Selynda B. sent us an article from the Nine MSN website today, which speaks of hidden sugars..
From the article;Be on the lookout for excess added sugars in your diet, explains author and health expert Jennifer Jefferies.
The average person consumes in excess of 50 kilograms of sugar per year! So why do we continue to consume so much of it? Because sugars are hidden in everything.
Packaged and processed foods are particularly treacherous as in most cases you aren't even aware of which sugars you're eating. Sugars are a form of carbohydrate and are actually built of sugar molecules, called saccharides.
Traditionally, carbohydrates were classified by their chemical structure, that is, either simple (sugars) or complex carbohydrates. This method however is not related to the blood glucose (blood sugar levels) and insulin responses in the body.
More recently researchers have developed a new method of classifying carbohydrates, known as the glycaemic index (GI). The glycaemic index allows foods to be classified by their effect on blood glucose response rather than their chemical composition.
Food carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion have the highest GI values because the blood glucose response is high, that is the blood sugar levels rise sharply. High GI foods (GI value greater than 70) include potatoes, white rice and bread. The opposite to this are the low GI foods that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually in the blood. Low GI foods (GI value less than 55) include pasta, legumes and porridge. It is thought that low GI foods are the most satisfying and sustaining and help reduce overeating.
Check out the full article here http://naturalhealth.ninemsn.com.au/News/Detail.aspx?ArticleId=9003Thanks Selynda, great article!
