SUGAR – Why Do I Limit It?

Sugar doesn’t have to be the enemy. But if we want to understand our bodies, it’s good to know what sugar is, what happens to it in our body, and why consuming too much of it may not help us.

What exactly is sugar?

Sugars are carbohydrates and a source of energy. Regular table sugar – sucrose – is made up of glucose and fructose.

Our body uses glucose as fuel. Our muscles, brain and other tissues all need it.

But this doesn’t mean that we need to eat added sugar to provide our body with glucose. We also get carbohydrates from rice, potatoes, pasta, oats, quinoa, fruit, legumes and many other foods.

Where do we find sugar?

Sugars occur naturally in foods such as fruit and dairy products. Along with these sugars, however, we also get other nutrients – such as fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Then we have added sugar.

We find it in sweets, biscuits, cakes, pastries, sweetened drinks, jams, some flavoured yogurts, breakfast cereals, sauces and many other processed foods.

And throughout the day, we can consume much more added sugar than we realise.

What happens when we eat something sweet?

Simple sugars can be absorbed quickly, which means that blood glucose levels can rise rapidly.

The pancreas responds to this rise by releasing insulin. One of insulin’s roles is to help move glucose from the blood into our cells, where the body can use it for energy. Some of that energy can also be stored as glycogen, mainly in the muscles and liver, and used later.

After a more significant rise, blood glucose levels may then fall again relatively quickly.

And this brings us to something you may have experienced yourself.

Why can we crave more sweets after eating something sweet?

In some people, larger fluctuations in blood glucose may be associated with an earlier return of hunger, a drop in energy or cravings for more food.

And very often, what we crave is something sweet again.

Sweet taste is also naturally pleasurable to our brain and activates the reward system. So we don’t necessarily want another sweet treat because our body actually needs more energy. Sometimes we want it simply because it tastes good and our brain wants to repeat that pleasurable experience.

This can create a very simple cycle:

Something sweet → quick energy → rise and subsequent fall in blood glucose → hunger or cravings → something sweet again

Not everyone responds to sugar in the same way. But if you are one of those people for whom sweet foods trigger more cravings, limiting them may be a simple way to make your appetite easier to manage.

What about sugar and our weight?

Sugar contains approximately 4 kcal per gram, just like other digestible carbohydrates.

So the problem isn’t that one gram of sugar contains an exceptionally high number of calories.

The problem is that foods rich in added sugar can provide a lot of energy without providing the same level of satiety, which makes them very easy to overconsume.

And when we consistently consume more energy than our body uses, that excess energy can eventually be stored as body fat.

So if our goal is to lose weight or maintain our weight, reducing added sugar can be a very simple way to lower our calorie intake without having to eat less nutritious food.

What do I do?

Personally, I hardly ever use regular sugar at home anymore.

Not because I’m afraid of it or because it is forbidden.

I simply don’t need it.

I get my carbohydrates and energy from oats, rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, fruit and many other foods.

And I certainly haven’t given up sweet flavours. ❤️

I bake cakes, make puddings, desserts, pancakes and homemade jams. Wherever I don’t miss regular sugar, I replace it with an alternative such as Pure Via Patisserie.

Why would I add calories somewhere I simply don’t need them?

Does that mean I never eat sugar?

Of course not.

If I’m on holiday and I feel like having an ice cream, I have one. 🍦
If I want to enjoy a delicious piece of cake, I have it.
If I’m visiting someone, I’m not going to worry about whether they baked their cake with sugar.

Because there is a difference between what we do every day and what we occasionally choose to enjoy.

My goal isn’t to be afraid of sugar.

My goal is to know where I don’t need it – and where I consciously choose to enjoy it.

That, for me, is balance.

In balance there is strength.