Sugar Vs Fat, the sweet side of the story

BBC’s Horizon brings to light the worst of sugar’s effects, by conducting a risky experiment. A couple of twin brothers are the main protagonists of the documentary. One of them gives up fat for a month; while the other one is trying to stay away from sugar, for the same period of time. Fat and sugar, when consumed in big amounts, are very harmful for the human body, according to the results of the trial. But does this mean that a low-fat diet helps you loose excessive weight as efficiently as a low-carb one?

“I would definitely go for a low-carb diet, especially us women, we need fat for our hormonal system to function. Without fat, vitamins A and B cannot be absorbed. It is very important to have a certain amount of fat in our bodies”, said Melinda Theore, certified fitness and personal trainer from Sydney, Australia.

Melinda came to London about 6 months ago and has been working in Grace Belgravia since then, while she still holds her position as an educator at the Australian Institute of Fitness. A balanced diet and some exercise is all it takes, as she says, for a healthy lifestyle. She found the Horizon’s documentary very informative. “It’s very important that somebody finally scratched the surface on educating about carbohydrates. Refined sugars are completely different from complex carbohydrates, that are necessary’’. You always need a certain amount of carbohydrate to feed your brain. Carbohydrates actually help your brain think clearly, function and have alertness.

The personal trainer confirms that sugar is just empty calories. When you’re having too much of it, your body thinks, at first, it’s getting all the calories it needs. However, it doesn’t get the nutrients it needs and becomes hungry for more. The unnecessary sugar restored, becomes fat.

“Try to avoid the simple sugars, not all carbohydrates”, agrees Dr. Cesar Rodriguez, Senior Doctor at A&E, in Ipswich Hospital. When you have a big amount of sugary foods, like a big bowl of pasta, you feel extremely energized but after a while you crush, your sugar levels elevate and drop again. This fluctuation is toxic for the human metabolism.”

But what do the experts advice? The progressive or the abrupt cessation of consumption of sugary foods?

Melinda thinks it depends on the person. Remember, sugar is an addiction. If you have an emotional addiction to sugar, you may need to cut it down slowly, like any other bad habit. Rather than having chocolate every day, for example, you could try and have some every other day, for a couple of weeks. Always make sure you replace with a healthier option though, rather than cutting out that snack completely.

Alternatively, you can cut it out entirely. Why not have a binge night and then cut it out completely for four weeks? Fruits are complex carbohydrates, the most suitable for diet plans.

Maybe have a fruit after dinner rather than a chocolate dessert. And make sure you think twice the next time you’re about to have your first bite of this naughty doughnut!

by Yorva Tsiakara