Sugar, Sugar…

I’ve been contemplating this diet for awhile and for the next two weeks I’m going to give it my best shot.  Tthe “Low Sugar” or “Low Glycemic” diet is one which is well, low in sugar.  Why?  I don’t really have a good answer other than I wanted to try it.  Can my body do without sweets or other temptations…

First off, I’m not diabetic or am I allergic to sugar in anyway nor do I have to worry about weight (no I promise I’m not perfect).  Most days I don’t have sugar cravings or even if I do, I’ll choose a piece of fruit instead of eating candy (or other sugar laden items).  Typically I refrain from deserts or treats.  I don’t walk down the candy aisles at the grocery store and try to stay away from fresh pastries.

Why worry about the amount of sugar we eat? Aside from providing empty calories, one of sugar’s major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level. An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body’s blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Prolonged, elevated insulin levels can increase the risk for disease by causing inflammation within your body. Plus, of course, when eaten in large quantities, sugar provides excessive calories that pack on the pounds.  Rasing insulin levels also can give you indegestion or heart burn while your training.  Eating too much sugar can cause you to "crash" during a workout.  These are things I want to see if I can avoid while on this diet.

The first thing you need to know is that sugar is a carbohydrate. All carbohydrates have approximately four calories per gram. For example, one teaspoon of sugar (which is equivalent to 1 packet of sugar or 1 sugar cube) equals 4 grams and 16 calories. Keep in mind that the sweet stuff found in many of the foods we love does not always go by the name "sugar." You also will need to recognize the other forms, including honey, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, powdered sugar, high fructose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, dextrose, glucose, molasses, corn syrup, maltose, and sucrose.

Let’s get some facts.  The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 8 teaspoons per day of added sugar based on a 2,000 calories per day diet.  That’s 32 grams or about 6% of your total calories for the day.

32 total grams sugar/ 4 grams per teaspoon = < 8 teaspoons added sugar/day

Sound like a lot?  It shouldn’t.  Most people eat more, wayyyyy more.  Take a look at the labels on your food the next time you buy something.  A can of pop (20 Oz.) has 64 grams of sugar in it.  Now I know that most people who read this site probably don’t eat a lot of junk food, right ;-).  What about sugar in powerbars or Gadorade?  These are my typical fuels for long workouts.  Pbars have 24 grams and Gadorade about 31 grams, both almost equaling your daily total. 

The diet presented above doesn’t take into account the hours a week that I would train.  Eating my proffered sugary workout foods are probably ok in moderation.  This diet I’m going to see if I can make substitutions with other items to help supplant my needs.

How about learning what good sugars are.  Good sugars that you don’t need to worry about. They occur naturally in foods and also supply key nutrients.  These can be found in the Desirable Foods listed below.

This is a template to what I will be following for the next two weeks.  Almost all my food will be coming from the Desirable section of this food chart.  The goal of this diet for me is to not have any foods from the "Less Desirable Foods". 

This diet shouldn’t be hard for me other than on high training days where sugar helps give me a perk.  Quick boosts are needed every now and then when the bodies energy stores begin to become depleted.  For the next two weeks I’ll be choosing foods with less sugar to help me get along in my day/training.

I’ll keep you update on the days and if I can manage to now eat any of my girlfriends baked cookies!