All digestible simple sugars and starches eventually get converted to glucose in our body. Most types of cells use glucose as their main fuel source. After we eat sugars or starches, our blood glucose level rises. This signals our body to produce insulin, a hormone, so that cells can take the glucose out of the bloodstream and use it for energy. Excess glucose will be stored as glycogen in our liver and muscle. If there is still excess glucose after maxing out glycogen storage, it will be converted and stored as body fat. Eating too much sugar or starch of any type can cause you to gain weight.
In other words, sugar is directly converted to fat by your body, and the more sugar you eat, the fatter you will be. Many people think that eating fatty food is the main cause of too much weight gain. But that is not true. Sugar is the main thing that makes you fat. I know…Sugar is soo good but soooooooo bad for you.
How to reduce sugar intake?
- First, find out where all the sugar is coming from. Not surprisingly you will know that almost half of the added sugar in your diet comes from sweetened drinks.
- So, avoid soft drinks, they are not a healthy food. Instead drink more water that will help maintain a healthy weight.
- Don’t consume energy drinks. They are made for athletes to give instant energy.
- Do not eat too much cakes, ice cream, and sweetened breakfast cereals.
- Read the nutrition label in packaged food. Avoid buying food that contain large amounts of refined sugar.
Here is a list of foods with high sugar content. So, get away from this!!!
- Canned or packed fruit
- Cakes
- Pies
- Pudding
- Muffins
- Cereal bars
- Sweetened breakfast cereals
- Ice cream
- Soft drinks and energy drinks
- Some fruit juices
- Sweetened or flavored milk
- Flavored yogurt