppression of the immune system, osteoporosis, and depression. It also is stored as fat within the body increasing the weight of the individuals that consume it.

Replace the sweets containing the refined sugar with natural sweets such as fruits. Using the natural sweets to satisfy the sweet cravings will lead to weight loss and better health. Add grains and beans to the fruits to increase the natural goodness of the fruit. The natural sugar in the fruits provides the right kind of energy as well as essential fibers and nutrients.

Avoid consuming sugary drinks such as tea, coffee, and sodas. The average person will drink at least two servings of the beverages a day with the drinks containing about 10 teaspoons of sugar in each drink. The artificial sweeteners, used in the beverages, have been shown to interfere with the body’s natural ability to function properly; so even this type of sweetener is not good for a person. Instead of consuming the sweetened beverages, drink natural fruit juices, or water with a squeeze of lemon added as the sweetener.

Salt or sodium is another bad ingredient many people have in their diets. The issues with salt are that many people, highly over use it daily. They do not realize that they consume over 2,300 mg per day of the highly dangerous additive. Most of the foods consumed contain added sodium with processed, packaged, fast food, and restaurant foods. Even the canned soups and frozen meals have added sodium.

Sodium leads to weight gain, heart disease, and health issues related to the added chemical in the body and bloodstream. Sodium makes people retain water leading to the bloating of the body. It also tends to make people feel thirsty constantly, so when even consuming fluids, often times their thirst is not quenched.

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Salt is not bad when used in moderation. There are high quality sea salts that have up to 90 minerals that are healthy for the body. Use sea salt that is either reddish or brownish in color or even the non-colored salt for the best type of salt to add to the diet. These types of salts do not have additives, chemicals, and are not bleached.

Your body does require a certain amount of sodium and natural sweeteners, in order to function properly. You should reduce the extra amounts you consume, to create a healthier life style and body. It is also important for you check with you doctor, prior to making major changes to your diet, in order to determine if it could affect your overall health adversely.

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Can You Lose Weight With Energy Drinks?

The energy-drink buzz might make you feel as though you're torching calories at warp speed, but these beverages are no quick fix for weight loss. In reality, the best way to lose weight is to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity -- something that no food or drink can do for you.

A Slight Kick

Energy drinks do provide a slight metabolic boost -- meaning they speed up calorie burning -- because they contain caffeine. The effect is minimal, however, and Columbia Health reports that caffeine from energy drinks may cause you to burn fewer than 100 extra calories per day. For perspective, you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you eat to lose 1 pound of body fat. Relying on energy drinks alone, you'd need well over a month to accomplish this.

Sugar Content

Any calorie-burning boost will diminish quickly if you consume sugar-sweetened energy drinks. One major brand of energy drink contains 116 calories per 8-ounce can, most of which come from sugar. Adding these to your diet may result in weight gain, not loss -- particularly if you don't compensate with increased physical activity.

Diet-Beverage Data

Sugar-free energy drinks may contain as few as 12 calories per 8-ounce can, but that still doesn't mean they'll help you lose weight. Diet beverages have links to weight gain, according to NPR, possibly because of the way your body responds to them. These drinks contain artificial sweeteners that trick your body into releasing natural sugar-processing hormones. Over time, you may start to release fewer of these hormones, which may affect your appetite as well as blood-sugar management.

Energy-Drink Safety

Energy drinks sometimes cause side effects, mainly due to high caffeine content. Caffeine can cause jitteriness, sleeplessness, heart palpitations and other adverse reactions, especially in high doses. Energy drinks typically contain 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving; moderate caffeine intake is set at 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day, according to MedlinePlus, so drinking more than two to three energy drinks daily isn't advisable. People who have low tolerance for caffeine may experience side effects from consuming just one energy drink.


Source
http://www.livestrong.com/article/372206-how-to-lose-weight-with-energy-drinks/

References

• Go Ask Alice: Energy Drinks and Weight Loss?
• Harvard Health Publications: Calorie Counting Made Easy
• USDA National Nutrient Database: Energy Drink, Red Bull
• USDA National Nutrient Database: Energy Drink, Red Bull, Sugar Free
• NPR: Do Diet Drinks Mess Up Metabolisms?
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Facts About Energy Drinks
• MedlinePlus: Caffeine in the Diet

Women using energy drinks to lose weight worries experts

"I honestly hate most energy drinks, they're all sugar and caffeine and can become addictive, from what I hear, but sometimes my energy is so low I have to have SOMETHING - but I don't want to eat, because that usually ends in a binge/purge."

This is the sad logic of one girl seeking advice about energy drinks to suppress her appetite on an anorexia forum. 

On a separate eating disorder forum, girls discuss ways to give their exhausted bodies a jolt of energy.

"Drink a lot of fluids and also even though they aren't good for you, i find that zero energy drinks are awesome for giving you a boost of fake energy," advises one user, while another reminds that filling up on fluids of any kind will help keep her full.

Workshopping ways to avoid eating or consuming calories is common among women trying to lose weight. 

The latest method -  using energy drinks to replace meals -has caught the attention of experts. And they are worried.

Associate Professor Ross King, of Deakin University first came across the trend during his work treating eating disorder patients as a psychologist.

This lead him to conduct a small study of 97 women with eating disorders which found  about  a third were using energy drinks instead of eating. 

"We know people with eating disorders do abuse caffeine, so this provides a new avenue for them to use energy drinks as a way of replacing meals and creating a sense of fullness,"  King told the ABC.

"Because they're physically compromised, I think that's raised a real concern about issues around energy drink abuse. It adds another risk factor to their physical health."

Previous studies have found those with eating disorders tend towards excessive consumption of caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and fluids.

One 2011 study from the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that individuals with eating disorders turn to energy drinks "as a means to increase energy levels and suppress appetite". This is despite the fact that "the medical repercussions of the misuse of these substances can be significant".

Caffeine overuse can lead to anxiety, tremors and withdrawal headaches. Artificial sweeteners, often used in zero-sugar drinks favoured for their low calories, can cause abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea, while excessive fluid consumption can result in electrolyte imbalances and seizures.

And this is in your average person.

For an individual with an eating disorder, who is restricting nutrients and possibly also abusing laxatives or vomiting in addition to taking energy drinks, the potential for complications are greater.

Source
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/women-using-energy-drinks-to-lose-weight-worries-experts-20141111-11kf0b.html

Trigger Foods: Foods That Make You Do Bad Things

Certain gateway or trigger foods open the floodgates to unhealthy eating habits. Outsmart the sneaky culprits that derail your diet

It's a common slipup: After weeks of eating well, hitting the gym, and skipping dessert, you're on track to lose those five pounds. You deserve a reward—some candy, a (non-diet) soda, or a side of fries. But hours later, the scene around you looks like The Hangover meets the Food Network.

In the same way that some drugs pave the way for even harder ones, a weakness for a certain foods can open the door to an avalanche of bad eating choices, says Gary Wenk, Ph.D., author of Your Brain on Food. Some foods are like gateway drugs," he says. "From your brain's viewpoint, there is no difference." These so-called gateway or trigger foods make you feel out of control, maybe even physically unable to stop reaching for more, in part because of their addictive effect on your mind and body, according to research. But rehab is probably easier than you think.

Junk Food Junkies

It may seem silly to think about being addicted to food, something we'd die without, but most of us eat for a lot more than just survival. Merely looking at or thinking about a food you know you love activates the reward portion of your brain, the nucleus accumbens—the same area stimulated by drugs and alcohol. This triggers the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that enhances your awareness of that food (so forget ignoring it!).

And once you've taken that first bite, watch out. Tasting food engages all of your senses (and may be felt more intensely in women than in men, for unknown reasons). Your nervous system responds by secreting insulin (which drops blood glucose) and relaxing your stomach muscles, which makes you feel like you need to eat more to be satisfied, says Susan Roberts, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Tufts University and coauthor of The "I" Diet.

There's a reason this tends to happen almost exclusively with fatty and sugary foods and not, say, lettuce. The saturated fats in foods like bacon and cheese impair your brain's normal ability to regulate appetite and cravings, so you don't realize you're full until you're completely stuffed, says Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., a health psychologist at Stanford University and author of The Willpower Instinct. What's more, that effect on your appetite can last for up to three days, the length of time it takes to flush those fats from your system. So one unhealthy indulgence can end up triggering a major relapse.

Add sugar to the fatty food—ice cream, cake, doughnuts—and you have a double whammy. High-sugar foods increase your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and increases cravings. "So you may tell yourself 'Just one bite' but find yourself wanting more and more, the more you eat," says McGonigal.

Sugar also has been shown to enhance memory storage, which may explain why you want it in the first place, and so much of it on special social occasions. As a result, your brain has evolved a system of rewards that gives you a real high when you eat sugar. "The brain responds to both sugar and fat by releasing endorphins," says Wenk. Chemically, those feel-good compounds are similar to morphine and can have a biological impact similar to a shot of heroin—including causing you to jones for another fix when the initial euphoria begins to fade.

RELATED: 13 Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings

Regaining Control

Avoiding cravings entirely is tough, given that they can be brought on by stress, PMS, or even just thinking about eating. But there's plenty you can do to avoid skidding down the slippery slope of gateway foods.

Use Your Head

One of the best times to stop a binge is before it begins.

A 2010 study by Australian researchers found that thinking about a craving uses up mental energy—enough that you'll struggle to do anything else or even think normally. But if your brain is otherwise engaged, you'll have fewer cognitive resources available to conjure up mental images of brownies. So when a craving hits, try doing long division, sudoku, or counting backward, and see if it goes away.

Interrupt Yourself

If you're three bites into a pint of fudge ripple when you feel a pang of regret, try switching to a healthier snack. Once your senses have been engaged, your body is going to demand more food, but you can still decide what to give it. Sorbet or a piece of fruit can freshen up your palate, which can help put the brakes on thinking about the stuff you crave.

Hide Your Triggers

Proximity to food influences how much of it you eat, says James Painter, R.D., a professor at Eastern Illinois University who studies behavioral eating. Try keeping healthy foods right where you can see them, and stash unhealthy ones in a hard-to-reach drawer—or just don't keep them around at all.

Get Back On Track

Maybe you couldn't stop yourself from polishing off the entire caramel sundae, but that's no reason to give up entirely. We have a tendency to focus on the short-term consequences of our actions, but keeping a long-term goal in mind—say, fitting into that really cute bikini—can help you realize that you can still get there despite a setback, says McGonigal. Think of it this way: Every meal is a chance to start over and do it right.

Source
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/foods-to-avoid

Surprising Sources of Hidden Sugar

Pasta Sauces

They taste savory, not sweet -- but many pasta sauces have between 6 and 12 grams of sugar per half-cup serving. That’s the same amount you’d get from a chocolate chip cookie. The American Heart Association recommends that women have no more than 100 calories of sugar per day (about 6 teaspoons' worth) and men have no more than 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons).  Too much sugar can lead to extra pounds, and that’s bad for your health. So, look on the ingredient label for the sugar content of your favorite marinara or Alfredo before planning your meal.  

Granola Bars

Check granola bar labels for ingredients like corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, brown sugar syrup, dextrose, and fructose. Some have a yogurt or chocolate coating, or chocolate chips, which can ramp up the sugars fast -- anywhere from 8 to 12 grams per serving. Instead of eating a 1-ounce granola bar, switch to 1 ounce of granola (about 1/3 cup) and the sugar lowers to about 5 grams.

Yogurt

Yogurt is full of healthy calcium and protein, but even low-fat flavored yogurt can have 17 to 33 grams pf sugar per 8-ounce serving -- that’s about as much as 2 scoops (1 cup) of chocolate ice cream. When shopping, look for ones that are lower in sugar. Or, buy it plain and toss in the fruit of your choice.

Instant Oatmeal

Oatmeal has a good rep for being full of healthy fiber, but many fruit-flavored instant ones have between 10 and 15 grams of sugar per packet. “Reduced sugar” varieties can have closer to 5 or 6 grams per packet. Better yet, add apple slices to plain instant oatmeal. It has less than 1 gram of sugar in a packet.

Salad Dressing

Sweet dressings, such as raspberry vinaigrette, French, and Catalina, have the most sugar-- about 5 to 7 grams of sugar in a 2-tablespoon serving. So watch how much you pour on. A lower-sugar option is a light homemade vinegar and oil dressing. It will have only about 1 gram of sugar in the same amount.

Breakfast Cereals

Yes, we all know fruity kids’ cereals are high in sugar, but even healthier-sounding ones sneak it in. Many popular oat, corn and bran cereals have 10-20 grams or more per cup. No matter what the front of the box promises, read the ingredients label to be sure of what you’re getting.

Energy Drinks

Most of those drinks that say they’ll give you a lift have tons of sugar along with caffeine. Some energy drinks have about 25 grams per 8-ounce serving. How about having some cool water instead? Sometimes being dehydrated can make you feel tired.

Packaged Fruits

Mandarin oranges in light syrup have about 39 grams of sugar per 1-cup serving. You can minimize the sugar somewhat by draining the cup -- that gets you to about 15.5 grams. Better yet, just have fresh fruit.

Coleslaw

That’s the “healthy” side dish at the fast-food restaurant, isn’t it? Think again. One regular-size side of coleslaw from many popular fast-food places will cost you about 15 grams in sugar. You can learn what goes into some of your favorite restaurant offerings by looking it up online on their website. If you're craving coleslaw, you can always make a low-sugar version at home.

Tea

You’re wary of the added calories and sugar in juices, so you’ve switched to tea. Uh-oh. Many popular teas have a surprising amount of sugar. The leading brands of lemon-flavored iced tea, for example, all have about 32 grams of sugar per bottle. A cup of apple juice has 24 grams. You can control sugar if you brew your own tea instead. Also, some flavored waters aren’t high in sugar -- check labels, though.

Dried Fruit

With all the water taken out, dried fruit has way more sugar by volume than fresh fruits. A small box of raisins -- 1.5 ounces -- has more than 25 grams of sugar. Instead, you could eat a cup of grapes for 15 grams of sugar.

Ketchup

At about 4 grams per tablespoon, ketchup on your burger can give you a minor sugar boost. That's not as much as some other foods on this list, but if you’re trying to cut back on sugar, switch to regular yellow mustard -- it gives you less than 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon.

Are you shocked at how many foods you thought were healthy are actually packed with hidden sugars!? What do you think! I'm sticking to raw, untouched, unprocessed foods. Anything packaged or processed in any way will contain hidden sugar.

Source
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/hidden-sugar-slideshow

Sources

Reviewed by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD on 3/, 014

This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information

© 2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Truth About Sugar Addiction

Sugar Detox: Hype or Hope?

A trendy sugar detox diet promises to end your craving for sweets and help you lose weight. But does it work? Here's the truth about sugar cravings and how to tame your sweet tooth.

Can You Really Be Hooked on Sugar?

Some people use sugary foods in ways that aren't healthy, even though it may not be an actual addiction. Some signs: You crave sugar, lose control, and eat more than you planned.

Your Brain on Sugar

Sugar fuels every cell in the brain. Your brain also sees sugar as a reward, which makes you keep wanting more of it. If you often eat a lot of sugar, you're reinforcing that reward, which can make it tough to break the habit.

Quick Sugar Highs ...

Why do you get a rush when you eat a midday candy bar? The sugar in it -- called a simple carbohydrate -- is quickly turned into glucose in your bloodstream. Your blood sugar levels spike. Simple carbs are also found in fruits, veggies, and dairy products. But these have fiber and protein that slow the process. Syrup, soda, candy, and table sugar don't.

… And Sugar Lows

Your body needs to move glucose out of the bloodstream and into your cells for energy. To do this, your pancreas makes insulin, a hormone. As a result, your blood sugar level may have a sudden drop. This rapid change in blood sugar leaves you feeling wiped out and shaky and searching for more sweets to regain that sugar "high." So that midday candy bar has set you up for more bad eating.

Starch Can Equal Sugar

Think you don't have a sweet tooth, but crave bagels, chips, or french fries? These starchy foods are complex carbs that the body breaks down into simple sugars. Eaten without better foods, starches can make blood sugar surge and crash like sugar. White rice, white flour, and potatoes do this. Highly refined starches like white bread, pretzels, crackers, and pasta are worst.

Do Sugar Detox Diets Work?

Can you beat your sugar habit by quitting cold turkey? Some sugar detox plans urge you to avoid all sweets. That means all fruit, dairy, and refined grains. The idea is to purge your system of sugar. Diet changes like this are too drastic to keep up. Changes that you can do only for the short term mean you'll fall back to your old habits.

Retrain Your Taste Buds

You don't need sugar as much as you think you do. In fact, you can train your taste buds to enjoy things that aren't as sweet. Try cutting out one sweet food from your diet each week. For example, pass on dessert after dinner. Start putting less sugar in your coffee or cereal. Over time, you will lose your need for that sugar taste.

Choose Good-for-You Sweets

You don't have to give up sweetness. Just get it from other sources. Try fresh berries or pureed fruit on oatmeal instead of sugar. Explore fruit that's dried, frozen, or canned (without too much added sugar). A glass of low-fat milk or low-sugar yogurt can help.

Kick the Habit in Baby Steps

If you make small, simple changes to your diet, it's easy to keep them up. Start by eating more fruits and vegetables. Drink extra water. Check food labels, and pick those that don't have a lot of sugar. Cut out a little bit of sugar each week. After a few weeks, you'll be surprised at how little you miss it.

Let Protein Help

Eating protein is an easy way to curb sugar cravings. High-protein foods digest more slowly, keeping you feeling full for longer. Protein doesn't make your blood sugar spike the way refined carbs and sugars do. Pick proteins like lean chicken, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts, or beans.

Fill Up on Fiber

Fiber helps fight a sugar itch in many ways. First, it keeps you full. High-fiber foods also give you more energy. Because they don't raise your blood sugar, there's no hungry crash after. Choose fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Or smear some peanut butter on an apple for a protein/fiber combo.

Get Outside

Exercise can help wipe out those sugar cravings and change the way you eat in general. You start to feel better and want healthier foods. Do what you like, such as walking, riding your bike, or swimming. Start out slow, and work toward at least 30 minutes at a time, 5 days a week.

Can Artificial Sweeteners Help?

Some studies suggest artificial sweeteners may leave you craving more sugar. That could make it harder to control your weight. The problem is, some experts say, that artificial sweeteners don't help you break your taste for sweets. Pay attention to your body. Are sweeteners making you crave even more sugar? If so, look elsewhere for that sweet taste.

Limit the 'Healthy' Sugars, Too

Honey, brown sugar, and cane juice may sound healthy. But sugar is sugar. Whether it comes from bees or sugar cane, it can cause your blood sugar to rise. Honey and unrefined sugars are slightly higher in nutrients, but their calories still count.

How Much Sugar Is Too Much?

If you're like most people in the U.S., you eat 19 teaspoons or more of added sugar a day. That adds up to 285 calories, which health experts say is way too much. How much sugar should you be eating? No more than 6 teaspoons daily for women. That's 100 calories. Men should get a max of 9 teaspoons. That's 150 calories.

Sugar by Any Other Name

You don't always see the word "sugar" on a food label. It sometimes goes by another name, like these:

• Agave nectar
• Brown rice syrup
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Glucose
• Lactose
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Sucrose

Watch out for items that list any form of sugar in the first few ingredients, or have more than 4 total grams of sugar.

Scout Out Hidden Sugar

Sugar can hide in foods where you least expect it. Although they don't seem sweet, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and pasta sauce can have loads of sugar. So can reduced-fat salad dressings, bread, baked beans, and some flavored coffees. Get in the habit of reading labels. Filter out high-sugar foods before they hit your shopping cart.

Does Sugar Cause Diabetes?

Sugar itself doesn't cause diabetes. But lots of sugar splurges can point you there. Too much of anything, including sugar, can pack on pounds, for one thing. Heavy bodies have a harder time using insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar. When your body resists insulin, blood sugar and your risk of diabetes go up.

How much sugar is in your diet? Do you indulge a little too much? What strategies do you implement to help divert you from snacking on sugary, high-cal foods? Comment below!


Source
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction

Sources

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD on /2, 14 1

This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information

© 2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.