I'm currently reading You On a Diet. I like the format of the book and, so far, it seems to be a pretty sensible approach to weight management. It's been interesting to learn about the mechanics of the body when it comes to food.
When I read something, I don't retain the information very long unless I take notes. I thought I would share my notes/thoughts as I go. Anxious to hear what you guys think, too.
The tidbits on HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) interested me so that's the first topic I delved into. It brought up some questions, too, which I'm hoping I can get some input on.
Sorry, this isn't going to be too terribly organized:
HFCS
* The body doesn't recognize it as "regular food" or excess calories, so it doesn't turn off hunger signals
* Avoid all:
Simple Sugars (more on that in a sec)
Enriched, Bleached or Refined Flour
HFCS
* Food Labels:
Avoid foods where HFCS or another simple sugar is more than 4g per serving
OR
One of the first 5 ingredients
* Sugar (why it's bad):
Excess Calories
Induces highs & lows in blood sugar (creates a cycle of craving more high-calorie food)
* Simple Sugars:
Brown sugar, dextrose, corn sweetener, HFCS, glucose, corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, maltose, lactose, malt syrup, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose
* Watch for HFCS in bread:
Go for 100% Whole Grain only (not "made with," multigrain, whole grain, blends, "good source," "supports heart health")
*Watch for HFCS in salad dressing:
Go for "low-cal," not "low-fat" (which can be loaded with HFCS)
So, here's how this translates for me:
* My Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches are a big no-no. They're low in fat and calories and have 3g of fiber, but they have 15g of sugar.
* So are the All-Bran bars I eat with my coffee. They're low in calories and high in fiber (which is why I eat them), but they have 11g of sugar and simple sugars are at the top of the ingredients list.
*My All-Bran Bran Buds (which I mix into my low sugar yogurt) has 8g of sugar (too high according to YOAD) and sugar is the second ingredient behind wheat bran. However, one serving packs a huge fiber punch - 13g! At this point, I'm not ready or willing to give them up because they're such a great fiber source.
So, I suppose my question is this... As they state, sugar causes highs and lows in our blood sugar causing cravings for high-calorie food. If I can eat things like Skinny Cows (one per day) and All-Bran and similar products (in moderation, of course) without experiencing problems with cravings, is the small amount of sugar I'm consuming not a concern? I'm very careful about sugar (for the most part), good fats, good carbs, protein, fiber, sodium and calories. I don't know anything about recommendations or general guidelines for sugar consumption (other than YOAD). Is there a certain number of sugar grams that we're supposed to stay under each day?
If the authors address this at some point in the book, I willl share what I learn.
Hope you're all having a good day.
K.Lee