How much sugar per day?

Food packaging doesn’t make it easy to determine how much refined sugar there is in something, so it’s tricky for the consumer to calculate how much they’re eating.

Make sure you check the ingredients list and look out for sugar in all its different ‘ose’ guises. An investigation in 2010 actually found some cereals contained as much sugar as a doughnut, so it really is worth paying attention to the different brands we buy.

Q: How many pieces of fruit is it advisable to have a day?

A: Eating two to three pieces of fruit a day is fine, though try to have some nuts and seeds alongside your fruit. The protein and fat in nuts help slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and provides longer lasting energy.

Vegetables have very good nutritional value and don’t affect blood sugar levels as much as fruit. However, for someone trying to cut back on refined sugars, fruit is great for weaning yourself off sugary snacks and onto healthier alternatives. Fruit juice is different as all the fibre is lost during processing, so the sugar is very rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Certain fruits such as apples and berries raise blood sugar less than the tropical ones, like mangoes and pineapple, which have a naturally higher fruit sugar content. The sugar content in dried fruit is also more concentrated because of the absence of water.

Q: Is there an ideal number of fruit and veg that you’d recommend we eat each day?

A: In certain countries the amount is actually split out into five veg and two fruit – the ideal ratio in my opinion – though the more vegetables the better!

Current NHS guidelines are to aim for five-a-day.

Q: Are there any short-term signs that you’ve been eating too much sugar?

A: If you’ve been eating too much sugar there are a few things to look out for. Low blood sugar is when you’ll experience withdrawal-like symptoms and you may experience dizziness, irritability, light-headedness, tension and anxiety. This is how the sugar cycle is perpetuated, as you’ll then crave something sweet to help you feel better.

The way to avoid this is to eat little and often. Avoid sugary quick fixes and opt for low-GI foods instead.

Q: What are your top three tips for sugar and diet?

A: My three top tips would be...

1) Read the ingredients part of labels and look for all forms of sugar.

2) Make sure you eat good quality food little and often – so, breakfast, lunch and dinner with a mid-morning and afternoon snack, if you feel you need one.

3) Where possible, eat starchy carbohydrates with a protein because it will lower the GI of that food, plus sustain energy and stop cravings.

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