Fit_Well_October_2017

Sweet nothingS

Myth 1: Sugar iS addictive

Fac t Research from Edinburgh

University has debunked this,

finding the brain simply doesn’t

respond to sugar in the way it

reacts to drugs or alcohol.

Myth 2: Sugar SendS

blood glucoSe Soaring

Fac t Sugar itself only has a

medium GI. Sugary soft drinks and

biscuits made with white flour are

high GI but an occasional sweet treat

in an otherwise healthy diet won’t send

your blood sugar soaring.

Myth 3: honey iS healthier

Fac t Alternatives such as honey and

maple syrup have similar effects in

the body – and calorie counts – as plain

old table sugar. There’s nothing wrong

with substituting them if you like the

taste, but they’re still free sugars with

a hefty calorie load.

the good newS

Free sugar doesn’t have to be off

the menu – you just need to limit

it. The trick, says Rob, is to use

your allowance wisely. ‘Sugar

can make healthier options,

such as plain yogurt, porridge,

sour fruit and high-fibre

breakfast cereals, taste better,’

he says. ‘So it can have a positive

side if you eat it in the right way.’

Use your free-sugar allowance to

sweeten fruit or porridge, rather

than having nutrient-poor snacks

such as soft drinks, sweets or cakes.

what’S the

alternative?

>> agave nectar

Sweeter than sugar so

you need less, so using it

can slash calories. However,

be careful when cooking with it

• you’ll need to turn the temperature
  down to avoid burning.

  
  

  
  

  Stevia
  Made from the leaf of the stevia
  plant, this contains substances
  that are far sweeter than sugar
  so you don’t have to use much, plus
  it’s very low in calories.
  Xylitol
  Derived from woody fibrous plants,
  xylitol also occurs naturally in our
  bodies. It has around the same
  sweetness as sugar, but with 40% fewer
  calories. There’s even evidence it might
  protect your teeth by preventing
  bacteria from sticking to them.

  
  

  
  

  
  

The ultimate

sugar-free

chocolate mousse

Whizz together one avocado and one

banana with 2tsp raw cacao powder

and a big glug of oat or almond

milk until you get a smooth,

mousse-like texture (add more

milk as needed). Delicious!

Wo r d s

Charlotte Haigh

Photos

Getty

Is It healthy?

of the added sugar in

our diet comes from

fizzy drinks, squashes

and cordials.

Sugar by numberS

30

g

25%

of free sugar a day – the

equivalent of seven

cubes – is the maximum

amount advised by

Government guidelines.

20

the number of cals in one

teaspoon. If you’re trying

to shift pounds, quit

sugar in tea and coffee.

1

Love fruit yogurt?

Mix it with plain

yogurt to slash

the sugar content.

2

Sweeten stewed

fruit with spices,

such as nutmeg

and cinnamon, so

you don’t need as

much sugar.

t

5 clever

wayS to

cut Sugar

3

Choose tinned

fruit in juice rather

than syrup.

4

Slice banana on to

toast instead of

jam or honey.

5

For a scrumptious

dessert, try berries

topped with plain

Greek yogurt.

be

labelS decoded

It’s not always easy to tell how

much sugar has been added to

a packaged product as sugar can

be labelled under lots of names

including corn syrup, sucrose and

honey. What you need to look for

is the amount of total sugars. If a

product has 22.5g or more of total

sugar per 100g, it’s a high-sugar

product. Less than 5g means it’s

a low-sugar item.