Page 37 - January Phonebox Magazine 2012

Busting Food Myths – The Great Sugar Con by Top Floor Wellbeing
YOu CaN’T mOvE these days without encountering different diets – low fat, low carb, high protein etc. The real truth is that optimising your health is about balanced nutrition, providing the right combination of fats, minerals, proteins, fibre etc. You need sugar too – but there’s more in your diet than you could possibly believe...
a coffee-shop large cappuccino can contain 16g sugar (before you’ve added any of your own). a bowl of fruity muesli often contains more than 20g sugar and a 250ml serving of fruit smoothie stacks up 29g sugar. It is easy to consume far more sugar on a daily basis than is good for you.
The sugar guideline daily amount for men is 120g/day, women 90g/day and children 85g/day. many health professionals, especially nutritional therapists, feel these levels are way too high. Half this amount would be far better, and for those with known health problems an even lower intake may be beneficial. a sweet treat every now and then is pleasurable, but a regular high sugar intake is a problem. Evidence shows that high levels of dietary sugar, and imbalances in the hormones used to control sugar levels, contribute to weight gain and obesity. They also
contribute to many other serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
many people turn to sugar alternatives such as artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which are found in ‘diet’ food products. These chemicals provide an intensely sweet taste but none of the calories found in sugar. Sound good? Well there’s mounting evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners do not promote weight loss and may cause weight gain in the long term! There is also evidence suggesting artificial sweeteners may have other adverse health effects.
So what about ‘natural’ sugars such as fructose (from fruit), honey and agave syrup? again, excessive intake of these sugars can still be detrimental to our health. Oh, and brown sugar definitely isn’t
‘healthier’ than white sugar. That logic works with other carbohydrates such as bread and rice but not for sugar, which is sometimes simply coloured to look brown!
So what can you do? Firstly – read food and drink labels. Ingredients are listed in order of concentration, so avoid products with sugar-based ingredients towards the top. also consider suggested portion sizes. If a portion of muesli is listed as 35-40g, a larger portion will clearly impact on sugar intake. Dilute fruit juice or smoothies half and half with water (or fizzy water), especially for children. This is much better than fruit squashes, juice drinks and fizzy drinks that are high in sugar or artificial sweeteners.
most importantly, remember that the phrases ‘natural’, ‘pure’ and ‘sugar-free’ are simply marketing terms designed to make you feel good about the product. Just because something is natural doesn’t mean that it’s not high in sugar!
For a truly beneficial approach to eating healthily and dealing with food issues, please call Dr Elisabeth Philipps, Nutritional Therapist at Top Floor Wellbeing on 01234 240687.
Elisabeth and Katy
Top Floor Wellbeing is a new complementary health consultancy in the High Street in Olney offering a unique solution to help people achieve optimum health and permanent weight loss. Katy Webster, a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, and Dr Elisabeth Philipps, a Nutritional Therapist, are getting fabulous results and feedback from the people they have been working with. One client has already achieved her weight and health goals, losing over 30 pounds in 4 months!
The excesses of the festive period are over and the New Year might be making you think of improving your health and wellbeing. However while diets work, dieting doesn’t. Our experience has shown that permanent weight loss can only be achieved once you change both what you eat and the way you think about food. Elisabeth will work with you to develop an individual, bespoke nutrition programme that suits your needs, preferences and lifestyle. Katy will help you to understand your relationship with food, change your beliefs and overcome any issues you may have. The right knowledge and the right mindset can give you the permanent solution to your weight loss battle.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2012 from Top Floor Wellbeing.
Please call us on 01234 240687 or visit our website at www.topfloorwellbeing.co.uk to find out more and make 2012 the year that you find the answer.
SUSANNE STIMSON
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