Sugar

[Biscombe]

That's the reason I make most of my own stuff, so I can determine how much sugar and salt get added. Best to avoid all processed food as much as possible.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! I work long hours, in the car 7 hours a week traveling, grow most things I eat (mostly veg) and do not buy processed food. Why do people buy and eat processed food especially ready meals?!

[Paul_C]

because they are marketed as healthy options. as real food and thanks to the media and supermarkets and also the education system ignoring food. mos tpeople havnt got a damm clue what they are actualy eating.

[Durgan]

I am on a USA forum and even mentioning sugar is poo hooed. Almost all the posters are in denial mode in spite of much evidence to the contrary. Mind you the sample is small.

I happen to consider sugar to be the most nefarious food products in our diet today. It is very much an addictive substance. The harm it generates is almost incalculable amongst the population at large.

Sugar is in most of our foods. Sugar in quantity has only been fostered on the human race over the last 400 years or less years.
Average consumption of sugar per person (in pounds)
1700 AD 4
1800 AD 18
1900 AD 90
2000 AD 145

Surely this alone is of concern.
Obesity surely is at a crisis stage, yet it is not taken seriously.
A wake up call. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ITXHI
Country Obesity chart. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XRQQZ

[Dr.Syn]

As someone with diabetes I tend to look at labels for sugar content. The basic principle is 4g = 1 teaspoon sugar.
I have also found this which I share to give some idea of the problem of the overload of sugar. BTW have you noticed those cooks on TV can't cook without a frying pan or loads of sugar?
Here's the link just click on the first picture and it will enlarge.

http://www.sapromo.com/sa/food-and-drin ... od/gallery

Bern

[safronsue]

thanks for the link dr syn. what surprised me most was the amount of sugar in fruit tbh.

[gregorach]

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! I work long hours, in the car 7 hours a week traveling, grow most things I eat (mostly veg) and do not buy processed food. Why do people buy and eat processed food especially ready meals?!

Sheer laziness for me. Some days I simply can't be bothered cooking, so it's ready meals or starve - and the starvation option doesn't do my mental health any good, making it more likely that I won't be able to face cooking the next day either, and then we're into the downward spiral...

If you can manage to cook from fresh all the time on top of everything else in your life then I admire you, but sadly we're not all so capable.

[merlin]

It was on the BBC international news last night, apparently it should be clasified in the same group as tobbacco and alcohol, according to three proffessors. They say it should have special lables, probally like the ones on the ciggarette packs that say you will die young if you smoke this product. Might it say 'hey stupid, scoff this and you will get fat'. It's not people don't know, it is just they don't give a flying fig. if they stick a health warning on it the chancellor will see it as an oppertunity to tax it, that's the rule is it not? if they like it, tell them it's bad, put a health warning on it and tax the mother!

[MKG]

Of course, being a professor does not automatically mean a lack of BS.

Mike

[merlin]

lol. I did like the picture link though.
I have often wondered if the sugar in fruit is a problem for diabetic people. My motherinlaw is diabetic and eats a lot of fruit, I wonder if that's a good thing. Having wine & beer making as a hobby I know what a lot of suger there is in fruit, but she takes no notice. I mean, I make cider, never have to add sugar to that, came out about 6% last year as I remember (film on the web site).

[Dr.Syn]

I have often wondered if the sugar in fruit is a problem for diabetic people. .

Fruit in moderation for us diabetics and a warning about bananas not over ripe as the sugar content is then high.

[Durgan]

About 40 years or more ago, when listening to the radio this was the essence of the conversation. An old female doctor was talking at the end of her medical career.

Question: "What do you consider the biggest advance in medicine?"

Doctor, "Antibiotics beyond a doubt. We had nothing until antibiotics".

Question: "If you could remove one single thing from the diet, what would it be?"

Doctor, "SUGAR".

This always stuck in my mind. At the time I probably thought what an odd thing to say.

Now I believe every word. Sugar is the essence of life, but added sugar in any form is probably a major disaster.

[Minnesota]

I was surprised when I was in the US, that all the bread tastes sweet. Obviously has quite a high sugar content, but to my taste not very pleasant!

I imagine I am as American as it gets,
because, I have the opposite reaction when
having snackfood from overseas...crackers and cookies and such.
I think, HEY WHERE IS THE SUGAR ???
how can you guys eat those dusty cookies/crackers
without a good portion of sugar in them.
A smear of sweet Jam or Jelly usually solves the problem

[Durgan]

Store bought bread to me is so salty that I almost cringe. I don't use salt and a shaker full in the house will still be full at the end of a year. It is also true most bread is rather sweet, but I never get that far to determine due to the taste of salt.

When I make bread, unleavened, I use neither salt or sugar. Probably because I like the taste of wheat, since that is the flour most used.

[merlin]

No, it's no good for you. Ferment it all out, that's the answer, and stop it with these Asian babes with the Dr Spock hair cuts, I mean, what's all that about???

[Lillia]

.....as my great-great Aunt Agnes used to say, "Everything in moderation, including moderation."
(She died at the age of 105, and up until her last month she could still dance you under the table.)

I completely agree with you. I believe moderation is the key. I love my cakes and cookies and biscuits. If I had to give them up completely, I would not be happy, and being happy is important to life

Truthfully, I would rather live 75 years and enjoy what I love (in moderation) than to live 100 years, deprived, altogether, of what I love. And hopefully, I will live to be 105, as your aunt did, meaning I had my cake and ate it too!