To sugar or not-to-sugar? If to consumer sugar, how much to consume sugar? How to read the sugar-free and no sugar added labels on sugar-free products? These are some questions that most of us ask ourselves while trying to lose weight or stay fit. It is no longer a question or even a doubt that excessive sugar is bad for health and for the body.
Tons of research studies and scientific experiments have been conducted to recognize the effects of sugar on the body and most of them have come to one single conclusion – ‘Limit/Reduce the consumption of sugar!’, because it’s consumption can not only hinder the process of losing weight but also lead to several chronic conditions. The heart gets the most affected by sugar intake which increases inflammation, blood pressure and even causes diabetes, all of which can lead to a stroke.
The sad part about our diets today is that convenience rules every other factor, thanks to our hectic lifestyles and busy schedules. The result is that we end up consuming way more sugar than we should from the sandwich or coffee we pick up for breakfast on way to work or the pack of cookies that we end up consuming in snack time without ever checking the labels for sugar contents. After all, who can say no to cookies right?
Why do we consume processed sugar and sugar-based food items?
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate that is used by our body to release energy within the body, which is very much needed. But, there are several natural food items such as fruits, which provide us enough natural sugar to function with. Instead, we opt for a pack of cookies or a muffin instead to satiate our sugar cravings.
Come to think of it, what purpose does it solve then? Why is there a need for processed, high-content, and high-caloric sugar in everything we eat? There is none. The processed sugar in most food items satisfies the criteria of making them tasty and delicious, so that we buy more, make more, and eat more.
Say cakes and ice-creams have high sugar content and it is only the sugar that makes them delicious. Can you think of yourself eating a sugarless cake with as much excitement?
But what if you were told that you can achieve a similar sweet taste without actually consuming the extent of calories that table sugar contains? The whole dilemma around whether or not sugar is healthy and if one should consume it in the form of processed food in specific led to the discovery of artificial sweeteners in the market that are low in calories and fructose content. These sweeteners have now become a significant part of diets today as well as of products that are being manufactured by companies.
People are increasingly opting for products like sugar-free Natura powder to add in their food instead of table sugar to enjoy the same taste and keeping themselves healthy as well. Another discovery as a result of the rejection of sugar-based products by certain groups of people has been in the form of ‘Sugar-free’ and ‘No Sugar Added’ products.
What does ‘Sugar-free’ and ‘No-added Sugar’ mean?
These terms are thrown around very commonly today and can be easily spotted on food packaging while shopping in the supermarkets. But what does ‘Sugar-free’ mean? And what does ‘No-Sugar-Added’ mean?
The products that come with the labels of ‘Sugar-free’ contain only 0.5 grams of sugar which is added in extension to the natural sugar content that exists in the products through the ingredients used therein.
This quantity of sugar is much less than what is added in the normal products that do not come with such a label. Another category of healthy food items available in the market is labeled as ‘No Sugar Added’ as they contain no sugar added in addition to the natural and healthy fructose content that exists within their ingredients.
Both the alternatives of sugar-free and no sugar added are healthy because the calories contained in them are less and help in controlling and managing the diets and health of an individual.
The 100% fruit juices by Marigold in different flavors can be ordered from www.glocery.in and have no sugar added in them. If cookies excite you but excessive calories don’t, head to the website and find sugar-free cookies by Gullon.
Why opt for ‘Sugar-free’ or ‘No sugar added’ products?
Our lifestyles and habits are much different from generations that only relied on natural food items and all things healthy in their diets. We cherish consuming cookies and ice-creams and hence, there is no reason why we should completely opt-out of consuming them.
Also, a sugar detox or a zero-sugar diet can be very difficult to stick to when we are surrounded by packaged food. No sugar diet plans are also difficult to abide by because our sweet tooth often pulls us back to one bite of a rich chocolate cake and eventually the whole slice of it leading to no benefits of staying away from sugar anyway.
So what do we do to stay healthy while satisfying our taste buds? We opt for sugar-free products and sugar-free recipes because sugar-free is the new healthy. Sugar-free products as discussed above, have much lesser calories than table sugar and while they provide the same sweetness, they do not cause excessive consumption of sugar that may lead to health issues and heart diseases.
One can easily manage and satisfy their cravings by consuming ‘Sugar-free’ products while also being able to manage their weight and health.
‘Sugar-free’ or ‘No sugar added’?
As already discussed above, sugar-free products aren’t completely devoid of sugar content. The natural sugar from ingredients remains in the products (and is also healthy for the body) and 0.5 grams of sugar per serving is added to enhance the taste of the products, which is way lesser than the actual quantity of sugar added in normal products.
On the other hand, ‘No Sugar Added’ products are labeled so because they do not contain any sugar content added beyond the natural sugar content present through their ingredients.
But the question is, which one to choose? ‘Sugar-free’ products over ‘No-Sugar-Added’ products? The answer is that it is totally an individual choice. Coming from the point of consumption of excessive sugar in processed food products, both are healthier choices and good for one’s body and health.
The decision needs to be based on whether you would be okay with consuming products with absolutely no sugar added to them or you would prefer at least some minor sugar content for the taste and sweetness that it would bring along.
If you’d like to reduce weight and quit sugar, but still relish the sweetness, you can opt for sugar-free products. On the other hand though, if you would like to enjoy no sugar diet benefits and consume foods with no sugar added whatsoever, then you can easily opt for no-sugar-added products which would still be as tasty because of the natural sugar content within them.
Buy Sugar-Free and ‘No-Sugar Added’ products online at Glocery.in
What is even more amazing is the fact that you can buy sugar free products online from online markets such as www.glocery.in. There are many brands and products available on the site that fit in the category of sugar free and no sugar added products and would also suit your no added sugar diets.
Brands such as Gullon and Marigold make available several options of sugar-free cookies and no-sugar-added juices that are absolutely delicious and healthy to consume as well, without loading you up with excessive sugar.
You can find several variants such as Gullon Choco-chip cookies or Marigold 100% Orange Juice which is packed with nutrition and deliciousness and not just sugar. The sugar-free product prices at Glocery.in are also very affordable which means that you would not have to burn holes in your pockets to maintain a healthy and sugar-free diet. So, why quit sugar when you can go sugar-free?