In today’s fast-paced life, proper nutrition can often take a back seat to convenience. We don’t always have time to examine every ingredient in our food – especially when pre-packaged meals and snacks are so easy and accessible. Grab-and-go is key when you’re running from one place to the next. We all know that too much sugar is bad for us. The problem is keeping it out when it sneaks into our diets in surprising ways. As a board-certified health and wellness coach, it is my mission to empower you with the knowledge and tools to identify and combat these hidden sugars effectively.

Most of us like to indulge in a sweet treat once in a while. When I moved to Switzerland, I indulged a little bit in chocolate and the delicious fresh-baked goodies here. While the quality of food is certainly better than in the United States, after a while, I felt inflammation in my joints, which disappeared when I cut back on sugar.

Limiting dessert is a great place to start, but what about the sugar we consume unintentionally? When we eat candy or baked goods, we expect to consume some sugar (and hey, maintaining a healthy diet is all about balance, right?), but believe it or not, added sugar is lurking in many foods that we would not even consider sweet.

Some foods that can be surprisingly high in sugar are sauces, dressings, juice, lowfat yogurt, processed foods, and even things that we would consider “health food,” like granola or protein bars. How unfair is that?

Unfortunately, this makes it easy for food manufacturers to sneak extra sugar into our food. Why would they even want to do that? Well, besides the obvious – to sweeten the taste – sugar can also improve the look, texture, and shelf life of food…but a major reason why they intentionally add sugar is because of its highly addictive properties. When we eat sugary foods, the chemical dopamine is released. This signals to the brain that something is positive. The brain’s reward system (the mesolimbic dopamine system) is activated. Since our brains are continuously rewiring themselves, the more the reward system is activated, the more those neural pathways are strengthened. We build up a tolerance to sweets, wanting more and more. The food companies love this because then we buy more, and they make money off of our cravings.

The Dangers of Added Sugar (and the Benefits of Reducing It!):

Excessive sugar consumption can cause a variety of health problems. These include obesity and weight gain, inflammation, increased blood pressure, fatty liver disease, diabetes, tooth decay, and heart disease.

When we reduce added sugar in our diets, the results speak for themselves.

One of my clients, a woman in her fifties, woke up each morning with knee pain. She didn’t think much of it, assuming it was a natural consequence of getting older. “I thought it was just normal at my age,” she told me, resigned to the discomfort. As it turns out, the pain was preventable! She took part in my 21-Day Sugar Detox, and incredibly, her knee pain went away. Needless to say, she never brought sugar back into her diet to that extent again.

Also, I have several clients facing autoimmune disease. We have worked together to reduce sugar in their diets, and they too have found positive results, having less inflammation and feeling much better.

Deciphering Food Labels:

So, how do we combat undercover sugar? We arm ourselves with education! The best way to control what goes into our body is to be well informed about what is in our food. Food companies use our confusion to their advantage. The better we are at identifying that sneaky sugar, the better equipped we are to keep an excess of it out of our diets. Let’s take a look at the importance of understanding food labels.

Step 1: Take a hard look at the ingredients list.

Sugar hides behind many aliases. Food manufacturers list sugar under a multitude of different names, which makes it tricky for consumers to identify it. Here is a list of commonly used names:

Brown sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Fruit juice concentrates
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Malt sugar
Molasses
Raw sugar
Sugar
Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)
Syrup

Get acquainted with these names. The more familiar you are with them, the easier it is to identify them at a quick glance. Food companies rely on our ignorance. They want us to be too busy to bother with understanding the nutrition label. If we know what we are looking for, we don’t have to spend a lot of time dissecting it, and we can make healthy choices fast.

Step 2: Assess the sugar content.

Remember that not all sugar is harmful. There are natural sugars found in fruit (fructose) and dairy (lactose). These naturally occurring sugars are actually good for us. This is because they are digested more slowly than added sugars, so they keep our metabolisms stable. When you read the nutrition label, keep in mind that “Total Sugar” includes both naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. It’s the added sugar you want to watch out for.

Step 3: Compare!

It can be tempting to quickly run through the store and grab all your usual choices…but take a moment to look beyond your list. When selecting between similar products, compare their sugar content per serving. Opt for products with lower sugar levels or with sugars listed further down the ingredients list.

Practical Tips to Make Mindful Choices in the Grocery Store and at Home:

In the Store:

Now that you know how to spot hidden sugars, the next challenge is to incorporate that awareness seamlessly into your busy life. You already know that being well-versed in sneaky terminology makes it easier to shop smart. If you make a habit of reading nutrition labels every time you go grocery shopping, it will quickly become second nature. Making health-minded choices when you shop ensures that your refrigerator and cabinets will be stocked accordingly.

At Home:

Take time to plan your meals and snacks in advance. This way, you can make mindful choices instead of reaching for whatever is easily accessible. Unfortunately, those quick, easy grabs are often not the healthiest options. Better yet, make healthy foods easily accessible! Prepare a great meal and have it ready in the refrigerator. Having healthy options at your fingertips makes it easier to stick to your resolve. Whenever possible, cook from scratch, using a variety of whole foods (For a guide to simplifying your meals, click HERE). Meal planning and cooking from home allow you to control the ingredients and minimize any extra sugars. Keep in mind that beverages matter, too! Sweet drinks are often a culprit in our excessive sugar intake. Ditch your sugary drinks in favor of unsweetened tea, black coffee, and of course, water!

Now that you are equipped with some great tools and strategies, it’s time to put them into practice! With knowledge about hidden sugars, the skill to read nutrition labels, and some helpful ways to incorporate healthy choices into your real life, you are ready to take control of your health! Make small changes today, and your body will thank you for the significant improvements that result. A lower-sugar lifestyle will lead to a sweeter future.

Claudia is an NBC-HWC Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, the owner of Vibrant Health by Claudia LLC and Virtual Health Coaches LLC. She studied Health and Wellness Coaching at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she also completed courses in Gut Health, Hormone Health, and Advanced Coaching. She is a Havening TechniquesⓇ Certified Practitioner and certified 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach as well as a co-author of two Amazon Bestsellers “The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Soul Aligned Business” and “The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Soul Professional”.

To schedule a time for a free information call click here or join her Vibrant Health Power Community - a free Facebook Group - here.

Sources:

Harvard Health. “The Sweet Danger of Sugar.” Harvard Health, 6 Jan. 2022, www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar.

Reichelt, Amy. “Your Brain on Sugar: What the Science Actually Says.” The Conversation, theconversation.com/your-brain-on-sugar-what-the-science-actually-says-126581#:~:text=When%20we%20eat%20sweet%20foods,carry%20out%20these%20actions%20again.

Schaefer, Anna. “Experts Agree: Sugar Might Be as Addictive as Cocaine.” Healthline, 30 May 2023, www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug#What-is-an-addiction.

“Sugar 101.”www.heart.org, 10 May 2023, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101.

Unveiling the Secrets of Hidden Sugars: A Guide to Reading Labels and Protecting Your Health

vibrant health by claudia, llc