How to prevent diabetes

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

 

Statistics show that two thirds of our population are currently overweight, and 1 in 5 of us is obese – particularly shocking when you think about the risks that obesity carries with it, most notably, the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, which is increased substantially as your BMI rises.

In fact, if you are overweight (BMI 26-30), you are 1 ½ times more likely to develop diabetes, and if you are obese (BMI 30+), you are 2 ½ – 5 times more likely! If you need help working out your BMI, this article could be useful. While diabetes used to be a disease more common in the middle-aged and elderly, it is now becoming increasingly common in younger adults and even children – a disturbing side-effect of our obesity crisis.

Here at VavistaLife HQ, we are firm believers that the onset of diabetes is something that CAN be prevented. In fact, reducing your body weight by about 5% and exercising regularly could reduce your risk of getting diabetes by more than 50%. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of proactive, manageable tips to help reduce your risk of developing diabetes…

Diabetes don't diet

Don’t diet

Crash diets and restrictive plans just don’t work long-term – they may provide you with quick weight-loss results in the short-term, but research shows you’re likely to end up putting back on the weight you have lost, and more! Instead, think of your weight-loss journey as the chance to create a healthier, more active life. Try making small but sustainable changes in your eating habits and lifestyle, and you’ll notice you will begin to lose weight, and actually keep it off!

vavista don't snack

Don’t snack

One area to cut back on is snacks. A recent study showed that eating two larger meals a day (breakfast and lunch for example) is actually more effective in weight-control related to type-2 diabetes 
than eating six smaller meals. So instead of spreading your eating out throughout your day, try switching to two larger meals, and see what effect this has.

vavista simple switches

Simple switches to healthier options

To reduce your risk of diabetes try to cut down on carbohydrates. Especially processed ones like white flour, rice, cakes and biscuits. Instead try switching to whole grain varieties of bread, flour, rice and pasta. Swap your sugary tea and coffee for tasty herbal teas and replace fizzy drinks and fruit juices with water. Switch out beef mince in your bolognese with turkey mince for reduced calories… by simply switching your current eating habits to healthier ones, you won’t feel like you are depriving yourself of anything, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your healthy eating routine in the long run.

vavista keep moving

Keep moving as much as possible

Exercise doesn’t have to mean dragging yourself to the gym at every available opportunity. Instead, try building fitness into your everyday routine. Set yourself targets, such as using the stairs instead of the lift, or parking further away from where you need to go and walking the rest of the way. Mix this up with some more vigorous exercise, too – research shows that women with previous gestational diabetes were found to have a 47% lower risk of developing actual diabetes, by performing 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity (or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity).

Already have diabetes?

Don’t panic! There is still so much you can do. Stick with your recommended treatment to help to control your condition, but by losing 5 – 10% of your body weight, you can help to reduce insulin resistance and improve your condition so much that you may even be able to stop any drugs you are on (remember to speak to your physician). So, to avoid any of the complications that can come with diabetes (heart attacks, strokes, eye problems, kidney failure and other serious problems) then the time to take action is now!

How to quit smoking?

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

Let’s face it, there’s no denying how harmful smoking is. We’ve all seen the stats showing us how smoking can lead to some pretty serious health problems, and ultimately, take years off your life. But, like with any addiction, the thought of giving up is easier than actually doing it.

We know we ought to quit, but there are always questions and concerns that stand in our way… Can I undo the damage I’ve already done? Is vaping really a healthy alternative? Will I end up putting on weight?

I’ve smoked for years… is there any point? Can I undo the damage I’ve done to my health?

While we can’t say for certain that you can reverse all of the damage from years of smoking, quitting now could certainly prevent any further damage, and even help you to get your body back to health. In fact, quitting smoking before you are 40 could mean you are 10 times less likely to have health problems than if you continue! Stopping smoking can lead to rapid improvements in breathing, heart function, fertility, mood and reduce your risk of stroke, diabetes, cancer, circulation problems and numerous other problems. So, forget about the years that you have smoked, and think about the healthy years ahead of you if you quit today.

I’ve heard that quitting smoking can lead to weight gain… is this true?

This is a common myth and one that puts a lot of people off quitting. But despite what most people think, a recent study from New Zealand has created a bit of reassurance when it comes to the correlation between quitting smoking and weight gain. The study found that people who are smokers and then stop, gain no more weight over the years than people who have never smoked. While it is true that some people may find their weight increase slightly after they stop smoking, this amount is usually small and much less harmful to health than carrying on with the nicotine.

And, even if you think that smoking is keeping your weight under control, you may be surprised to hear that your fat distribution may be affecting your health. In a previous article, we discussed the importance of waist to hip ratio as opposed to BMI in determining risk of health problems, even in someone of normal weight. Well, yet more bad news for smokers – they have been shown to have a higher waist to hip ratio than non-smokers even when they aren’t overweight. This translates to more fat stored around the middle and internal organs which we know is associated with a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver and more.

I know people who have successfully quit smoking by vaping…. But is vaping actually a healthy alternative to smoking?

Unfortunately not. I hate to say it, but vaping just isn’t the ‘healthy alternative’ it’s been made out to be. While it may not contain the blend of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and up to 4,000 other chemicals found in tobacco smoke, vaping is hardly ‘healthy’… many e-cigarettes still contain varying levels of nicotine, along with a whole host of potentially harmful chemicals. In fact, a recent study found higher levels of various toxins including the heavy metals, lead and cadmium, in the urine of vapers than non-smokers. And if that’s not enough, many e-cigarettes now come in flavours like bubblegum, candyfloss and butter pecan, making them more attractive to kids and non-smoking adults. Yes, of course you are better off smoking an e-cigarette than a standard cigarette  but you’re much better off quitting smoking altogether – your body will thank you for it in the long run.

I’ve tried to quit before and failed… Won’t I just fail again?

We all know that quitting smoking isn’t easy for many people. But it’s important not to let past experiences affect your choices now. There is so much support and help available to help you maximise your chances of success.

As our Vavista regulars know, the key to creating long-term healthy lifestyle changes is to make them as simple and manageable as possible. It’s about creating habit changes that become a part of everyday life – like these simple, practical tips we found on the NHS Quit Smoking site, designed to help make your journey to a smoke-free life as successful as possible:

9 tips to help you quit for good

1. Think positive
You might have given up before, but tell yourself that you’re really going to do it this time.

2. Make a plan to quit smoking
Make a promise, set a date and stick to it. Don’t be put off by a wedding, party or other time when you’d normally smoke.

3. Change your diet
Is your after-dinner cigarette your favourite? A US study revealed that some foods, including meat, make cigarettes more satisfying. Others, including cheese, fruit and vegetables, make cigarettes taste terrible. So, consider changing your food choices to help reduce your smoking cravings.

4. Change your drink
The same study looked at drinks. Fizzy drinks, alcohol, cola, tea and coffee all make cigarettes taste better. So when you’re out, drink more water and juice. Some people find that simply changing their drink (for example, switching from wine to a vodka and tomato juice), affects their need to reach for a cigarette.

5. Identify when you crave cigarettes
A craving can last five minutes. Before you give up, make a list of five-minute strategies. For example, you could leave the party for a short walk around the block, dance or go to the bar. And think about this for five minutes: the combination of smoking and drinking raises your risk of mouth cancer by 38 times.

6. Get some quitting support
If friends or family members want to give up too, suggest to them that you give up together. Also, there are your local NHS stop smoking services and the NHS Smoking Helpline, available on 0300 123 1044 (open Monday to Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday to Sunday 11am-4pm).

7. Get moving
A review of scientific studies has proved that exercise (even a five-minute walk or stretch) cuts cravings and may help your brain to produce anti-craving chemicals.

8. Make non-smoking friends
When you’re at a party, stick with the non-smokers. “When you look at the smokers, don’t envy them,” says Louise, 52, an ex-smoker. “Think of what they’re doing as a bit strange – lighting a small white tube and breathing in smoke.”

9. Make a list of reasons to quit
Keep reminding yourself why you gave up. Make a list of the reasons and read it when you need support. Ex-smoker Chris, 28, says: “I used to take a picture of my baby daughter with me when I went out. If I was tempted, I’d look at that.

Want to put your health first and quit smoking for good? Then follow these tips and give yourself the best possible chance of success. You can also head over to quitnow.smokefree.nhs.uk, for a FREE Quit Smoking Pack, or visit nhs.uk/smokefree for more advice and tips on quitting.

Three reasons why fresh is best – better than the latest diet or health fad

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

Fresh food is kind on the waistline and hardwires the brain to eat healthier

Busy lifestyles make it all too tempting to reach for the convenience foods. Whether it’s pizzas, burgers, ready-meals, pastries or sauces, many are low on nutrients and packed with hidden salt, sugar and unsaturated fats.

Worse still, the addictive nature of these foods has us coming back for more. No wonder so many of us struggle with our health and weight.

Most of us realise by now that cooking from fresh is better for us and is the only way to get back control over what we eat. But the latest science suggests that it can also hardwire the brain to eat healthier and wean us off our addiction to junk food.

You may be tired of hearing that you should cook from scratch – particularly if you are pushed for time and money (though remember there is a reason why junk food tends to be so cheap!). The reality is, few of us can manage it all the time if we want any sort of life outside the kitchen.

But if you’re looking for a health boost, the science suggests that reducing your reliance on unhealthy processed foods could work better than the latest diet or health fad.

reducing your reliance on unhealthy processed foods

Here are three reasons why fresh is best:

You can pack more of a nutrient punch

You can boost your health even further with a rainbow on your plate. A daily fix of different coloured fruit and vegetables will help give you pretty much all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals you need – with the reward of an even healthier you at the end of the rainbow.

It hardwires your brain to eat healthier

Often people who start cooking their own food say they couldn’t go back to convenience meals. And one small study offers a possible reason why.

Researchers at Harvard compared two groups of people – one on a six-month healthy eating and weight-loss programme and the other with no access to the programme.

For people in the healthy eating group, MRI scans after six months showed the brain’s reward centres were stimulated more by images of healthy food – and less by images of unhealthy, high calorie food – compared to the group who hadn’t been on the programme.

So it may be that by replacing the junk with real food, you can re-programme your brain towards desiring healthier treats than ‘hurry curries’ and chocolate eclairs.

You’re less likely to gorge on foods that are bad for you

Studies suggest that eating fresh, healthy food triggers an in-built cue in the brain to eat a varied and balanced diet.

Research on rats showed that when they had overeaten a healthy food, the brain stopped responding to it – protecting them against overeating and encouraging them to try different foods.

But rats fed on processed foods such as pies, cakes, dumplings and cookies, didn’t stop responding to cues for this type of food. They happily continued with their addictive junk-food diet – despite it being higher in calories, lower in nutrients and causing a 10% weight gain.

So replacing unhealthy processed foods, such as pizza and burgers, with healthy meals you prepare yourself could reactivate your body’s natural mechanism to eat better. Plus you’re less likely to gorge yourself on foods that are bad for you and your waistline.

Stick with it

If all this sounds a lot of effort, the good news is that studies suggest it can get easier with time. So stick with it, and before you know it,  the thought of your lovely stir-fry or homemade soup could be just the incentive you need to skip the ready meal aisle of the supermarket and opt for buying fresh instead.

And if shortage of time is the issue, don’t forget there is such a thing as real, fast food. Witness the swathe of recipe books by celebrity chefs designed to help us whip up instant meals from fresh ingredients, and still have time to watch the latest episode of War and Peace!

So if you’re looking for lasting improvements to your health and weight, ditch the junk and explore the delights of real, fast food.

 

References:

Poti, Jennifer M et al. Is the degree of food processing and convenience linked with the nutritional quality of foods purchased by US households? Am J Clin Nutr 2015

Deckersbach T et al. Pilot randomized trial demonstrating reversal of obesity-related abnormalities in reward system responsivity to food cues with a behavioral intervention. Nutrition and Diabetes 2014.

Reichelt A et al. Cafeteria diet impairs expression of sensory-specific satiety and stimulus-outcome learning. Psychol. August 2014.

 

How to start running

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

Whether you’re training for a marathon, a long-distance run, a park run, or just simply want to get a bit fitter, here are a few things you might need along the way…

1. A decent pair of running shoes.

Okay, so I’m starting with the basics here, but before you head sprinting out the door, make sure you’re got a pair of shoes that are going to support your feet properly on your run. Many people, even people who already run, underestimate the importance of a good pair of running shoes. A decent pair of running trainers can help ensure your run is safe, your feet and joints are supported, and most importantly, that you’re comfortable – after all, getting a blister on your first run isn’t the best way to start your running journey.

You can easily spend hundreds on a designer pair of running shoes, but it’s not really necessary – head to your local sports shop and you should be able to pick up a pretty decent pair for anywhere between £30 – £60. Or if you want something more tailored, some sports shops will actually video how your feet move when running (do your feet face inward when you run, do you have a high arch, or flat feet) and will find a pair that are specifically designed to support your feet.

2. Water bottle

When we become dehydrated, it can really impact our performance and stamina, so staying hydrated when running is essential. But it’s also pretty annoying trying to hold on to a normal water bottle as you run – having your water bottle slip out of your hands and fling itself at a stranger can be just a bit embarrassing (not that I’ve done this or anything!). Luckily most sports shops sell water bottles with handles designed to make them easy to carry with you on your run, and they’re pretty cheap too.

 

 

3. Hands-free gear

When you’re out running, there’s nothing worse than having to worry about dropping your phone or keys or constantly having to stop to readjust your headphones that keep falling out of your ears. There are tons of bits of gear that you can buy designed to make your run a bit easier – some more useful than others! But there are a few that, in my experience, really are worth investing in if you’re planning on becoming a frequent runner: clips to keep your headphones in, an armstrap for your phone or ipod, and running trousers with a zip pocket at the back for your keys are all must-haves for me.


4. A running playlist

I know some people prefer to run in silence, but personally, I find a decent running playlist, full of my favorite upbeat songs can help me to run harder, and for longer. You can find running playlist albums on iTunes or Spotify, or, if you have the time, you could try putting together a playlist full of songs that you know will keep you feeling motivated on your run. Not only will a good playlist keep you feeling pumped on your run, but it should also distract you so that you keep going without noticing how long you’ve been running – great if, like me, you tend to get easily bored when out running.

5. A Tracker App

So this one isn’t necessarily an ‘essential’, but in my opinion, it’s a really great way to keep you feeling motivated and will help you push yourself further. There are loads of tracker apps that you can get – the one that I use is MapMyRun which is free in the App store. It measures how far you’ve run, your average speed, how many calories you’ve burnt and maps your route for you. I’d definitely recommend giving it a go.

How to make healthy chicken curry?

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

Why not try this lighter version of the Indian takeaway classic from Angela Nilsen. This tomato-based curry is packed with extra spice and peppers. A much healthier choice than heading to the takeaway! 

Healthier Chicken Balti

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

450g skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp hot chilli powder

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

1 cinnamon stick

3 cardamom pods, split

1 green chilli

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, coarsely grated

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

2 1/2 cm piece ginger, grated

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

250ml organic passata or canned chopped tomatoes

1 red pepper, deseeded, cut into small chunks

1 medium tomato, chopped

85g baby spinach leaves

Handful fresh coriander, chopped

Chapatis or basmati rice, to serve (optional)

 

 

Method

  1. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Mix in the lime juice, paprika, chilli powder and a grinding of black pepper, then leave it to marinate for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick wok or sauté pan. Tip in the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, whole chilli and cumin seeds. Stir-fry briefly just to colour and release their fragrance.
  3. Stir in the onion, garlic and ginger and fry over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the onion starts to turn brown.
  4. Add the remaining oil, then drop in the chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until it is cooked through.
  5. Mix the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander and garam masala together. Tip into the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 mins.
  6. Pour in the passata or tinned tomatoes and 150ml water, then drop in the chunks of pepper. When starting to bubble, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 mins or until the chicken is tender.
  7. Stir in the tomato, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  8. Add the spinach and turn it over in the pan to just wilt.
  9. If you want to thin down the sauce, splash in a little more water.
  10. Remove the cinnamon stick, chilli and cardamom pods, if you wish, before serving.
  11. Scatter with fresh coriander and serve with warm chapatis or brown basmati rice, if you like.
  12. For a low carb or less heavy alternative, grate a cauliflower and briefly stir-fry in a splash of coconut oil +/- a few spices for ‘cauliflower rice’.

 

How to get a good night sleep

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

Few things are guaranteed to drag us down more than a poor night’s sleep. But, apart from making us feel below par, it can have serious effects on our health, weight and wellbeing.

Simply by ensuring we sleep well, we can do loads to improve our health with minimal input on our part. Sounds like a winner! However, with over a third of us struggling with sleep problems from time to time, it’s easier said than done.

Rather than counting sheep, use our ‘Six Steps to Slumber’ to steer you towards a deep and refreshing sleep:

Regulate your body clock By aiming to get up and go to bed at the same time each day we will get our body into a routine. Long lie-ins and late nights at the weekend simply confuse our bodies and don’t compensate for any sleep debt we build up during the week.

Cut out caffeine Consuming caffeine too late in the day can keep us feeling awake and affect our ability to get to sleep at bedtime, so simple steps such as cutting out caffeine at least four to six hours before bedtime may help you to get to sleep more easily when you decide to hit the hay.

Ditch the screens Don’t spend your evening time on tablets, e-readers or phones, as the blue screens have been found to affect our ability to get a deep, restful sleep.

Wear yourself out Physical exercise and fresh air are guaranteed to have you asleep within seconds of hitting the pillow. It’s a better way of unwinding than the blue screens too!

Cool the temperature in the bedroom Sleep experts say 16-18 degrees is the ‘sweet spot’ for our bodies to release melatonin to help us nod off. Anything much above or below interferes with our body’s natural temperature cycle – a recipe for disturbed sleep and insomnia.

Avoid alcohol It’s tempting, sometimes, to use alcohol as a sleep aid. However, whilst it may help you fall asleep, it also causes disturbances in sleep, resulting in less restful sleep overall. Too many drinks will also contribute to that carb craving the next day leading to extra calories we really don’t need.

Aim for 7-8 hours a night to sleep your way to better health!

Sugar vs. Sweeteners – the lesser of two evils?

Posted on by Dr Sally Norton

The World Health Organisation recommendations are that we should be trying to restrict our sugar intake to just 5% of our total calorie intake and certainly no more than 10%. That equates to around 6-12 teaspoons a day and has created a media flurry.

With so much bad press around sugar there is going to be a rush towards sugar substitutes or sweeteners to satisfy our increasingly sweet tooth –with over half of us already buying some form of artificially sweetened products each year. The global market for such sweeteners in 2010 was apparently over US $1 billion. They are supposed to help us reduce our weight – but do they? They have been marketed as healthier options than sugar – but are they? And are they all the same or are some better than others?

Seems like an urgent review of the latest evidence on sweeteners is needed…so read on.

Do they help our weight control?

An increasing number of studies on sweeteners show that they may not! A recent study showed that obese adults who drank diet drinks actually consumed more calories than their counterparts who drank the sugary alternatives!

Other studies have shown that giving artificial sweeteners before a meal can actually increase the amount eaten, unlike natural sugar. Sugar contains energy, which is what our body is trying to obtain. If we have sugar, our hunger response is therefore dampened and we feel the need to eat less afterwards. Our body isn’t stupid – if we have artificial sweeteners with no energy content it is still looking for energy sources elsewhere and we may then eat more than we have saved by having the artificially sweetened product in the first place. In addition artificial sweeteners do not seem to activate the reward pathways or “pleasure zones” of the brain in the same way as sugar – so they don’t give us the satisfaction we expect and we go looking for more.

Furthermore, by using artificial sweeteners we are encouraging our sweet tooth. These sweeteners can be up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar (yes, 13,000!), allowing them to be used in small quantities with negligible calories. This may encourage us to have more proper sugar in other forms – drink or food – and gain weight as a result.

Rather than continue to encourage our sweet tooth, we would be better off substituting sugary drinks for water and gradually reducing our taste for sweetness. If you reduce your sugar cravings you are likely to be making calorie savings in other areas as much of the sugar we eat is packaged with fat and other calorie-dense foodstuffs.

But are they safer than sugar?

All of the approved sugar substitutes out there have gone through testing processes – though some have been more rigorously tested than others. An earlier form of sweetener called cyclamate was actually banned by the FDA (the US Food and Drink Administration) due to concerns about carcinogenic (cancer-causing) risks.

However, sweeteners are tested as food additives – not in the same rigorous way that medicines are tested – as they are generally presumed to have no major impact on the body’s natural processes. But, some researchers feel that they aren’t as ‘inert’ as claimed and are calling for more in-depth research. A full scientific review of sweeteners at the end of last year was unable to prove harmful effects, but unable to exclude them completely either – with limited evidence that they are either better or worse than sugar. The safest option, therefore, is simply to reduce our sweet tooth and cut down on both sugar and sweeteners. Forget fizzy sugary drinks and their artificially sweetened, chemically packed alternatives. Give me a glass of water any day.

However, one potential benefit of sweeteners is that they may help us kick the sugar habit as they cause fewer swings of blood sugar, which can encourage us to eat more. So, if you do want to use sugar substitutes whilst you reduce your sweet tooth – what are the different options out there?

Sugar substitutes – different types

Sugar substitutes can be divided into artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners and sugar alcohols.

The distinction between artificial and natural can be blurred as many naturally sourced sweeteners are then tweaked and pummelled and processed into something that is not that natural at all! Also, just because something is natural, doesn’t mean it’s good for us. Who would recommend eating toadstools, for example?!

Artificial sweeteners include aspartame, marketed as NutraSweet and Canderel, and found in many popular “diet” foods and drinks. Despite concern about premature births and the fact that it may be broken down in the body to formaldehyde, the European Food Standards Agency has recently reported that there is no evidence to suggest there is a health risk from aspartame in standard doses (unless you suffer from a rare disease, phenylketonuria).  Interestingly, a recent review showed that all of the industry funded studies of aspartame found it safe – whereas 92% of independent studies found side-effects which calls into question the element of bias in the industry funded studies. It remains controversial but is very widely used.

Another of the artificial sweeteners is sucralose or Splenda, also widely used as, despite its similar taste to sugar, it does not produce tooth decay. Again, the FDA has found this to be safe, but one American consumer body downgraded its advice from ‘safe’ to ‘caution’ recently pending results of a study linking sucralose to leukaemia in mice . A recent review suggests that sucralose may form toxins when cooked at high temperatures – despite claims that cooking with it is safe. In addition, one controversial study suggested it may affect the levels of healthy bacteria in our gut and there is even some concern at the fact that sucralose, which doesn’t break down easily, is accumulating in the environment with potential problems for the future. However, it is one of the most closely studied sweeteners on the market.

Saccharin (Sweet’n low) and Acesulfame-K are also artificial sweeteners used in many baked goods, gums, jams, salad dressings and other products including toothpaste, lip gloss and mouthwash. Acesulfame-K has not been found to have significant risks – however, it underwent testing in the 1970’s when testing methods were less sophisticated..and it has not been properly tested since.

Studies on saccharin have found that it actually increases food consumption and may lead to weight gain. Initial concerns that it could cause cancer in rats do not seem to apply to humans at the recommended limits, however some studies of children find that they are consuming at least 50% more  than the daily recommendations.

Alcohol sugars

These sweeteners have some similarities with sugar and with alcohol – but they are not alcoholic and contain about 40% fewer calories than sugar. These include xylitol and sorbitol. They are not actually sweeter than sucrose, unlike other sweeteners, and so we can simply substitute them in similar quantities – however, they aren’t broken down in the same way as normal sugar. That can result in problems with diarrhoea for some people if taken in large quantities. However, it also means that they don’t have the same effects on blood sugar levels and the way we process fat and carbohydrate as well as having a protective effect against tooth decay making them another possible alternative to sugar.

Other sweeteners including ‘natural’ sweeteners

Marketed as ‘natural’ stevia is derived from the plant Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni which is native to South America and has been used in Japan for over 20 years with no negative side-effects reported so far. In addition, it seems to reduce the amount people eat, so may help weight loss unlike some of the other sweeteners. Whole-leaf or crude Stevia has not gained FDA approval so far due to concerns about possible side effects including low blood pressure but the sweet highly refined component of it has.

Agave nectar is highly controversial as it contains very high levels of fructose (up to 90%). Although that means it has less effect on blood sugar levels, fructose is increasingly thought to be associated with type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, kidney and liver disease. It has slightly more calories than sugar, but is a bit sweeter so can use less of it…in effect the calorie count is the same…so I struggle to see the benefit of this as a sugar alternative. And that goes for honey too in case you were wondering! Although honey does have some extra nutrients and anti-bacterial properties that some feel make it a better choice than standard sugar. However, even an ardent honey enthusiast recommends no more than 1 teaspoon of high-quality honey per day.

So, should we or shouldn’t we use sweeteners?

If you need to use them because you have diabetes, then you can be reassured that they have no major or immediate side-effects according to testing….but we almost certainly don’t have the full picture on safety yet so avoid them where you can.

If you are relying on them to help you lose weight, you may be mis-led… there is no clear evidence that they help and may even cause weight gain.

If you are simply worried about sugar and think you may switch to sweeteners, be cautious. We could end up taking them in far greater quantities than recommended which could make health risks more of an issue. It has taken a long time for the sugar concerns to come to the fore…. will we just be swapping one set of problems for another?

As I said before, it is probably best to avoid sweeteners, and sugar, wherever possible and instead work on reducing your craving for sweetness. The good news is that it isn’t that hard to do. Go cold–turkey and after a few days the cravings reduce, though if you do it gradually you will barely notice.

If sweeteners help you to do that, or give you the occasional sweet fix without the swings in blood sugar that may start you craving the white stuff again, then that’s fine. I try to avoid sugar most of the time, and use occasional xylitol or stevia… but will be keeping a close eye on all of the science to make sure no studies find problems with them or until I find a better sweetener is identified, so watch this space. However, I try to get my sugar fix from the occasional piece of fruit. Though fruit contains fructose, it also contains protective fibre…and no chemicals I haven’t asked for. I know where I am with an apple!

 

References:

1. Boseley S. Political context of the World Health Organization: sugar industry  threatens to scupper the WHO. Int J Health Serv. 2003
2. Bleich SN, Wolfson JA, Vine S, Wang YC. Diet-Beverage Consumption and Caloric  Intake Among US Adults, Overall and by Body Weight. Am J Public Health. 2014 Mar
3. Schiffman SS. Rationale for further medical and health research on high-potency sweeteners. Chem Senses. 2012 Oc
4. Schiffman SS, Rother KI. Sucralose, a synthetic organochlorine sweetener: overview of biological issues. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2013
5. Omran A, Ahearn G, Bowers D, Swenson J, Coughlin C. Metabolic effects of sucralose on environmental bacteria. J Toxicol. 2013
6. Shankar P, Ahuja S, Sriram K. Non-nutritive sweeteners: review and update. Nutrition. 2013
7. http://www.cspinet.org/new/201306121

 

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Sat 28th Dec 9am – 5:30pm 9am – 6pm
Sun 29th Dec 9am – 5:30pm 9am – 4pm
Mon 30th Dec 9am – 5:30pm 9am – 7pm
New Year’s Eve 9am – 12:45pm 9am – 4pm
New Year’s Day CLOSED CLOSED
2nd – 3rd Jan 9am – 5:30pm 9am - 7pm

  1. Date

  2. 23rd Dec
  3. Christmas Eve
  4. Christmas Day
  5. Boxing Day
  6. 27th Dec
  7. 28th Dec
  8. 29th Dec
  9. 30th Dec
  10. New Year’s Eve
  11. New Year’s Day
  12. 2nd – 3rd Jan

  1. Claims Team

  2. 9am – 5:30pm
  3. 9am – 12:45pm
  4. CLOSED
  5. CLOSED
  6. 9am – 5:30pm
  7. 9am – 5:30pm
  8. 9am – 5:30pm
  9. 9am – 5:30pm
  10. 9am – 12:45pm
  11. CLOSED
  12. 9am – 5:30pm
  1. Sales & Customer
    Service Team
  2. 9am - 7pm
  3. 9am - 4pm
  4. CLOSED
  5. CLOSED
  6. 9am - 7pm
  7. 9am - 6pm
  8. 9am - 4pm
  9. 9am - 7pm
  10. 9am - 4pm
  11. CLOSED
  12. 9am - 7pm

Which customer portal would you like access to

As you may have seen in the press Debenhams brand was recently acquired by another retailer. You can find out morehere

Or