Is Sugar the New Fat?

Sugar….there’s no getting away from it, its everywhere, in everything! And lets be honest we love it!

So whats all the fuss about ?

Back in the eighties it was Fat now its Sugar! Is it just another food fad to keep us on our toes? Something to trend on social media? Something for the big food producers to jump all over ?

I don’t think so and The World Health Organisation doesn’t either…they are currently reviewing their guidelines on refined sugar intake. They have made the link between sugar intake and weight gain and the statistics are there to prove it.

More than 40 million children worldwide under the age of 5 were overweight in 2011.

Don’t let your child become another obesity number. Become a sugar aware mum. (SAM)

My simple tips to become sugar aware:

  1. Read the labels on products you buy regularly. 5 g of sugar is approx. 1 heaped tsp.
  2. Dilute all juices by at least 50%, a simple 100ml glass of juice in the morning can be 2 tsp of sugar.
  3. Be treatwise! They dont need a full bag of jellies or full bar of chocolate. They can easily take in 5 or 6 tsps of sugar in a mid afternoon treat. Use portion control and offer some fruit/nuts also.
  4. Say no to the fizzy drinks and energy/sports drinks.
  5. In the supermarkets porridge and weetabix are the cereals lowest in sugars. Aim for no more than 5-10g sugar per 100g.

If you need further consultation on your families sugar intake, how to identify it, tips to reduce it, contact Cathriona Hodgins Nutrition Athlone today

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