Foods with high amounts of hidden sugar

Sugar is the real culprit. For many years people have been led to believe that saturated fat is the main cause of heart disease. However new studies have revealed that saturated fat is far less harmful than sugar. It is no surprise that that chocolates, fizzy drinks, sweets and cakes are loaded with added sugar. But there are other culprits that you might not associate with added sugar.

Food manufacturing companies have become wise about the outcry of added sugar by health practitioners, and with clever marketing, have started to disguise the sugar in their products so that consumers do not know how much sugar they are really eating.

They add sugar into foods to enhance the taste, especially in reduced fat foods, as foods without fat are bland, and do not taste so good. This means that foods you may believe to be healthy. Low fat foods and added sugar may actually be worse for you. Added sugar can keep you hooked and going back for more.

Researchers have proved that sugar is instrumental in the worldwide rise of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Some foods with added sugar you need to know about.

We all have favorite things we eat that taste delicious, and which we may not realize are rich in hidden added sugar.

Here are just a few of them:

• Most low fat items, including yogurt and low fat ice cream have added sugar.
• Cereals contain a lot of sugar. Children fall victim to this.
• Sauces and soups ranging from basic tomato sauce to a spicy curry delicacy, and including soups, have big amounts of added sugar.
• All condiments and salad dressings have a lot of with sugar, especially the low fat foods. Mayonnaise, honey and mustard salad dressings are delicious. This is unhealthy due to the hidden sugar.
• Tinned baked beans, whilst high in fiber, contain lots of sugar and other additives.
• Muffins, even those with seeds and nuts, are really just cakes high in sugar.
• Protein and energy bars are not always healthy snacks. These snacks contain vegetable protein and some vitamins. This problem is they are exceedingly rich in refined flour and added sugar products.
• There is sugar and calories in all alcoholic drinks, which add up fast, interfere with fat digestion, and prevent fat loss.
• White bread, which is the staple diet of many, is high in added sugar.

Scientists in the food industry have got the ratio of fat, sugar and salt in their products just right to make them tasty enough for you to want more and more.

How to identify hidden sugars in foods.

Try to be aware of the many different ways sugar is identified. Marketers are very skilled in how to use alternate wording on labels to make sugar less offensive.

Here are some to look out for:

• Agave nectar, brown sugar, cane sugar.
• Corn sweetener, corn syrup.
• Dextrose, fructose, organic evaporated cane juice, sucrose, syrup.
• Glucose, fruit juice concentrates, processed honey.
• Lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses.

There could be others as well, but they are all just grand-sounding names for hidden sugar.

How to avoid buying foods with hidden sugar content.

• You may have to give up some of your favorite foods if you are serious about the dangers of hidden sugar. Check the labels of products thoroughly. Including the amount of the sugar product. Check the nutrition facts in some of the packaged foods. It is surprising to see how real nutrition is lacking in these food products.
• One heaped teaspoon of sugar is equivalent to 4 grams of sugar. Up to 16 grams of sugar could be potentially added to food products. That equals to 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar. This is just in the added sugar we don’t know about. This hidden sugar is from processed, off-the-shelf foods. Not the obvious added sugar from cakes, sweets and deserts. You could be over-loading your body without even realizing it.
• Do not buy anything that is labelled low fat. As it could do your body more harm than if you eat a full-fat product.

You may feel that checking on these labels is going to a lot of trouble. You find it sometimes time- consuming. If you want to stay healthy and prevent the dangers related to excess sugar, then it is worth all the trouble. Most importantly for the benefit of your  health and well-being. If you are concerned about increased sugar cravings take the opportunity to read how mindful eating can help you stay healthy!

A worldwide epidemic.

Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and tooth-decay, have almost reached epidemic proportions. A poor diet, overeating and high sugar intake, plays a huge role in these health conditions.

Follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and watch your sugar intake. You want to lower your risks for poor health and avoid being a statistic of these health conditions.