There has been plenty of research done that tells us that a diet high in sugar is bad for our health.

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, inflammation are just a few health risks associated with consuming too much sugar.

Not all sugar is bad

There is a difference to the sugar found in a glass of fizzy drink as opposed to a glass of fresh fruit juice.

Natural sugar tends to be found in whole unprocessed foods like fructose in fruit, or lactose in a glass of skim milk.

They also tend to be low in calories and sodium with many vitamins and minerals, and the fibre in the fresh fruits slows down digestion, so you avoid the sugar spike you might get when eating a sugary cupcake for instance.

The lactose in milk comes with a serving of protein that helps us with sustained energy, so you feel fuller for longer compared to after consuming a sugar packed fizzy drink.

And over time having consistently high blood glucose contributes to health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Try not to snack on quick processed food

There are many of us who like to eat quick processed snacks when we are hungry. In fact, many children take these processed snacks to school in their lunchboxes because they are easy.

These products are often high in sugar and high in calories. For instance, a simple Muesli protein bar can have at least 7.5 g of sugar in it.

New recommendations tell us that adults (and children over 11) should be consuming no more than 30 grams (7 cubes) of sugar each day.

On average, this is about half the amount of sugar an adult currently consumes per day. Teenagers are consuming about 3 times the recommended amount. Read more here

Sugar is everywhere

Sugar can be found in so many foods.

For instance it is found in Pasta – 150g of pasta sauce can contain up to 3 tsp of sugar.

Many sauces and condiments such as tomato, or Barbeque sauce can have as much as 23g of sugar in 100g – roughly half a teaspoon per serving.

A 500ml bottle of cola contains the equivalent of 17 cubes of sugar.

Fructose and Leptin

Fructose is sometimes called “fruit sugar”. It is a naturally occurring sugar found primarily in fruits (such as pears, apples, dates, and prunes), but it is also found in vegetables (such as artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms, onions and red peppers) and in honey.

Consuming fructose also increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose would, which is the main type of sugar found in starchy foods.

Excessive fructose consumption may also cause resistance to leptin, an important hormone that regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating.

For people struggling to loose weight, hormones often affect their overall health.

Excess body fat can cause problems with weight and hormonal issues. Leptin is one of the hormones directly connected to body fat and obesity. Read more here

I guess the only way you can be certain what you are eating is to check the labels for sugar content before putting it in your shopping trolley.

Didn’t Oscar Wilde say “Everything in moderation even moderation”?

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So often when we purchase something we have a feeling of remorse soon after. This is no different when you purchase a house, in fact, the remorse and be much worse. Experienced real estate negotiators are keen to get the deal done that day for this reason. They will...

Smart gadgets

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Technology | 0 Comments

Renovating a home is not for the faint hearted Take it from one who knows! Smart wiring, or smart homes are often talked about and the digital natives amongst us know all the tricks. Just listening to some of the things required in our new smart home made my head...

Messy house or hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Handy hints, Lifestyle, Opinion | 0 Comments

Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between hoarding and extreme clutter. Many times in my real estate career, I have come across people who do not see the clutter when they come to sell their homes. It is rude to point it out to them, and sometimes difficult to be...

Houses built from hemp

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate | 0 Comments

Some interesting ways of building homes over the years have included products such as Hemp. It has apparently been used globally as a natural building product for thousands of years. Recently a Western Australian couple hand built their three-bedroom home on a...

10 Simple Life Hacks to Stay Healthy and Active

by gentlelifehacks | 25/09/2024 | Health and Wellness | 0 Comments

Introduction to Healthy LivingIn today's fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can often feel overwhelming. However, implementing a few simple life hacks can significantly improve your well-being and help you stay active. This blog post explores effective...

10 warning signs to look out for when buying a house

by gentlelifehacks | 30/11/2021 | Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate, uncategorised | 0 Comments

Renovating is not always easy. Even the the tasks that look like they could be simple can turn out to me a mission to finish! Have you ever found a few cracked tiles in the kitchen and thought about replacing them? It is okay if you have spare matching tiles, but what...

A wise old donkey

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Lifehacks, Lifestyle, uncategorised | 0 Comments

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He...

Are you a hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 20/01/2023 | caregiving, Coping skills, Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Are you a hoarder? They say you should always "declutter" when selling your home? When I was selling my own home after the death of my husband, I wondered if I was a hoarder! They say that hoarding is often a coping mechanism. Apparently if we are bereaved , or...

Bad sugar