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Published December 1, 2007 When it comes to sugar and weight loss, it’s “simple”We’ve all heard about how sugar is a bad thing to eat, but do we really know why? Sugar is blamed for everything from cavities to diabetes, and everything in between. For someone who’s trying to lose weight though, is it really a bad thing? Refined sugars, processed sugars, simple sugars, complex sugars, glycemic index, what does it all mean? I admit, it can be very confusing. You’ve heard to always eat breakfast, but then you find out that the “healthy” cereals like Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes really aren’t as good for you as you thought. Or how about finding out that fruit juice isn’t the best thing to drink, or stay away from the white bread, it’ll get ya. There are so many new findings coming out on sugar that it can cause you to spin in circles. So where to begin? Sugars can be classified into two different types: simple and complex. Simple sugars/simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar units, the most common form being glucose (single sugar unit). Glucose is what the body uses to energize itself. You’ve probably heard of blood sugar or blood glucose; they’re the same thing. Complex sugars/complex carbohydrates can be made up of thousands of sugar units; this is why they’re considered complex. One of the most important differences between simple sugars and complex sugars is since simple sugar are only made up of at most two sugar units, the body essentially doesn’t have to do much to break them down. This is why when a diabetic’s blood sugar drops, it’s good for them to eat candy or drink pop. These contain simple sugars and are almost instantaneously absorbed into the blood stream. So why is it that simple sugars are considered bad? As said earlier, simple sugars require very little, if any, breakdown to enter the blood stream. When we eat carbohydrates/sugars, they’re broken down into glucose (body’s source of energy) and absorbed into the blood stream. The rate at which they break down and raise the blood sugar is measured by their glycemic index. The higher the glycemic index number, the faster your blood sugar is raised (bread being higher on the glycemic index than milk). When our blood sugar is raised, the pancreas releases insulin to transport the glucose out of our blood and into our cells to be used for energy. So here’s the problem. Since simple sugars are absorbed into the blood stream so quickly, a huge amount of insulin is released to try and move the glucose from our blood into our cells. One problem is since so much insulin is released at once, the body thinks there’s an abundance of glucose. Instead of using all the glucose for energy, it stores it as fat and stops burning off the fat we already have stored. (Stored fat can be broken down into fragments that combine with glucose fragments to be burned for energy.) Even worse, since so much insulin has been released, too much glucose is transported out of the blood. This results in a drop in blood sugar leaving us feeling tired and hungrier. As a result, we eat more sugary foods, and the process starts all over again. Simple sugars occur in foods such as pop, candy, cereal, cakes, cookies, pies, fruit drinks, fruits, many vegetables, milk, etc. Fruits, many vegetables, and milk? That’s right. You saw the last three correctly. Here’s the good news though. Simple sugars can really be broken down into two categories: add/refined/processed (all three mean the same) and natural. Processed sugars are those of sweets such as candy bars and cookies. The sugars of fruits, vegetables, and milk are natural sugars. They have a much higher nutrient density than added sugars because they’re packed with important vitamins and minerals. Also, the water in fruits and vegetables dilute the sugar, whereas refined sugars are concentrated with very little nutrient content. Fruits and vegetables also contain fiber, which helps slow down glucose absorption into the blood, meaning blood sugar won’t spike. It’s a no-brainer for your body; the sugar in fruits, vegetables, and milk are a lot better for you than refined sugars. Now having a background on simple sugars, it should be easy to understand why complex carbohydrates/sugars are a lot better for you. Since complex carbohydrates can be thousands of glucose molecules put together, the body has to break these apart before they can be absorbed as single glucose molecules into the blood stream. This means complex sugars don’t spike your blood sugar like simple sugars do. Since they take a lot longer to break down in the body, there isn’t the insulin surge that results from eating simple sugars. This means you are left feeling full longer, and you have consistent energy for a longer period of time. All this means less storage of new fat, more fat already in the body being burned off, and better appetite control. So as a wise man once told me, “A+B+C=weight loss.” Okay, so maybe I made that up, but you get my point. So just remember, the body’s energy source is glucose, glucose is a sugar, so doesn’t it make sense that sugar/carbohydrates need to be included in what you eat. Not eating carbohydrates is like trying to run a car without gasoline. It’s impossible; at least in the year 2007. You need carbohydrates (sugar), just be smart about the type of sugar you eat. Choose the complex sugars such as foods with starch and fiber over the simple, refined sugars. Here’s a list of refined sugars that are added to many foods. They can be found in anything from cereal to juice. When shopping, look at the ingredients on the food labels and try to stay away from these little buggers. Remember, these are added sugars, which means they’re concentrated. For example, glucose is essential for the body, but when it’s added to foods, it’s way to concentrated. Your body should have to work to break down sugars; they shouldn’t be eaten in an already broken down simple sugar form. Simple sugars, like glucose, eaten whole will cause that blood sugar spike talked about earlier. When sugars show up on food labels, it means they’re in simple sugar form, so stay away from them. Brown sugar Dan Falkenberg is the co-founder and co-owner of Your Live Trainers. He can be reached at DanFalkenberg.com.
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