Sugar is bad and that means fruit – Right?

Sugar is the new enemy.  For years we have pursued low fat diets, avoided saturated fats and denounced anything fatty.  Even the full Irish breakfast has had a bit of a knocking, though there is ample proof it is not dead yet!

But now we have a new enemy ……. Sugar!  While we all thought we were great moving to low fat, it turns out low fat only tasted good, because it had increased sugar!

The final straw in the sugar debate is fruit – fruit has sugar so now according to some people is sugar is bad, that means fruit too!  So what is going on?

Sugar – the empty calorie

As nutritionists, sugar in its purified form, is an empty calorie.  It doesn’t provide any nutrition and merely serves to make food more palatable.  Sure, sugar may have an emotional value, but that’s another day’s work!

Low sugar options are probably the worst!  There are question marks over the different artificial sweeteners’ effect on health, but for those who want to lose weight, low sugar options can actually contribute to weight gain.  A study carried out with mice found that when faced with a choice of cocaine or glucose sweetened water, the mice preferred the water over the drug.  Artificial sweeteners effect the brain.  They may be low calorie, but they create a desire for more sweet things leading to increased intake and ultimately, weight gain.

So what about fruit?

So what about fruit?  Fruit in moderate amounts is good.  Especially if organic, fruit contains many different vitamins and minerals.  They help in better skin, health and increased immunity.  They do contain fructose, but because of their fibre, this fructose is processed more slowly by the liver and so is less likely to lead to weight gain – provided of course you eat in moderation!

Eat it, don’t drink it

With fruit remember to eat it, don’t drink it and eat as many colours as possible.   Of course, some people need to avoid fruit due to various conditions, but this should be done under the care of a qualified practitioner.

So enjoy fruit and vegetables too.  Avoid sweeteners and if you need something, try a natural sweetener such as Stevia.

For more information on your own diet and natural solutions for everyday problems, contact us at Fresh Perceptions Health.  You would be surprised how improvements in diet can impact your health!