We’ve been taught for decades that the fats are our biggest enemies when it comes to maintaining the ideal weight, but according to recent research, sugar is much worse.
Many experts claim that sugar causes many diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease, and it is a well-known fact that it is addictive. However, the biggest problem is that sugars are well hidden in many ingredients. Even though sugar is sweet, there is no salty ingredient which doesn’t contain sugar. Bread, biscuit, soup, sauces and many other are full of sugar, and people often don’t notice it.
The good news is that you can beat sugar and stop its bad effects. The bad news is that skipping dessert is not going to be enough. If you want to protect your body from “white death” these are the ingredients you should avoid.
1. White flour
Refined, white flour has been known as an unhealthy ingredient. It is a carbohydrate which your body absorbs quickly, just like sugar. With quick absorption comes hunger because sugar goes into blood right away so we don’t get that full feeling we usually get when we eat proteins. So, it’s strongly recommended that you stay away from white flour as much as possible. Modern white flour contains gliadin which makes us feel good and gives us a strong appetite.
2. White rice
Refinement of healthy rice gives us simple carbohydrate which is the same as white flour. Studies have shown that daily consumption of white rice, which is considered healthy, increase our chances for diabetes by 11%. Try to eat brown rice which is rich in fiber, digests slower, and gives us that full feeling.
3. Starch vegetables
Corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and gourd are full of carbohydrates. Even though they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, they simply turn into sugar in our body. Of course, they’re a lot healthier than cookies and cakes, and they have many beneficial properties, just try to eat them moderately.
4. Certain fruits
Even though fruit is always a good choice, you should be careful. There are certain fruits which are naturally full of sugar, and they push us to eat more. Bananas, watermelons, and pineapples are the best example. That’s why it’s better to choose a fruit with less sugar like apples or raspberries, which are delicious and very healthy. Also be careful with dried fruit because they often have sugars added.
5. Fruit juice
Because they don’t contain any fiber or protein, they are absorbed fast and they raise blood sugar level. Besides that, they have added sugars, so you need to be very careful.
6. Sodas
Whether they contain sugar or artificial sweetener, they don’t have any nutritional value. They are mostly cocktails of chemicals with artificial aromas. If you think that your desire for sweet can be satisfied with diet soda, you’d be surprised by the facts. These drinks are much sweeter than its original versions, so they can only increase your desire for sweets. The study that lasted 10 years proved that people that drank sodas increased their waistline by 70% compared to people that didn’t drink it at all.
7. Artificial sweeteners
Even though they have been propagated for years as the lifeline for diabetics, new researches show that it is just as bad as sugar. When receptors in your mouth feel sweet, they send the signal to the brain to prepare for sugar. The body then secretes insulin and turns sugars into fat. Whether it’s artificial sweetener or sugar, your body reacts in the same way, and regular use can result in absorption of more sugar.