Sugar- The truth

Most people realise certain foods are high in sugar; cakes, sweets, chocolate.... all sorts of tasty treats are obviously high in sugar, that’s what makes them taste so damn good! However, sugar can also be found lurking in our diets in all sorts of foods you wouldn’t expect.

What is Sugar?

Well in nutritional terms sugar is a carbohydrate.

What forms does sugar take?

The most common form is white sugar frequently used in baking and as a sweetener for hot beverages. This bad guy is also known as sucrose.

Along with sucrose there are other simple sugars lurking in our everyday diet these include glucose, maltose, honey, molasses, syrups, cane sugar and dextrose.

This type of sugar is sometimes referred to as an anti-nutrient, it provides energy but nothing else; it is packed full of calories but lacks any vitamin or mineral content.

It’s not all bad! Sugars are also found naturally in foods. Lactose is found in milk. Fructose is found in foods such as fruit, dried fruit and fruit juices. These natural forms of sugar do provide a whole host of vitamins and minerals as well as fibre and starch.

How much should be in our diets?

Studies indicate an adult diet should contain no more than 60g of added sugars from food and drinks. Should intake be as high as 200g per day undesirable rises in blood levels of glucose, insulin and lipids can occur.

Natural sugars found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose) need not be restricted.

How much is in our diets?

Well studies out this week have reported that many people are unknowingly consuming up to 46 teaspoons of sugar in their diets*. This is equivalent to approximately 186g of sugar and contains a whopping 690kcals.

Every teaspoon adds up to 15 calories for a level teaspoon (and as much as 25 for a heaped teaspoon).

Below is a table that shows a few examples of sugar lurking in everyday foods that you may not even associate with sugar!

Food	Teaspoons of sugar
50g Kellogg’s Coco-Pops + Milk	6.6
Sugar Puffs 30g	3
Can of Coke	8.75
Jam 2 Teaspoons	2
1 Large Tablespoon Ketchup	1
Tomato Soup 1 Can	4
Mug of hot chocolate	4.5
Large glass of wine	1

NB: Total sugar content may vary from brand to brand these are approximate figures only

What are the risks of too much sugar?

Well clearly there is the weight issue. All those empty calories providing energy but no nutrients, what a waste! Being overweight brings with it a host of other problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain other diseases.

A diet too high in sugar increases the production of insulin thus contributing to adult onset diabetes.

Recent reports [i] also suggest a diet high in sugar carries with it an increased risk of heart disease. Sugar raises the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in the body just the same way a diet high in fat does.

Sugar leads to tooth decay. Cutting down on sugary foods can help keep your pearly whites in good condition.

As I previously mentioned sugar is an anti-nutrient and contains no vitamins or minerals. Ironically though, for the body to make use of sugar it requires B vitamins, phosphorous and magnesium. So in order to utilise the sugar you snaffle down the body actually has to rob its existing stores of these nutrients thus creating nutritional deficiencies. Sugar is a nutrient thief!

What is the best way to reduce sugar intake?

· Cut down the amount you add to your hot drinks such as tea and coffee

· Reduce intake of sweets and chocolate and cakes

· Avoid sugary cereals

· Snack on raw veggies or unsalted nuts and small amounts of dried fruit rather than sugary snacks

· Read food labels and avoid foods with hidden sugars.

Tip: look under the carbohydrates and the amount of sugars will be listed as a sub-category underneath.

To conclude

Sugar tastes good, that I don’t dispute!

However it has loads of calories and no nutritional value and is an addictive substance that we have got far too used to adding to our diets.

Cut it down and you will lose the craving for it until gradually you can more or less cut it right out of your diet...excluding the odd treat of course, after all a little of what you fancy does do you good!

---

[i] April Edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association

*Daily Mail Wednesday 21^st April 2010

MYTH BUSTERS

Years working in the gym industry have introduced me to so many great gym myths that people genuinely seem to believe that I feel I must expose the truth about these....it would be rude not to!

PERFORMING HUNDREDS OF SITS UPS DAILY WILL GIVE ME A FLAT STOMACH:

Wrong: sit ups will strengthen the stomach muscles, but they will not get rid of that cosy layer of blubber on top hiding the toned muscles. Following a healthy eating plan and a quality exercise programme will get rid of this and as you do you will reveal your strong, toned abs underneath!

MUSCLE TURNS TO FAT WHEN YOU DON’T EXERCISE:

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

Muscle and fat are two different types of tissue in your body. They are most definitely not interchangeable.

When you quit exercising your muscle turns all wobbly and can get smaller and less defined. At the same time you continue to snaffle the same quantity of food down and before you know it you have gained a little bit more body fat on top of your decreasing muscle enhancing that wobbly look!

AS A WOMAN I SHOULDN’T DO WEIGHTS, IT WILL MAKE ME BULKY....

This is so NOT true!

Weight training is a vital part of any exercise programme. Even if you lift heavy weights you will not bulk up, guaranteed. How do I know this for sure? Well because us girls have approximately 1/3 of the amount of testosterone of a man. As such we simply cannot match the muscular size of a man without the aid of anabolic steroids, growth hormone or some other dodgy drugs. What weight training will do is give your muscles a more toned, firm appearance, help prevent future problems such as osteoporosis and raise your basal metabolic rate meaning you burn more calories just existing, good eh?!

I SHOULD STRETCH BEFORE I START MY WORKOUT...

Increasingly research is showing that stretching before a workout has not benefit and may even be detrimental in the long run. Ideally always finish your workout with a good stretch session which will be beneficial.

EATING A VERY LOW CALORIE DIET WILL MAKE ME LOSE WEIGHT....

This may be true, but what is far more important is that as soon as you begin to eat normally again you will put all the weight back on and a few pounds extra to add to the misery!

How do I know this? Well, when you eat a very low calorie diet you will lose weight very quickly...sounds good but ah nothing in life is that simple! A large proportion of the weight lost will be muscle tissue. This is disastrous as far as maintaining the weight loss is concerned. Muscle is five times more metabolically active than fat and as such needs calories to maintain it. Lose muscle and your body will require fewer calories daily to maintain it, so when you go back to your old ways of eating it is likely you will gain not only the weight you lost but a few more pounds on top.

Lose weight slowly through a healthy diet and exercise and the weight will stay off, there are no shortcuts!

THE LONGER I WORK OUT THE BETTER RESULTS I WILL GET.....

Wrong! Quality not quantity is the critical factor in achieving results. Train for your specific requirements and get the results you want. Follow the advice of a fitness professional to help you achieve your goals.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN!

Although your workout may involve slight discomfort, pain is not good and is not an indicator of success. Pain can be a sign that something is wrong such as a muscular strain and should definitely not be ignored.

IT’S NOT GOOD TO START EXERCISE AT AN OLDER AGE....

Exercise can be beneficial at any age. If you are taking up exercise for the first time in a long time just make sure you seek supervision from an exercise professional.

IF I EXERCISE I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT.....

If only! However this is not the case I’m afraid. Even those of us who spend hours every week exercising have to follow a healthy, balanced diet to avoid weight gain. Exercise alone won’t make you lose weight though it will help you create a calorie deficit needed to lose weight.

Some people gain weight when they first take up exercise as they wrongly believe they can eat whatever they want because they have exercised. An hour in the gym may only burn about 400-600kcals, so if you leave the gym and glug down a couple of large glasses of vino or snaffle down a bar of chocolate, you have just undone all that hard work!

Moderation is the answer. Eat healthily, exercise regularly and enjoy the odd treat.

Thanks

Caz

Drinking Water When Exercising- Why Bother?

Water...why bother?!

So many people do not drink enough water on a daily basis, underestimating the importance of staying well hydrated.

Approximately 60-70% of your body is estimated to be water. Your blood is mostly water and your muscles, lungs and brain also contain water. Kinda makes sense that water is essential for survival doesn’t it?!

Functions of water:

Water is involved in many vital functions in your body including:

Temperature Regulation:

· It absorbs heat from your muscles when you workout

· It dissipates heat through sweat

Lubrication:

· It provides lubrication in your joints in the form of synovial fluid as such being well hydrated can assist in easing joint pain

· It lubricates the eyes – think tears!

· It is a vital component of saliva and lubricates your food to assist chewing and swallowing

Transport

· Via the bloodstream water carries nutrients to your muscles and assists in the removal of waste products of metabolism away from cells

· Via urine water carries waste products out of the body

Protection

· Water cushions against shock in the eyes and spinal cord and is a vital component of amniotic fluid so is vital in the protection of a developing foetus.

Weight Management

· If you don’t drink enough water your body is very clever and will hang onto more water resulting in water retention. Drink water and flush away that excess fluid!

· Hunger can be a sign that you are dehydrated, drink enough water and you may find the hunger pangs disappear!

Signs you aren’t getting enough:

· Dry mouth

· Headaches

· Feeling thirsty - by the time you feel thirsty you are already 10% dehydrated!

· Dark urine – healthy wee should be pale yellow

· Ideally you should need to pee every 2-4 hours, less than this you are dehydrated!

· Loss of performance – when you are just 2% dehydrated you can lose up to 20% of performance

· Dry flushed skin

· Constipation

· In severe cases fainting, dizziness and muscle cramps

How much to consume?

Ideally at least 1.5 litres or 8 large glasses a day. The easiest way to do this is to have a 1.5 litre bottle that you fill every day and sip gradually throughout the day.

Of course if you exercise lots, or if the weather is hot or humid, you may need more. Individual requirements do vary so if you show any signs of dehydration just increase your consumption.

Many people moan that they pee all the time when they drink lots of water, initially this is the case, but your body soon gets used to it and adjusts accordingly.

NOTE: IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRINK TOO MUCH WATER, DON’T GUZZLE ALL YOUR WATER IN ONE GO!

IF YOU HAVE ANY KIDNEY OR ADRENAL PROBLEMS OR YOU ARE TAKING DIURETICS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT YOUR WATER REQUIREMENTS.

Group Fitness- Spinning

Spinning

What is it?

Spinning is a group cycling class lasting between 30 and 60 minutes with a fab instructor motivating you with great music and enthusiastic teaching skills.

Why do it?

Spinning is a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness not to mention being a serious calorie burner, it will also tone and strengthen your leg muscles.

You can work at your own pace, the instructor will lead you through a workout that may include intervals and hill climbs but you can chose what resistance you set your bike at. As such spinning is suitable for all levels of fitness...don’t forget to tell your instructor if it’s your first time.

This really is a great way to whizz through a cardiovascular workout and maximise the calorie burn!

What to bring?

Expect to work hard so don’t forget a towel to mop your sweating bod, plenty of water and if you are the delicate sort you may chose to wear padded shorts!

If you are lacking a bit of motivation or just fancy trying something new why not give it a go?