By now we’re all informed on the dangers of sugar and how bad it can actually be for your health. But what can we do about the hidden sugar? Find out where you might find it, right now.
The sugar industry has never wanted us to know just how bad those white granules can be for our bodies, in every way. Healthy blood sugar levels are so important for our general well-being, and they tend to affect everything and anything we do. Yeah, even sleep, extra weight, metabolism, and permanent imbalance can lead to serious health issues. And I think we’re all trying to cut down on our sugar intake.
I, personally, have been using less and less sugar in my coffee and zero sugar in my tea. And I try to avoid desserts and sweet chocolate as much as I can. But the sugar you see isn’t exactly the problem. The greater worry is the hidden sugar you can find in some foods you might think are quite safe for you. Let’s find out what these are and stop consuming them as soon as possible and as much as possible.
5 hidden sugar food sources to eliminate
1. Corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup also known as HFCS is an artificial sugar made from corn syrup. It’s one of the main suspects in the obesity epidemic and also has been linked with diabetes and heart disease. A lot of companies have started to replace it because people know how bad it is. Unfortunately, the sweet alternatives aren’t all that healthy either. Anything that contains the word ‘syrup’ is sure to have some sugar, we guarantee it.
2. Fruit juice
This one is not as bad as HFSC, but most of the types you find on the market are still pretty overloaded with sugar. Yeah, it’s not the highly processed variety, but sugar is unhealthy in all of its forms.
3. Bread
This is such a common item that I can’t live without. Not really. I like to have toast with different toppings, bruschetta, and make so many sandwiches. But, unfortunately, there are as much as 3 grams of sugar in every slice of bread – imagine if you have 3 or 4 every day, like me. Some of the sugar forms during the baking process, but a lot of bakeries still add some more.
4. Anything that contains sucrose
But to expand on that a bit, any word that ends with the suffix ‘ose’ is probably sugar related and you should stay away from it. This includes sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar), glucose, dextrose, and maltose (malt sugar). Check the labels on the items you buy at the store and cross out any that contain these ingredients. That’s how you get rid of even more sugar in your diet.
5. Sugar alternatives
Honey, molasses, and maple syrup are frequently used to replace sugar in baking and sometimes in tea and coffee. I do love some honey in my tea and maple syrup on top of my waffle stack. But did you know that these are a type of hidden sugar as well? The sweetener is not as processed as table sugar you can buy, but these items contain sugar nonetheless. Find out more about replacements for sugar in baking right here.