Strategies with sugar for healthy eating during the holidays

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The holiday season is fast approaching and we are being bombarded by delicious sugary foods like drinking soft drinks or eating lots of sweets. In the short term, eating too much sugar can cause acne, weight gain, and fatigue. Therefore, you need to be strategic and strictly follow a healthy sugar diet even during the holidays.

1. What is eating a lot of sugar?

According to the 2010-2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average American consumes an additional 17 teaspoons (tsp) of added sugar per day, which equates to an additional 270 calories.
However, guidelines recommend that people limit added sugars to less than 10% of their daily calories. For a daily intake of 2,000 calories, added sugars should account for less than 200 calories.
However, in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that people eat half this amount, with no more than 5% of their daily calories from added sugars. For a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, that would equate to 100 calories or a maximum of 6 teaspoons.
Some symptoms of you eating too much sugar are as follows:
Low energy levels: A 2019 study found that 1 hour after consuming sugar, participants felt more tired and less alert. compared with the control group. Low mood: A 2017 study found that high sugar consumption increased rates of depression and mood disorders in men. Bloating: According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, certain sugars can cause bloating in people with gastrointestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or intestinal bacterial overgrowth young (SIBO).

2. The impact of eating a lot of sugar on the body

Consuming too much sugar can also contribute to both short- and long-term health problems.
Tooth decay Sugar feeds bacteria that live in the mouth. When bacteria digest sugar, they produce acid as a waste product. Under the action of this acid, teeth can erode enamel and create holes or cavities in the teeth.
Therefore, the subjects most likely to have tooth decay include people who regularly eat sugary foods, especially those who regularly consume snacks or sweet drinks.
Acne In China, a study conducted on university students in China showed that students who drink sugary drinks 7 times/week or more are more likely to have moderate acne. to heavy.
Additionally, 2019 research shows that reducing sugar consumption can reduce insulin-like growth factors, androgens, and sebum, all of which can contribute to acne. fish or make acne worse.
Weight gain and obesity Sugar can affect hormones in the body that control weight, one of which is the hormone leptin, which tells the brain when it's eaten enough. However, in 2008, based on an animal study, it was found that a diet high in sugar can induce leptin resistance.
Over time, people following a high-sugar diet for a long time will prevent the brain from knowing when it has eaten enough. However, researchers have not tested it on humans, so it is not possible to confirm this is true for humans or not.

Diabetes and insulin resistance A 2013 article in the journal PLOS ONE showed that high levels of sugar in the diet can cause type 2 diabetes over time.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) adds that other risk factors, such as obesity and insulin resistance, can also lead to type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular disease A large prospective study in 2014 found that people who ate 17–21% more daily calories from added sugars had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those who consumed 8% added sugar. For those who consumed 21% or more of their energy from added sugars, their risk of cardiovascular disease doubled.
High blood pressure Several studies around the world conducted on people in 2011 have found a link between sugary drinks and high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. A review in Pharmacological Research states that hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. With these studies, it means that sugar not only aggravates hypertension, but also affects cardiovascular disease.
Cancer Consuming too much sugar can cause inflammation, oxidative stress and obesity. These are all factors associated with the risk of developing cancer.
A review of studies in the Annual Review of Nutrition found a 23–200% increased risk of cancer with sugar-sweetened beverages. In addition, researchers in another study found that the risk of certain cancers increased by 59% in study subjects who drank sugary drinks and had an enlarged belly.
Skin Aging Excess sugar in the diet leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are one of the factors that contribute to diabetes. However, sugar itself can also affect collagen formation in the skin.
According to the Skin Therapy Letter, there is some evidence that a high AGE count can lead to faster aging. Therefore, researchers still need to conduct more in-depth studies to understand the impact of sugar on aging in humans.

3. Sugar Strategies for Holiday Eating

Enjoy sugary foods Instead of eating a large portion of one or more desserts, choose your favorite and enjoy each bite slowly. By learning to enjoy your food and eat it in small pieces, you can probably feel satisfied with a small portion of sugary foods, rather than having to eat a lot.
Make time for a cup of tea After dinner and before dessert, pour yourself a cup of warm, aromatic tea. You may find that when the dessert tray is cleared, you're content with a light cup of tea and don't want a sugar-laden pastry. This post-dinner pause also allows your brain to sense how full you are, and taking a tea break can help you realize you're simply not hungry so you don't need to eat dessert.
Choose simple sweets Holiday desserts aren't usually good, but taking a simple approach can provide a refreshing change. If you've finished your holiday meal, consider preparing a fruit plate with squares of dark chocolate to help limit the amount of sugar from other sweet foods.
Be careful about sugar sources On the food market today there are many products that contain large amounts of added sugar. Reducing or eliminating these foods is an effective way to reduce sugar consumption.
The 2010–2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that soda and other soft drinks account for about half of a person's added sugars in the United States. An average can of soda or fruit provides 10 teaspoons of sugar.
Breakfast cereal is also one of the foods that contain a lot of sugar. According to experts, many popular cereals contain more than 60 percent sugar by weight, with some brands containing more than 80 percent sugar. This is especially true of cereals marketed to children.
Swap these foods for sugar-free alternatives that will help a person reduce their sugar intake, such as:
Swap soda for water, milk or herbal teas Swap sugary cereals for low-fat cereals Sugar, oatmeal or eggs Any questions that need to be answered by a specialist as well as customers wishing to be examined and treated at Vinmec International General Hospital, please contact the Website for the best service.

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References: hsph.harvard.edu, medicalnewstoday.com