Diabetes and Sugar

A common misconception is that sugar causes diabetes. While diabetics have to watch their sugar and carbohydrate intake‚ sugar does not cause diabetes. One of the leading causes of diabetes is being obese or overweight; excessive caloric intake is a leading contributor to obesity. This doesn’t mean that you can consume as much sugar as you want; excessive sugar and carbs will definitely lead to being overweight‚ thus increasing the risks of developing diabetes dramatically. So how do you know how much sugar is too much? Use a little common sense and moderation.

These days‚ common sense can seem in short supply. Fad diets‚ media marketing of high calorie foods and drinks and poor understanding of what makes a healthy diet all add up to problems understanding the role and sources of sugar in the modern diet. American’s consume tons of sugar on a daily basis; its in almost anything you buy prepackaged off the shelf. Take a look at the list of ingredients on the back of the packaging. See high fructose corn syrup? That’s sugar. Take a glance through your cupboard and see how many things contain just that one type of sugar. Now look farther down the ingredient list; chances are‚ you see more sugars‚ don’t you? It’s no wonder sugar is such a hard thing to cut back on.

Consumption of prepackaged foods and a reduction in actual home cooked foods has played an enormous role in the current obesity problem sweeping the nation. Time constraints‚ scheduling problems‚ work; they all add up to a lack of good food being put on the table. More and more people are being forced to prepare whatever they can cook quickly to feed their families and most of these quick fix foods are not exactly healthy. Nearly all of them contain far more sugars than what you may think.

The best way to cut out excess sugars in your diet is to prepare foods from scratch. Cook your own vegetables‚ use light sauces. Make your own bread dough for sandwiches and pizza dough. You’d be amazed at what you can cut out of your diet simply by preparing your own food. What if you don’t have time to cook your own foods? Many manufacturers are answering the need for simple‚ packaged foods with few additives. Vegetables are available in steam pouches; cook them in the microwave and they come out crisp and tasty. Organic foods are another solution‚ but look closely at the labeling. It doesn’t take much for a company to label their product as “organic” when it’s pretty far from it.

So‚ while sugar itself will not cause diabetes‚ to much is a bad thing. Consume your sugars in moderation. Use common sense and don’t glut yourself on sugars and carbs‚ then wonder why you’re putting on pounds. Exercise is another must. Yes‚ I know‚ it sounds cliché‚ but brisk exercise for 30 minutes a day‚ three to five days a week will do wonders for you. Again‚ common sense and moderation will help you avoid diabetes.

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