|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sugar
It's
best to eat sugar in moderation. Eaten in larger amounts, sugar may have a
more noticeable effect on your blood sugar. Sweet foods, such as candy,
cookies and soda pop, also have little nutritional value. You receive empty
calories devoid of the nutrients your body needs to function. In addition,
those extra calories can lead to weight gain. The key with sugar is
moderation, not deprivation. You can have your candy and eat it too as long
as you:
For years,
medical professionals assumed that sugars (simple carbohydrates) found in
honey, candy and other sweets would raise your blood sugar faster and higher
than fruits, vegetables or foods containing starches (complex carbohydrates).
All carbohydrates affect blood glucose in about the same way. Sweets don't
produce an exaggerated rise in blood sugar, provided they're eaten with your
meals and counted as a carbohydrate. Count candy
as part of a meal. The easiest way to do this is to figure out the exchanges.
Below are exchanges on some popular candies.
Exercise
caution with regard to candy labeled "sugar-free." The sweetening
agents (sorbitol, invert sugar, fructose, dextrose)
in sugar-free candy still contain calories and must be counted as part of your
meal plan. Also, foods labeled sugar-free may still be high in carbohydrates,
fats and calories. Another problem is that some people are sensitive to sugar
alcohol - a type of low-calorie sweetener used in some sugar-free candy - and
may experience gas, bloating and diarrhea if their sugar intake exceeds 75
calories per day. Sugar alcohols include sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. Sugar travels
under many guises, depending on how it's formed and how it's produced.
Regular sugar is also called sucrose. Basic table sugars include:
Other kinds
of sugars include:
Sugar
alcohols include:
When you're
shopping, look for these names on product labels. A sweet food may not simply
state "sugar" on the label. |
|
