Why you should avoid sugar, where to look out for sugar (it sneaks in everywhere with sneaky names). How to replace sugar and beat sugar cravings.

1. Hidden Sugar
Why we should avoid sugar, where to look out for
hidden sugar and what to replace sugar with.

2. Why Should We Eliminate
Added Sugar From Our Diet?
Sugar contains no essential nutrients and it provides a lot of
extra calories, which is why it’s often referred to as ‘empty
calories’.
What Might Happen if You Keep Eating Too Much Sugar?
 Insulin Resistance, which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes
 Chronic Inflammation
 Weight Gain
 Energy Crashes and Mood Swings
 Tooth Decay

3. What Exactly is Insulin
Resistance?
 The North American Diet and lifestyle for many
people puts stress on the natural glucose control
mechanisms.
 Insulin Resistance which leads to Type 2 Diabetes
is a chronic metabolic problem which is
characterized by elevated fasting blood sugar
levels.
 Most Type 2 Diabetes can initally be controlled by
diet alone, and should be the first treatment
option. Often returning to a healthy weight can
restore proper sugar management.

5. I’ve Heard A Lot About Chronic
Inflammation, What Is It?
 Inflammation is your body’s first line of defense against toxins,
infections and injuries and it’s an important part of how your body
heals from injury.
 It’s the state of chronic inflammation that we want to avoid. Harvard
Medical School says chronic inflammation is a key driver of heart
disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
 About 70% of our immune cells are in the digestive tract. The immune
system can be triggered by bacteria in food, allergens in food or
hormone imbalance (like insulin).
 According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition processed
sugars and high glycemic starches increase inflammation.

7. Weight Gain
 The simple fact of the matter is that calories in excess of your daily
requirement creates excess weight over time.
 Sugar crowds out other nutrient dense foods BUT it doesn’t fill you up!
 Gherlin is the hormone that signals when we’re full. When our blood
sugar spikes gherlin turns off so we keep eating excess calories!
 Excess sugar causes insulin highs and lows which can cause you to
store sugar as fat.

8. Energy Crashes & Mood
Swings
• Swings in blood sugar can
lead to irritability and plain
old bad moods or being
“hangry”
• Snack if you’re hungry (good
options are nuts, hummus and
crackers, cheese and fruit,
hard boiled eggs) to avoid
reaching for something sweet
in a pinch.

9. Tooth Decay
 Bacteria in the mouth combine
with mucous and food to form
plaque.
 The bacteria in the plaque feed
on sugar and slowly leach the
calcium and phosphate from the
tooth, leading to decay and
erosion.
 If you do have sugary snacks
(especially sticky ones) be sure
to brush your teeth after!
 Floss every night.

10. Where’s Sugar Hiding?
 Ketchup and BBQ Sauces
 Salad dressings
 Pasta sauces
 Flavored Yogurt
 Fruit Juices
 Packaged snacks like granola bars
 Cereals
 Crackers
 Store-bought bread
 Restaurant Food and Take-Out

11. Sneaky Names for Sugar
 Sucrose
 Evaporated Cane Juice
 High Fructose Corn Syrup
 Anything that ends in an ‘-
ose’
 Dextrose, maltose etc
 Organic brown rice syrup
 Barley malt

12. How Many Teaspoons of
Sugar in a Serving? The amount is provided in grams .
 Divide this figure by 4 to see how many
teaspoons of sugar you are consuming per
serving.
 This example is about 5 teaspoons of sugar.
 Now check the serving size. Are you having 1
serving, 2 servings or the whole container.
 The % of Daily Value has not been established
for sugar but the WHO recommends no more
than 10% of daily calories come from sugar.
This is 50g or 12 tsp.
 The American Heart Association recommends
no more than 6 tsp for women and 9 tsp for
men of added sugar.
 Note that is dairy products the first 11g/cup or
5g/100g is natural dairy sugar (lactose).
Natural sugar (fructose) is found in fruit.

13. What About Fructose?
 Fruit is high in the natural sugar fructose.
 Fruit is full of nutrients, antioxidants and fiber.
 Fruit are not to be eaten as freely as
vegetables due to the high calorie count and
sugar content.
 Eat fruit as your grandparents would have- a
few pieces a day, not unlimited!
 Eat whole fruit more often. Try to eliminate
prepared fruit juices and use dried fruit
sparingly.
 Avoid jams and jellies, substitute with nut
butters and fruit slices or savory options like
mashed avocado to top toast.
 Fructose vs glucose. Fructose in fruit has
“chewing resistance”, fiber and nutrients and
fills you up, plus you eat it slower. Fructose in
soda has the opposite effect, zero nutrients,
zero satiating effect and it hits your liver
quickly!

14. Are There Healthy Sugar
Alternatives?
• So what’s the deal with the so-called healthier alternatives to
sugar? For the most part they are just well-marketed versions of
sugar.
• They’re not healthier. You can’t eat as much of them as you want.
They cause all of the same negative reactions in your body.
• Sweeteners like agave, coconut sugar and even brown sugar are
touted as healthy options but all of these sweeteners are heavily
processed.
• They’re usually more expensive as well (to pay for the pretty
packaging).

15. How to Sweeten Without
Sugar.
 Sprinkle with cinnamon
 Sprinkle with Coconut Flakes
 Add a dash of Vanilla Extract
 Brew some Chai Tea
 Caramelize onions to use as a topping
 Roast Vegetables
 Add peas to your rice, salads, add grated carrot to your
pasta sauce
 Try coconut water instead of soda

16. Get Through a Sugar Craving
 Grab a “snack-size” not a “king-size”
 Choose something sweet but better for you like dark chocolate
 Have a piece of fruit
 Have a piece of cheese
 Drink some water or a cup of tea
 Go for a walk or call a friend as a distraction

17. Andrea Beazley-Fubler
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
www.goodhealthgirl.com