sugar Tag

Top Food Tips For Surviving the Holidays

Did you know that in order to gain five pounds from now to the end of January, all you have to do is eat an average of 220 calories per day more than you actually need? The holidays typically encourage us to indulge in high-fat, high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients, and this is also the time we’re most likely to make excuses for skipping exercise. One of the most significant diet dangers revolves around sugar consumption. Binging on sugar increases the cravings for it while the body slows down. Along with sunlight deprivation in the winter, sugar binges...

Glycemic Index vs Glycemic Load

The Glycemic Index is a very useful way to determine how quickly the carbohydrate (sugar) in a food will be absorbed into the blood stream, but the Glycemic Load is an even better measure of determining the insulin response and therefore how fattening a food is. The Glycemic Index is a list of foods that compares how quickly 50 grams of carbohydrate within the food will raise your blood sugar as compared to 50 grams of sugar alone. To calculate the Glycemic Index of a food, scientists measure out the quantity of a particular food needed to obtain 50 grams of...

What You Need To Know About Stimulants and Skin

Most people depend on stimulants to get them through their day.  It may be that morning coffee to start the day, that sugary afternoon snack to keep going, or that glass of wine at night.  “Everyone has a vice” is something I hear all to regularly.  But what are these vices, or stimulants, doing to your skin?  Is your coffee the reason why your skin has acne?  Everyone is different, however I feel the need to highlight some important effects stimulants have on our bodies.  Specifically, the effects of coffee, alcohol, smoking and sugar on our skin. Coffee.  The aroma of...

Does Coffee Have an Impact on Blood Sugar?

  While some research has indicated that moderate amounts of caffeine may be beneficial in the prevention of type II diabetes, recent literature has indicated otherwise, especially if intake of caffeine is high. A recent article published in Diabetes Care 2008; 31(2):221-2, examined blood glucose levels in those with type II diabetes over a 24 hour period; test subjects were given caffeine pills equivalent to about four cups of coffee per day versus placebo. Those taking caffeine pills showed a significant impact on glucose regulation causing an overall net increase of glucose level over 24 hours of 8%; caffeine also resulted in a significant...

Is Sugar Preventing Your Weight Loss?

It’s no big surprise that junk food is not good for us. Why else would it be called ‘junk’? We know sugar and refined foods can make us fat. Have you ever wondered about the mechanism inside us that makes this happen? Hopefully this post will shed some light on what our bodies are doing when we eat those sweets and encourage you to cut back or eliminate refined foods completely. Refined carbohydrates are essentially no different than pouring pure sugar down our throats. When refined, the vast majority of the fiber is removed, which means the carbohydrate is broken down...

Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Unhealthier than Table Sugar?

You have heard the rumour: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is unhealthier than regular table sugar and a major contributor to America's obesity epidemic. Is it really? Shockingly, the USDA reports that we consume on average 600 calories per day from sugar, mostly in the form of HFCS. This statistic is not hard to believe. A 12-ounce soda contains the equivalent of nine teaspoons of sugar, and we are drinking on average 2½ servings per day for every man, woman, and child. No matter what the form, we are eating far too much sugar on a daily basis. What is HFCS,...