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Do you ever eat chocolate to give yourself a boost in energy?

Maybe it’s a sugary drink? Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Powerade, BPM? Or maybe it’s pastries, cookies or cakes? Ever do that?

Most people have.

We do it under the mistaken belief that the high sugar content will give us a kick of energy when we are most in need of it.

It is a mistake though – the theory that sugar supplies energy.

Here is what Dr Michael J. Walsh, a nutritionist, from Modern Nutrition magazine has to say about this.

“Acting on the false-to-fact identification that sugar is energy, people eat more and more sugar in the naive belief that they are going to get more and more energy. Instead of more and more, they are likely to get less and less energy “.

Read that last part again.

It says Instead of more and more, they are likely to get less and less. So you are consuming these products in the belief that they will give you energy when in fact they steal it from you. Just the process of your body attempting to break down those sugars robs it of the energy you require.

He goes on to say that if the sugar is in the form of the ‘concentrated, refined, fermentable carbohydrates’ which includes sugar out of the sugar bowl, sweetened gelatin desserts, sweetened breads, rolls, doughnuts, pastries, cookies, pies, cakes, sweetened alcoholic beverages, sweetened processed cereals and syrup from canned fruits, etc. the effects are even worse.

Dr. Walsh explains that this type of sugar reduces energy because it is “not likely to be accompanied by sufficient quantities of other factors (such as Vitamin B1) which are needed to ensure the completion of the intermediate stages of carbohydrate metabolism … A consequence of failure to complete the energy transformation is fatigue …”

So, what he is really saying is that your body is not able to adequately complete the breaking down of sugars in your system and this affects your metabolism which naturally then leads on to fatigue and low energy levels.

Another highly reputable source Consumer Bulletin had the following item of interest regarding the so-called energy power of sugar:

“The ‘quick energy’ that comes from carbohydrates and is so much praised in advertising is short-lived. After a spike, there is always the inevitable dip. A malnourished Child who is fed much sugar will quickly lose interest in activity after his bottle of soft drink or an ice cream soda is finished and soon sink back into his prior passive state”.

Many parents may be guilty of inducing mental sluggishness in their children by allowing them to overload their systems with sugar-containing foods. Certainly an unfortunate way of robbing a child of the exuberance and energy they require to live a wholesome and happy childhood.

So, maybe it’s time you reconsidered sugar in your life?

Recommended daily allowances can vary but most seem to suggest adults take no more than 90 grams of sugar a day for women and 120 grams for men.

So how much exactly is a gram of sugar?

One teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 4 grams of sugar. So that’s about 22 teaspoons of sugar for women and 30 teaspoons for men.

You might think that’s very easy to stay below, but consider this. A small bottle of Coke can have 15-17 teaspoons. That’s 68 grams of sugar! In a bottle of coke! Think about it the craziness of that. Imagine you’re in a café and you notice someone across from you putting in 17 spoons of sugar into their coffee. Imagine counting each one as they go in. What would be going through your mind about that person?

A loaf of bread contains 3.5 grams of sugar, Special K red berry breakfast cereal 23 grams and a low fat pot of fruit yogurt can have up to 16 grams of sugar! That’s not even to mention chocolate or alcohol!

So, how do you reduce your sugar intake to correct levels?

A good first step for anyone trying to reduce their sugar intake is to cut back on the following:

• Sugary drinks, energy drinks. Be careful with sugar free drinks as they contain artificial sweeteners which may not be good for health.
• Cakes, biscuits, chocolate and sweets from the diet
• Be careful with low-fat produce as there is usually high levels of sugar added
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Ice cream
• Cereal bars (Yip. Full of sugar!)
• Sauces (Ketchup, Sweet and sour jars, relish, etc.)

It helps to become more aware of the sugar content in the foods that form a regular part of your consumption.

Check the label on the back.

It is there for information purposes so use this information. You’ll be surprised at the amount of sugar in some products. Products you wouldn’t even associate with sugar.

Go ahead. Do this. Surprise yourself.

Now, I don’t want to put a dampener on things for you either. Most of us love some sweetness in our lives so here’s how you sugar this pill (excuse the pun)

• Freshly squeezed juices – go half and half with some still or sparkling water to reduce sugar levels further
• Fresh fruit (have a square of dark chocolate with it if fruit just isn’t going to cut it!)
• Low sugar/sugar free health bars such as Nakd, Plamil sugar free chocolate range, high cocoa chocolate.

And remember, it’s not whether you have sugar in your diet or not that’s important, what’s most important is the amount of sugar you have in your diet. And you are in control of that. Reading food labels and becoming aware of what’s in your food gives you even more control.

Control doesn’t mean never having sugary foods again. Control means being able to enjoy them in moderation. In a way that does not jeopardise your health. In a way that does not make you fat. In a way that doesn’t rob you of your confidence or sense of wellbeing. In a way that you can live healthily and happily with.

So, take control, have energy, live a wonderful life!

Cormac Colleran

P.S. If you wish to find out how you can easily increase your personal control over foods of any kind, go to www.dublinhypnosisclinic.ie/report/ to download a free report.

P.P.S. If you are interested in how individually tailored weight loss hypnosis programs work, visit our site at www.dublinhypnosisclinic.ie/contact-us/ and leave us your query.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW DUBLIN HYPNOSIS CLINIC CAN HELP YOU, CLICK HERE