Weekly health bulletin

SUGAR

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), glucose syrup and in many other sources. It forms the main ingredient in candy.
Excessive consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and tooth decay, therefore sugar intake should be carefully measured. If you need to know the average sugar intake of an adult, this depends on more factors but as a general rule for an average 2.000 calorie/day diet an adult should eat about 32 grams of simple sugar/day. To make it simple 32 grams mean about 8 teaspoons of sugar a day but you have to keep in mind that eating refined sugars (Bad Sugars) like: sweets, chocolate, ice cream, cakes, etc will be exactly like eating sugar if not worse in some cases, as refined sugars are referred to as empty calories – ie; they contain no nutrients what so ever.
Your body needs sugar as this is pure energy and the good thing is that sugar comes from different sources and some of this sources are healthy enough that’s why are called good sugars. These are the fruits and vegetables and here are few examples: (apple, blueberries, orange, pineapple, strawberries, banana, cantaloupe, carrots, tomato, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, etc.)These good sugars should be ingested instead of simple sugars and here are few reasons why simple (refined sugar) is bad for us:
The "glycemic index" is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food being assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the absorption and digestion process, which provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. On the other hand, a high rating means that blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.
An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.
Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:
• Sugar can suppress the immune system.
• Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
• Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
• Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
• Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
• Sugar can cause kidney damage.
• Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Sugar may lead to chromium and copper deficiency.
• Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
• Sugar can promote tooth decay.
• Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
• Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
• Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
• Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
• High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes and osteoporosis.
• Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
• Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
• Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
• Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
• Sugar causes food allergies.
• Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
• Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
• Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
• Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
• Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
• Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
• Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
• Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
• Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
• Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Sugar can cause hypertension.
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
• Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
• Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
• Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
• Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

Health Bulletin - Shake that Salt Habit!

According to recent research published by Safefood a shocking 66% of Irish adults have too much salt in their diet. It is recommended by health professionals that salt intake be no more than 6g per day, however the average intake of an Irish adult is closer to 9g!

You may think it makes little or no difference but in fact, consistently eating too much salt can have drastic effects on health. We all need salt for water balance but taking in too much salt causes the body to retain water. This extra water puts increased strain on the blood vessels, in other words increases our blood pressure. Sustained high blood pressure (around 140/90) damages the lining of arteries, thickens the heart muscle and paves the way for heart disease.

Here's the interesting part, most of the salt that we eat - 65-70% is added to foods during the manufacturing process. Meaning that we don't always realise that we are eating it. This is usually the case with highly processed foods or ready meals such as powdered soups, frozen pizzas and pot noodles. Salty meats such as posrk and bacon also contain high amounts of salt.

So how can we decrease our salt intake? Cutting down on processed foods is a great start! Where possible, choose fresh meat, vegatables and fruits. Add less salt when cooking and at the table. Cut down on salty meats, such as prok, gammon and bacon. Try using herbs, garlic and freshly ground black pepper to flavour your food instead of salt! Sauces and gravy often contain a lot of salt so ask for these on the side when you are eating out. Always taste your food before you add salt, more often than not you won't actually need to add any!

Take these steps gradually over a period of six weeks. Your taste buds will adjust and you will actually get used to less salty foods. You will even begin to appreciate the other flavours of food even more!

If you think that you may need to get your salt intake under control, try calculating how much salt there is in some of the products you eat. To do this look at the food label and check out the salt or sodium content. Often the salt content is given in terms of 'sodium'. One gram of sodium equates to 2.4g of salt. Remember you should take in no more than 6g of salt per day! Items that are low in salt will have less than or equal to 0.3g of salt per 100g (or 0.1g sodium per 100g). Products that are classified as being high in salt will have greater than or equal to 1.3g salt per 100g (0.5g sodium per 100g).

The Gym Team

Health Bulletin - Metabolism Boosters!!

With the evenings getting shorter and the weather getting that 'little' bit more miserable, we decided that it's time to clear up a common misconception many people have about the effect of winter on metabolism. You may have heard people say that metabolic rate slows down during the winter months. This is simply NOT true! Our metabolic system stays the same all year round, it just so happens that people tend to move a little less and sit a little more during the winter. This is what affects our fat burning capacity, not the weather!

Having said that there are ways to boost our metabolism....that work all year round! Include these strategies into your daily routine and you'll be burning fat quicker than before!!

Build Lean Muscle:
One of the most straightforward ways to increase metabolic rate is to increase your lean muscle mass. It is a simple fact, the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest! So try to fit some resistance exercises into your routine. You don't have to be a bodybuilder, there are plenty of simple but tough body weight exercises that can be done anywhere, with no equipment!

Eat Early, Eat Often:
Skipping breakfast is a recipe for disaster. People who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight or obese. By skipping breakfast you are going to be more tempted to compensate by eating extra calories over the course of the day. Make sure you have a balanced breakfast, including adequate protein. In addition, eating regular meals and including healthy snacks between meals will further increase metabolic rate. This is because food has a thermogenic effect on the body.We must expend a certain amount of energy in order to digest food. Eating smaller, regular meals will maintain this effect for the day.

Drink Green Tea:
Studies have shown that drinking green tea after a meal boosts metabolism. In fact, drinking green tea has been found to increase the thermogenic effect by 35-43% within a 24 hr period.

Fidget:
Wiggling your feet, finger tapping, pottering, stretching, all those habits that your colleague beside you might find irritating are in fact a great way to expend some extra calories. A study showed that one of the strongest factors differentiating thin people from their overweight counterparts was the amount of 'non exercise activity' they did.

De-Stress:
Anxiety and stress cause hormones, namely cortisol and adrenaline to be released into the bloodstream. These hormones can affect appetite, by making us feel more hungry and by interfering with the process by which our brain is told we are full. Consequently, we eat MORE! Furthermore, our nervous system responds to these stress hormones and causes a subsequent rise in blood sugar, increase in the amount of fat stored and also a lowering in metabolic rate. The message....you can't control stressful events from occurring, but you can control how you deal with them. Incorporate some stress busting yoga, meditation, deep breathing or relaxation exercises into your routine to help you clear your mind and face those stressful situations with ease!!