Sugar and all that Fizzy

Many of you will have heard me say that sugar is the main culprit which causes us to get fat, not fat in itself. This is why I steer away from low fat products, sold as healthy but often having sugar- a carbohydrate added. In the Journal Nature scientists have declared sugar as toxic and although a little is not a problem ‘a lot kills slowly’ and causes around 35 million deaths a year worldwide according to the research. They say sugar contributes to obesity, heart disease, cancer and liver damage. The latter mirrors the damage caused by excess alcohol consumption itself made from sugar. The authors also state that sugar affects metabolism and raises blood pressure. Sugar releases insulin in to the boby which in itself is a potent fat storing hormone essentially converting the excess sugar in to fat. This can lead to a build up of fat especially around the abdominal area depressing metabolism and increasing the risk of cardiovascular problems including diabetes. Sugar consumption has tripled in the last 50 years and is often high in so called healthy low fat foods such as fizzy drinks, cereals, chocolate bars and muffins- essentially junk food!

This is also on the back of recent research released from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine suggesting that regular consumption of soft drinks even one a day can increase heart attacks and strokes by 43% and can lead to serious liver damage. There is now ten years of research that drinking soft drinks even diet drinks causes people to eat more and therefore gain more weight.

Reduce the sugar and processed junk food and increase healthy fats in your diet which boost metabolism and help control your blood sugar levels. Avoid low fat diets and concentrate on the quality of what you eat.

Kevin, 13 February 2012