November 30
Day 138
I spent some time geeking out on the Sugar Associations’ website yesterday. Formed in 1942, they represent the interests of the sugar industry and are very proud of sugars’ functional role in food science, health, cosmetics, and more. As far as its contribution to food, sugar helps balance acidity and flavor, adds moisture to recipes, helps bread rise, provides density, extends shelf life and shelf stability, helps texture and mouth feel, is a flavor enhancer, and adds to aroma and color. This may all be true, but at what cost to our health?
As a country we are still consuming more than the recommended 10% of calories for added sugar. And do you know why the recommendation is 10%? This will blow your mind. They argue that sugar is needed for daily nutrient delivery recommended by the USDA in order for children to get their recommended grains and dairy each day, and for people to have a regular and balanced pattern of eating. They are saying there has to be sugar in bread for color, taste, added moisture, density, mouthfeel, and to rise properly, so in order for children to get their grains, there will be some sugar. Same story with strawberry flavored yogurt for example. In order for children to get their dairy allowance, that strawberry yogurt must have some added sugar to taste good so that the children will eat it. This is basically what they are saying. Can you tell I am appauled!
They also illustrate in graph form how sugar consumption has decreased since 1999 after so much media about the obesity epidemic, which is when manufacturers started replacing sugar with zero calorie artificial sweeteners, and so artificial sweetener consumption increased. But they don’t mention that part.
According to the sugar industry, there is no substitute. Maybe so.
#sugarindustry #healthcoachmaryellen #sugarfreediet #nutrition #sugarfreestyle #sugarfreelife #nosugaraddedlifestyle #nosugaradded #sugaraddict #sugaraddiction #healthcoach #weightloss #artificialsweetener
