Indulge the Smart Way

BY LAURA SPENCER

The holidays are here, bringing with them the joy of sharing, gathering, and of course eating. The anticipation of tables bursting with delicious, decadent, and jolly food is palpable, but before you dig deep into the celebration, as you should, here are a few tips on how to do this in a smart way.

Sugar consumption is bound to increase during the festivities; there are simply too many sweet culinary traditions to keep alive— think gingerbread, sugar, and shortbread cookies, fruit bread and Christmas pudding, plus the many other family favourites of the season. Celebrating this special time of year shouldn’t come with a high sugar tab, nor is there room for guilt about what you eat, either. So how to go about it?

As we prepare to spend more time in the kitchen and stock up our fridges and pantries to meet the demanding holidays menu, we ought to pay attention to the type and amount of sugars present in packed and processed foods we consume, as this is where things can get tricky.

Did you know that added sugar in our food is now considered the number one source of sugar in our diet? A 2019 study by Statistics Canada revealed that the total sugar consumption from beverages has decreased—hooray! But the total sugar intake from food has increased—boohoo! The sneaky sugars in processed foods, plus the overall use of sugar by home cooks, are still a primary factor in the steady rise of sugar consumption among all age groups. But surely a little bit of sugar can’t be that bad? Our body can handle a small amount of added sugar, however over-consumption has been linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dental cavities, non-alcoholic liver disorder, behavioural disorders, and it is also considered a risk factor for obesity.

How much added sugar should be consumed, you might ask? Well, generally speaking, as all individuals’ lifestyles and compositions differ, the maximum intake of added sugar for kids aged 0 to 2 years is 0. For toddlers aged 2 to 5 years, the recommendations are between 3½ and 4 teaspoons; children aged 6 to 12 years should have between 4 to 5 teaspoons, and teenagers and adults should be consuming about 7½ teaspoons of added sugar daily.

As a reference, an apple juice box has 18 to 23 g of added sugar. But surely, there’s a mistake here, as apples are a fruit. However, apple juice is the sugar that has been extracted from whole fruit, which on its own is perfectly healthy.

This brings us to the different types of sugar. Sugar belongs to the carbohydrate family. There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars, starches, and fibre. Sugars, or simple carbohydrates, include the sugars naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables, and milk, but also the type added to food. There are three types of sugars worth mentioning, as understanding what they are and how they affect our bodies can be helpful for choosing healthier options.

Sucrose is perhaps the most well-known sugar, as table or white sugar. But “healthy” sugars such as turbinado, muscovado, natural brown sugar, and molasses all have the same chemical composition as white sugar (molasses being perhaps the exception as it also has magnesium, iron, and manganese). But once in the body, all these sugars are broken down in the same manner.

Glucose is the main type of sugar that circulates in the bloodstream, readily accessible for the body’s energy requirements. Once the body has filled its energy demands, glucose gets stored in the liver or muscles. A sudden or rapid spike in glucose affects your blood glucose levels, which can be problematic both in the short and long term. Some forms of glucose-based sugar are dextrin, maltodextrin, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, and maltose.

Fructose, with nearly the same chemical make-up as glucose, cannot be utilized as a direct source of energy. This type of sugar

LAURA SPENCER is one of Nature’s Fare Markets’ vitamin specialists and a passionate foodie. She believes we can be as happy, healthier, and fulfilled as we allow ourselves to be. As a certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant, she works with people to help them achieve a healthy lifestyle by focusing on modifying behaviours and eating habits that are not working. bonfirenutrition.ca | bonfirenutrition

is metabolized in the liver, and when there is simply too much, it gets converted into fat. The liver can handle small amounts of fructose, and it can even convert it into glucose for energy, but that is only when small amounts are ingested. Agave, fruit concentrate, and fruit sugar have high levels of fructose, whereas maple syrup, honey, palm sugar, and date sugar have lower levels.

What about alcohol and low-calorie sweeteners? The sugars described so far provide calories for energy. Low-calorie sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit or alcohol sugar such as xylitol, have no calories, and they don’t increase your blood glucose levels, which is great. These sweeteners can be a good option to reduce calorie intake due to sugar consumption, but the sweet taste is still registered by your brain. The “sweet cycle” of craving this type of food is still happening, and therefore can help you ingest more sweet foods than you anticipated. Moreover, further studies need to be done on the impact of these types of sweeteners in the gut.

As you can see, not all sugars are the same; there are plenty of options when adding sugar to your foods. Among my recommendations are natural options such as maple syrup, honey, molasses, and coconut sugar, although I would suggest using only half of what is in a recipe. Xylitol, stevia, and monk fruit seem to be great options too; you will need a little practice cooking with them before you hit the sweet spot.

Wishing you happy, healthy, and sweet holidays!

Sweet Bites

DIRECTIONS INGREDIENTS

½ cup coconut oil ½ cup sunflower seed butter 1½ tbsp cacao powder 2 tbsp maple syrup

1/8 tsp sea salt

½ tsp cardamom (ground) ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ cup pistachios, finely chopped

Perfect to satisfy your sweet cravings.

1. Melt coconut oil in a pot over low heat.

2. Add the sunflower seed butter and stir until well combined. Add cacao powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Stir until well combined.

3. Ladle the mix into mini square silicone moulds and sprinkle with pistachios and sea salt on top.

4. Place in the freezer to set for about 1 hour. Remove from mould and enjoy!

Indulge the Smart Way

Read the nutrition facts label.

Take note of the serving size and grams of sugar (4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar). At the same time, get familiar with the type of sugar you absolutely want to avoid such as high-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup, fruit concentrate, and fruit sugar.

Familiarize yourself with the different addedsugar names listed under ingredients.

These include dextrin, maltodextrin, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, barley malt, maltose, trehalose, and molasses. Sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, mannitol, and erythritol.

Portion size matters.

Indulge in your favourite foods and desserts. If you want to keep things balanced, start with a small portion; then you can decide if it is time for more, or perhaps your craving was satisfied.

Pay attention to your blood sugar levels.

Imbalances in our blood sugar levels due to high carbohydrate consumption can create lack of energy, cravings, and lack of satiety, which may cause you to reach for foods that can feed the cycle. Focusing on protein, fat, nonstarchy carbohydrates, and fibre first—before indulging—can create a balance between what your body needs and what your mind wants. And remember, protein is the most satisfying macronutrient—it slows down digestion and helps you feel satisfied for longer.