Fats and Sugars

[watervole]

I've had a suspicion for a long time that sugar and highly-refined foods are probably the biggest factor behind obesity (more so than fat).  This research seems to confirm that.

I stay at a comfortable weight by the simple tactic of choosing wholefood options (brown bread/rice/pasta instead of white), beans, plenty of veg, etc.  I eat far less meat than most people, but still include it in several meals a week.

I try and avoid anything that contains sugar.  That means eating on of the very small number of breakfast cereals that don't contain sugar (watch out for crystallised fruit that several brands now slip in in order to try and make you think there's no sugar when there is).  Dorset Cereals muesli, and Grape Nuts are the usual ones at present.  (they started adding sugar to my previous brand).

I don't buy or make cakes (but the occasional slice when out for an afternoon is okay - this is a lifestyle, not a prison).  I eat small amounts of chocolate (a couple of squares of Green and Black each day), and that's pretty much it on the sugar front.

I've stopped eating things like baked beans and other similar tinned foods.  The sugar content has risen so much that I now find them unpalatable.

Cheese is wonderful, and we eat all kinds of varieties.

If I had to offer just one tip for a healthy diet, I'd say to eat nothing with sugar in it.  (and no artificial sweeteners either)

Comments

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

I do much the same, though not for weight reasons; eating sugar makes me really grumpy and irritable.

Regarding muesli, I eat Jordan's Natural. I used to like G&B's chocolate, but nearly none of it is strong enough for me to eat it safely now; anything less than 85% and the sugar content overwhelms the natural adrenergic cushioning of the cacao.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Jordan's started slipping in the crystallised fruit. Are they still doing that? I haven't checked a packet for several months. (After I stopped buying it, the local supermarket stopped stocking it. Wonder if the two were connected...)

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

The package I have lists dried fruit, unglazed, no added sugar. I know their other muesli brands do use crystallized fruit, though, from checking all the ingredients lists over thirty feet of supermarket shelves.