Cut down on sugar in diet without replacing it artificially
By DR. KOMOROFF Universal Uclick on Sep 10, 2013, at 2:21 AM Updated on 9/10/13 at 6:26 AM
Health & Fitness
Dear Doctor K: I have hypertension. Should I be monitoring my blood pressure at home?
Dear Doctor K: After my last mammogram, the doctor told me I have dense breasts. Does this increase my risk of cancer?
Dear Doctor K: I want to cut down on sugar in my diet. Are artificial sweeteners the answer?
Dear Reader: Artificial sweeteners are sugar-free and typically lower in calories than sugar. All of the sweeteners on the market are considered safe. Earlier reports linking saccharin and aspartame to cancer have been disproved.
So artificial sweeteners might seem like a healthier option than sugar. But that idea is controversial.
Dr. Michelle Hauser, certified chef, nutrition educator and clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School, explains it this way: On the one hand, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low) and sucralose (Splenda) can reduce the number of calories in your diet.
But artificial sweeteners are generally hundreds - or even thousands - of times sweeter than sugar. There is some evidence that they may make you crave sweets even more. I don't regard that evidence as solid, but it is plausible.
You can cut down on sugar without replacing it with artificial sweeteners. Here are some tips:
- Don't eliminate all sugary foods at once. You'll only crave sweets more.
- Don't tempt yourself by keeping candy, cookies and soda in your house. Stock your fruit bowl instead.
- Retrain your taste buds. Eat a healthy diet made up of more satisfying foods - whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy oils and lean protein.
- Sweeten foods yourself. Start with unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt and unflavored oatmeal. Add your own sweetener in the smallest amounts to be satisfying. It may surprise you to see how little sugar you need to add.
- Watch for hidden sugars. Read food labels to find out how much sugar is in the foods you buy. Avoid products that list sugar as the first ingredient or that contain several different types of sugar.
Write Dr. K at
www.AskDoctorK.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106
Health & Fitness
Dear Doctor K: I have hypertension. Should I be monitoring my blood pressure at home?
Dear Doctor K: After my last mammogram, the doctor told me I have dense breasts. Does this increase my risk of cancer?
