A fact which we can’t deny is that we need sugar in food as energy and we should consume sugar as part of a well-balanced, natural diet. If so, why people say consuming sugar can cause weight gain and also that we need more sugar to avoid the energy crash?
The problem lies in whether the sugar that we take is a natural sugar or a refined sugar. We need to understand that carbohydrates found in natural sugars and starches are easily broken down into their simple molecular components for conversion to energy that our body needs. Compared to refined sugar, foods that contain natural sugars provide nutrient such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and fiber that were depleted and not found in refined sugars.
Although refined sugar is derived from plants (i.e. sugar cane and beets), the pure carbohydrate that it delivers offers no viable nutrition and it is also in a form that the human body was not build to utilize. The result of this is that the can’t be used calories will store in our liver as glycogen which then transported through blood in the form of fatty acid for storage all over our body and affecting our body organs to function as is.
We need to take into account our body reacts strongly to the influx of pure carbohydrate that causes our energy level to spike making us feel a rush of energy. Hence, we crave more and want to consume more once our body uses up the refined sugar. The result is that if we don’t consume more, we will experience the inevitable crash! To help keep us in balance, our body mechanism reacted by sending enzymes, vitamins and minerals to the rescue resulting depletion of these nutrients throughout our body.
What we could learn is that:
- Foods with natural sugar will take time for us to digest and will enter our body more slowly but they are good with nutrients that our body can put to use as and when they are needed.
- Refined sugar will cause us crave for more refined foods for the rush of energy feel and will cause in gaining weight. Due to no nutritional value from the refined sugar, our immune system will suffer. This testified that why controlling food cravings can make a person lose 15 pounds in one year just by cutting out sugary sodas.
- Carbohydrates are essential for good nutrition but we should avoid them in a refined state. However, we can not escape all the sugar in foods as we need sugar for survival, as such it is wise to eliminate what we don’t need and take what we need.
- Natural sugar is the kind of sugar contained in fruits, vegetables, and other plants. They are natural because they occur on their own and are not manipulated or extracted by humans. However, once they are removed from a food source and processed, they are not considered as natural anymore.
I hope by now you have a better idea of the connection between sugar, energy and the excess weight now.
Best,
Tan Kok Hui
Nutrition Made Simple, Life Made Rich
Keywords and Phrases
Natural Sugar | Energy | Weight Management | Refined Sugar | Gained Weight | Vitamins | Minerals | Carbohydrates | Fats | Immune System | Glycogen | Proteins | Fiber