Tag: sugar

Risks of High Sugar Content in Kids’ Cereals

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 27 November 2023
No Comments on Risks of High Sugar Content in Kids’ Cereals

Morning rituals and healthy breakfasts together form a tradition we pass down to our kids. But here is the twist: those seemingly virtuous cereals might contain ingredients with damaging effects that you might not be aware of. Could your child’s apparent healthy morning bowl be hiding cancer-causing ingredients?

Read ahead to know more as Nupuur Patil, a nutritionist and fitness expert breaks down cereal Ingredients, which is a common breakfast in many households.

Acrylamide: A Hidden Threat

Acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compound, is formed during the cooking process of certain foods, especially those high in starch, like cereals. Acrylamide is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), indicating its potential carcinogenicity to humans. This underscores the importance of understanding how our food is processed and choosing products that minimize exposure to such compounds.

The Sugar Dilemma: A Sweet Conundrum

One of the primary concerns associated with kids’ cereals is the high level of added sugars. Studies suggest a possible link between excessive sugar consumption and an elevated risk of certain cancers. Refined sugars contribute to inflammation and insulin resistance, creating an environment conducive to cancer cell development. Parents are, therefore, urged to be vigilant about sugar content, opting for cereals with minimal added sugars or, better yet, exploring natural sweeteners.

Artificial Colors and Flavors: A Potential Culprit

Artificial colors and flavors, commonly found in children’s cereals, have raised questions about their safety. Some studies hint at a potential connection between certain artificial colors and an increased risk of cancer. Commonly used synthetic food colorants (SFCs), such as Red 40 and Yellow 5, are under scrutiny. Choosing cereals with natural ingredients and fewer artificial additives can be a step towards reducing potential health risks.

Empowering Parents: Making Informed Choices

While the link between kids’ cereals and cancer is not conclusively proven, parents can empower themselves by making informed choices. Opting for cereals with minimal added sugars, natural ingredients, and no artificial additives, as well as being mindful of GMOs and pesticides, can contribute to a healthier diet for children.

As parents, our choices play a pivotal role in shaping our children’s health. By staying informed and making conscious decisions about the cereals we provide, we can contribute to a healthier future for our kids. Prioritizing whole, nutrient-rich foods and minimizing exposure to potential carcinogens is a significant step towards fostering well-being and safeguarding our children’s health.

ALSO READ-Add protein supplements into your fitness regime

Tags health, KIDS, sugar

Food

Keep sugar out of your diet

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 1 August 2022
No Comments on Keep sugar out of your diet

Eating a large number of sugary foods may mean you gain weight. Sugar has a low effect on satiety meaning you will not feel full after eating sugary snacks…writes N. LOTHUNGBENI HUMTSOE

Sugary snacks and drinks are abundant on supermarket and retail shelves. While it is possible to enjoy these on occasion, regular consumption is an easy way to go over your required calorie intake, and too much sugar can lead to a variety of health problems.

According to the studies, your sugar intake should not exceed 5 per cent of your total daily calories. This means that a typical adult’s sugar intake should not exceed 30g per day. The most harmful type of sugar is free sugar, which is found in fizzy drinks, fruit juices, biscuits, cakes, and chocolate.

There is also a ‘no sugar diet,’ which eliminates all sugar, including those found in otherwise healthy foods like fruit and dairy. This is not recommended because fruits are high in fibre and micronutrients. Myprotein India, a leading sports and nutrition brand, experts explain the benefits of a low sugar diet and how to reduce sugar intake to stay healthy. What are the Benefits of Reducing your Sugar Intake?

Weight loss

Eating a large number of sugary foods may mean you gain weight. Sugar has a low effect on satiety meaning you will not feel full after eating sugary snacks. This means it’s much more likely you will exceed your required daily calorie amount which may lead to weight gain in the long run. Switching your food choices for those with a higher protein and fibre content may result in weight loss.

Tooth Care

Large amounts of sugar can wreak havoc on your teeth. If you want to stay fit and healthy and avoid a toothless smile, its best to make sure you are not going overboard with your sugar intake. Specifically, free sugars are the ones that do the most damage and put your dentist in a bad mood.

How to Follow a Low Sugar Diet

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your daily sugar intake and many of them may result in improved dietary habits in general. Using the tips below will help to reduce your daily sugar intake and improve the quality of your diet.

Take Notice of Food Labels

It can often be surprising just how much sugar is in your preferred drinks and snacking options and sugar can often be in foods you wouldn’t expect. Being attentive and making sure to read the food labels can be an informative process helping you make the right choices when it comes to meals, snacks, and drinks.

Avoid Sugary Drinks

Your favourite fizzy drinks may well be loaded with sugar well worth looking for the ‘diet’ counterparts. Not just the typical soda drink though, drinks often marketed as ‘healthy’ or ‘low fat’ may also contain a fair amount of sugar.

Things like ‘healthy’ smoothies or fruit juices can also have a substantial amount of sugar and whilst trying to pick a healthy option you could inadvertently add unnecessary sugar to your diet.

Go easy on condiments

Ketchup and brown sauce contain a substantial amount of sugar. Making sure you don’t go overboard with the ketchup serving size and reducing the number of meals that you add sauce to can help reduce your overall sugar intake.

Plan your meals ahead

Planning your meals in advance has many benefits. As well as allowing you to monitor your calories, planning your meals can be cost-effective and kind to your wallet.

Importantly for sugar intake, planning ahead can also help to avoid the last-minute unhealthy processed choice on the shelf. Although they can be convenient when time is limited, these processed foods often have a high sugar content, which is why it’s recommended to cook your own with fresh and wholegrain ingredients.

Planning ahead also allows you time to check your labels for sugar content and fit in sweet treats here and there.

Don’t shop when hungry or tired

Traipsing the shops after a long day at work when you’re tired and hungry can make the sugary snacks hard to resist. Especially those placed next to the checkout.

Shopping after a healthy meal (containing fibre and protein) can help you fight off the temptation of fighting the food choices that can have a negative impact in the long run. Once it’s bought and in your cupboards, at home, it’s much harder to resist the sugary snacks whilst watching your favourite box set.

To conclude, reducing the sugar intake in your diet can lead to improved body composition and reduce the likelihood of tooth decay and long-term diseases. Following the tips above can help reduce your intake in a sustainable way, while still enjoying tasty food.

ALSO READ-Inflammatory diet may lead to depression

Tags FOOD, sugar

Food Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Always prefer a nutritious meal

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 9 May 2021
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Food rich in fiber helps your body to dispose of the toxins, regularise bowel movement, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels. A few basic changes to our whole wheat flour, dosa idli batter, and chapati can lead to more fiber…writes Puja Gupta.

Picking up a perfect meal may not be possible all the time. The fact that fancy diets are difficult to follow is because they try to eliminate all ingredients that are well accustomed to our taste pallet. It’s important to follow a diet that helps in reaching our fitness goals in a flexible and comfortable manner.

However, making major changes to your diet can sometimes seem very overwhelming. Instead of making big changes, it may be better to start with a few smaller ones, by tweaking your regular cooking style, chapati, curries, dal and soups be a welcome change and add value to everyday nutrition.

Diksha Chhabra, Founder, Diksha Chhabra Fitness Consultations, shares a few ways you can make load your meals with nutrition and that too effortlessly.

Power of Protein:

We have seen our mothers and grannies making paneer or curd at home with leftover milk. Ever wondered what that water like substance is? Often thrown as waste after making paneer or seen as leftover after the curd is set is actually pure milk protein that gets filtered during the process. It’s a quick digesting class one protein which the human body can easily absorb and can benefit of. Instead of throwing the residual water after making paneer or removing it from curd to make it thick and creamy, use it in kneading your dough for chapati, or add it to dals, vegetable curries, soups and even for cooking rice and pasta. Our Indian vegetarian meals lack class one source of protein and this can positively increase the nutritional value of simple everyday meals.

Power of Fibre:

Food rich in fibre helps your body to dispose off the toxins, regularise bowel movement, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels. A few basic changes to our whole wheat flour, dosa idli batter and chapati can lead to more fibre. Adding multiple grain like jowar, bajra, oats, ragi, legumes in our flour or batter doubles up its nutritional value and fibre content. The same can be done if you are fond of baking cakes and cookies. The more the number of different kinds of grains in your plate, the healthier it is.

For your sweet tooth:

There is a great way of having your favorite ice cream, make it with frozen fruits at home with no added sugar. Fruit with natural pulp like banana, mango, chikoo, coconut cream, or papaya can be frozen in the refrigerator for few hours after which once you blend it in the blender it gets nice creamy ice cream. You can also add berries, nuts, or dark chocolate to enhance the flavor. Juicy fruits like orange, watermelon, sweet lime, kiwi can be great options for making popsicles once its juice is extracted. Also, instead of sugar-laden thick shakes with artificial flavors and milk, adding fruits and yogurt can be a game-changer to your list of healthy and guilt-free desserts or snacks.