Hidden, insidious sugar
The World Health Organization has recently come out with new guidelines regarding the intake of sugar per day. By consuming less than 10% free sugars of the total energy intake per day, the risk of being overweight, obesity and tooth decay are reduced considerably, along with all the other diseases associated with these conditions such as diabetes, heart problems and kidney diseases. What exactly are free sugars? Almost everything. From fructose to glucose to sucrose. Even the sugars naturally present in honey are considered free sugars. So what is less than 10%? About six teaspoons per day. For the coffee drinkers, how many teaspoons do you put into your coffee?
In fact, with the exception of fresh fruits and vegetables, almost everything else contains free sugars. Even the foods you wouldn't think would contain free sugars, do have "hidden sugars" which the WHO is cautioning everyone to be more aware of. An example is tomato catsup. A tablespoon of catsup contains a teaspoon of free sugars. How many packets of catsup do you consume while eating your favorite French fries? As for sodas? About ten teaspoons per can. That's a lot of sweet stuff.
I can understand how hard it is to avoid the sweets we know, much more those foods with hidden sugars. It really is a matter of being more concerned with what you buy at the grocery or supermarket. Most foods have nutritional value labels on them, where the amount of sugar in grams is indicated. Reading the labels and deciding to cut down demands discipline and will power. Just as hard as avoiding sugars altogether. Most Filipino foods do not even have labels. Leche flan, taho, kakanin, turon, banana-Q, halo-halo just to name a few. All sweetened considerably to keep you wanting for more.
It is not funny to become sick. In my own family, three have succumbed to cancer, two are on hemodialysis, while others have blood pressure or other problems. Regardless of what many will say, diseases are preventable. It is all a matter of healthy living, eating right, exercising and taking supplements to augment what food cannot give in large amounts. It is possible to live a long and healthy life. Such rewards are priceless, at the same time very hard to attain. There is nothing more satisfying than a hearty meal with a wonderful dessert at the end. But at what price? Most end up paying everything back once they get sick. Paying back with interest. And just like a credit card balance that has gotten away from you, it is much harder to catch up.
- Latest
