Sweet Sabotage

Are Sugar Cravings Boosting Your Weight?

By Lisa Marie Metzler

(Xlibris 2002), when protein is eaten, glucagons, rather than insulin levels, rise. Basically, glucagons attack fat cells, says Dr. Schulman.

For Dr. Schulman, the ABCs of avoiding weight gain are:

• Avoid sugar
• Beat insulin with protein and fiber
• Crash fat with glucagons

"Read labels," says Polk. "If sugar is one of the first ingredients, you know the product has a high sugar item, and you should avoid it in place of a higher nutrient option."

However, sugar comes in many forms. A good cue is the suffix "ose." If you see an ingredient that ends in "ose," it is probably a form of sugar. Common sugars are sucrose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, fructose and high fructose corn syrup.

Once you start reading labels you may be surprised to find sugar is the leading ingredient in many foods we eat on a regular basis. Peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauces, cereal and fruit drinks are common culprits.

Start the investigation in your own pantry. Look at the labels and determine how much of the ingredients are simple sugars. Some of your favorite carbohydrate foods also will be high in simple sugars.

Next, find replacements for each meal. For instance, if you eat cold cereal for breakfast, find an alternative with less sugar. A typical bran cereal with raisins can have as much as 18 grams of sugar while a serving of oatmeal contains only one gram.

Want to see more?

• Fat, Food and Your Health: The Truth About the Dreaded F-Word
• Small Changes in Diet Make a Big Improvement in Health: Advice From a Dietitian
• Heart-Healthy Eating
• Talk about it!