Macaroons, cupcakes, cookies and your favorite chocolate cake can fix any dull day. We have these scrumptious goodies without a second thought even though they’re devoid of nutrients.  Other than facts about sugar having calories, giving you cavities and a growing waistline, how aware are you about what it really does to your body? We’ve listed 5 FAQs related to this – sugar being a delicious but silent killer. Here are some questions answered and some options for healthy nutrition.
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What is sugar?
Ladies, simply keep in mind that everything that ends with ‘ose’ is sugar. There are different kinds of sugars like glucose and fructose which occur naturally in plants, fruits and our bodies, sucrose on the other hand is found in the stem of sugarcane and the roots of sugar beet. The white sugar we consume is processed sucrose.

Can I be addicted to sugar?
Yes, it has been found that consumption of sugar releases a massive amount of dopamine in the reward center of the brain, a reaction similar to other drugs. So, if you can’t keep your hands off sugary food and drinks, it’s time to address your sugar addiction.

Why does sugar lead to weight gain?
To begin with sugar is simple fat with no nutritional value and it contributes heavily to leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that tells your body when it is full. When you get leptin resistant your body stops getting those signals and you start over eating without realizing you are full, which leads to excess weight gain or obesity.

How does sugar affect your health?
A molecule from sugar called glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) contributes to change in the muscle protein of the heart which could lead to heart failure. On the other hand, our liver converts a small amount of sugar into glycogen required by our body but the extra amount of sugar gets stored as fat. This leads to elevated insulin in our body, which is a cause for diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndromes.

What are healthy sugar substitutes?
Stevia: These are leaves of the plant stevia rebaudiana. They are natural, have no carbs or calories and available as dried leaves, processed powder or in liquid form. Low glycemic, it has various health benefits too.

Monk Fruit: It is widely used in China to treat obesity and diabetes. It is a rich antioxidant and is low glycemic with no calories.

Raw and organic honey without any processing can be your daily substitute sweetener. It is also rich in nutrients.

Harvested saps from maple trees when boiled and filtered result in maple syrup. It contains antioxidants, is rich in sucrose but has low fructose content.

Substitute sugar with fruits and nuts for a naturally sweetened dish.

Stay healthy...stay sugar free...

xoxo

little red tote

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