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January 24, 2020 4 min read

There’s so much confusion... What types of sugar are actually ok to eat? What types are really bad? Is any sugar ok?? Does it light up your brain like cocaine? There seem to be so many conflicting reports from so many sources, it’s hard to keep everything straight…

So, let's discuss, SmoothiesGo fam!

 

WHO Guidelines on added sugars

In 2015, the World Health Organization published guidelines on consuming “free sugars” AKA added sugars.[1] The science-backed position is that if we reduce the added sugars we consume to “reasonable” amounts, we will reduce our risk of developing diseases related to unhealthy weight gain, like most heart diseases and diabetes. Clearly, we all want that! The question is, though: what’s a “reasonable” amount, and where should you find it?

Natural sugars are ok

First off, let us reassure you this news doesn’t mean we’re in for a sour future if we want to stay healthy.You’ll be happy to hear that these WHOguidelines only apply to added sugars; no suggested limits have been made for thenaturally occurring sugars found in many foods, like fruits and vegetables, simply when those foods in their natural form— and that’s the ONLYway we serve it up at SmoothiesGo! — 100% natural, 100% of the time.

Added sugars… not so much!

Added sugars are what you really want to watch out for! But what ARE they? Added sugars are any sugars added to foods and drinks: granulated sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, molasses honey, sucrose, syrups, agave, fruit juices... And they are hidden everywhere, from ketchup to flavoured yogurt, JUICES and soft drinks, candy, cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream… but also savoury sauces and even protein beverages. A recent New York Times article[2] suggests added sugars are found in more than 70% of packaged foods. They’re even in most “health bars”, which use honey, agave, and other syrups to make them sweet and sticky! And your body digests them quickly — which is bad.

 

Is sugar like a drug? 

Evidence seems to show to sugar is actually 8 times MORE addictive than cocaine – and that many of us are, in fact, already addicted.[4] According to a research paper published by the National Institute of Health, intense sweetness can surpass the “cocaine reward” response in research subjects, even in individuals who are drug-sensitized and drug-addicted.[5] Our brains literally release dopamine when we eat sugar, providing us with a sensation of reward and pleasure.[6][7] But that doesn’t mean the sugar is doing any good to our bodies — because it isn’t.

So how much is too much?

The World Health Organization’s research concluded that a “reasonable” amount of sugar constitutes no more than 10% of daily calories from added sugars: to cite Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development: “We have solid evidence that keeping intake of added sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake, reduces the risk of overweight, obesity, and tooth decay.”  For women, that means 12 tsp/200 calories/48 grams total; for men, it’s 18 tsp/300 calories/72 grams. Looking at the “teaspoon” values, that might seem like a lot. But when you consider that these sugars are in almost every packaged food out there, it’s very easy to eat much more than you think.

The WHO further recommends that reducing added sugars to no more than 5% of daily calories is even better — and the American Heart Association agrees, recommending a maximum of 5%[8] of daily calories from added sugars, or 6 tsp/100 calories/24 g for women, and 9 tsp/50 calories/36 g for men.

Easy solution? SmoothiesGo!

The good news is, at SmoothiesGo there is NO ADDED SUGAR!! None. Nowhere. Not in our smoothies, not in our bowls, andnot in our cubes. At SmoothiesGo, it’s all always 100% natural. So, go ahead! Enjoy a SmoothiesGo Smoothie; start your day with a SmoothiesGo Bowl; get that extra boost of energy from some SmoothiesGo Cubes… All of our foods are made with delicious fruits and veggies in their original, unmodified, full-fibre form.

And, added bonus: all ofthe nuts, seeds, superfoods and ingredients we add into our recipes help the natural sugars to be digested nice and slowly by your body, for optimal energy and no sugar-crash. Which is GOOOOD!

 

Let’s cut sugar together in 2020!

Let’s make 2020 a great year for healthy habits! What do you say? It doesn’t have to be complicated: just exercise just a little more; drink some water; eat fruits and veggies WITH their fiber rather than juiced – so your bodies can process them best, without getting overwhelmed. Think you can do it? We KNOW you can!! Let us know what steps you’re taking to stay healthy, and if ever you need a hand keeping your sugar intake under control, just have some wholesome, delicious, SmoothiesGotreats with NO ADDED SUGAR, EVER! Now THAT’S what we call *sweet*!!

  

 

 

[1] https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/well/eat/sugar-diet-healthy.html

[3] https://www.heart.org/-/media/images/healthy-living/healthy-eating/spoonfulls-of-sugar-in-row.jpg?h=417&w=740&la=en&hash=D0861F733A82C5B285BC7F9250CA3B23A3DB7E9B

[4] https://www.cbsnews.com/video/sugar-is-it-as-addictive-as-cocaine/

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1931610/

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=43&v=lEXBxijQREo&feature=emb_logo

[7] https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/01/15/262741403/why-sugar-makes-us-feel-so-good

[8] https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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