It has devastating effects on the human body. You may think I’m exaggerating, but I promise you, you’re about to be shocked… perhaps even horrified. And like a lot of scary things, it makes for a great movie… That Sugar Film, an Australian-produced movie, reveals the harm sugar causes as it works its way throughout your body, and the deception that makes us all easy prey.
In the movie, the filmmaker, Damon Gameau, who normally doesn’t eat processed food and avoids added sugar in his meals, spends two months eating the amount of sugar the average Australian consumes to see what it does to his body. (Aussies average a whopping 40 teaspoons a day.) The results, shown in the film, are stark. Gameau gains weight. His liver becomes fatty. Biomarkers in his blood show that his risk for heart disease and diabetes skyrocket.
One doctor he consults in the movie says he isn’t surprised that eating that much sugar threatens health. But he’s shocked at how fast Gameau’s health goes downhill. You see, it only took 18 days on the processed food diet for the ill-effects to start compromising his liver.
You may be thinking to yourself, “Well, he must have eaten pure sugar… nothing but candy and sweets!” It makes sense that, for his health to be damaged that quickly, he had to have eaten the absolute worst sugar-filled foods. However, that’s not what he did.
The Hidden “Healthy” Foods
Gameau didn’t indulge in cookies and cakes — at all. No, he ate what the food industry has convinced many people are ‘healthy foods.’ But these “healthy” foods are filled with secret sugar. As he told The New York Times: “I swapped (whole foods) for the refined carbohydrates. Cereals, low-fat yogurts and apple juice would be my breakfast instead of eggs and avocado. And lunch would be pasta with pasta sauce, or some vegetables or fish with a teriyaki sauce or some kind of dressing that had added sugars in it.”
Virtually all of those foods, the pasta sauce, the teriyaki sauce, and the yogurts… every single one contains added sugar.
Despite a widening awareness of the dangers of sugar, Americans, on average continue to ingest about 30 teaspoons of sugar a day (although experts argue over the exact amount we consume).
The Sugar-Ridden Supermarket Scenario
If you’re cutting back on sugar to help your body stay healthy and slimmer, you’re making an important dietary shift. However, you’ll have to be vigilant. The processed foods being marketed in the supermarket are hopelessly compromised with sugar. About 80% of the foods you see sitting on supermarket shelves contain added sugar.
Gameau’s advice about eating a healthy diet is simple and concise: Stick to real food. As he points out, “When I went back to just drinking water and eating food again, the weight dropped, and all my symptoms went away. I think we just need to simplify things. Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket where all the fresh foods are. Buy real foods as much as you can.”
So, Where’s the Added Sugar?
You might be wondering why manufacturers add sugars to foods, especially “healthy” foods. To put it simply, it’s because sugar is addictive and makes food more appealing. When fat is removed from food products to make them “low-fat,” the taste is often compromised. To keep people buying these foods, added sugars are used to improve their palatability and make them more enjoyable.
Sugar also acts as a preservative and is added to extend the shelf life of a product, allowing food to remain fresh and appealing for longer periods.
Some common foods containing added sugar include:
- Salad dressings
- Breakfast cereals
- Granola bars
- Low-fat yogurts
- Ketchup
- Tomato sauce
- Bread
- Flavored milks
Read the Labels
The key to avoiding added sugar is getting in the habit of reading nutrition labels. Don’t be fooled by claims such as “no high fructose corn syrup” or “natural sweeteners.” Because there are many alternative names for sugar — more than 60 in fact — you need to be vigilant.
Look for words like syrup, maltose, dextrose, lactose, fructose, sucrose, and any word ending in ose. Also, remember that ingredients are listed by weight, so if sugar is one of the first few ingredients, it is likely a significant part of the food.
Choose the Better Options
When you’re shopping, instead of grabbing your usual low-fat yogurt or cereal that may contain a lot of added sugar, spend a few more minutes in the supermarket aisle looking for healthier options:
- Opt for plain, unsweetened yogurt instead of flavored, low-fat varieties. You can sweeten it naturally with your favorite fruits.
- Choose whole grain bread without added sugars.
- Make your own pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes and spices. Or, at least look for ready-made sauces with no added sugar.
- Switch traditional breakfast cereals for sugar-free varieties, or better yet, go for whole grains like oatmeal or muesli.
While it may be a challenge to eliminate all added sugars from your daily diet, making small changes and being mindful of the labels on food products can make a significant difference in your overall sugar consumption. Not only will your body thank you for it, but your sweet tooth will also become less persistent.
Cutting down on added sugars will improve your overall health, reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and various other health issues, and ultimately lead to a healthier, happier you.
