Limit Sugar

Why sugar is scary

As another layer of minimizing ultra-processed foods, eliminating processed sugars, and paying close attention to natural sugars, is an important part of becoming your healthiest self.

The short-term effects of regular, excessive sugar consumption can include blood sugar fluctuations, fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings, to name a few. And the long-term consequences are even more concerning. Over time, insulin resistance can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, dementia, and certain cancers…again, to name a few¹.

Where to start

My starting point is to eliminate processed sugars and sweeteners. When reading ingredient lists, remember that sugars, sweeteners, and refined carbohydrates can appear in many (often sneaky!) forms. Here are some examples that I always avoid:

• Corn syrup or corn syrup solids
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Glucose or glucose syrup
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Maltose
• Sucrose
• Dextrin
• Maltodextrin
• Modified food starch
• Acesulfame potassium, acesulfame K, or Ace-K
• Advantame
• Aspartame
• Neotame
• Saccharin
• Sucralose
• Sugar or brown sugar

I consider cane sugar and raw sugar better than the ingredients listed above because they are less processed (bonus points if they’re organic). However, they still have a similar effect on blood sugar, so I minimize them as well.

A note on novel sweeteners

There are several alternative sweeteners floating around, including allulose, monk fruit, stevia, and sugar alcohols such as erythritol and xylitol. I personally avoid them for two reasons:

1. The verdict is still out on how “healthy” these sweeteners actually are.

2. I don’t like how they taste.

Since I have natural options for satisfying or adding sweetness that I trust (and that taste better, in my opinion!), I’ll stick with those.

Clean sugar is okay sometimes

Eliminating processed sugar is a must for me, but consuming natural sugars is a bit more nuanced.

All forms of sugar can affect blood sugar, and there are certainly circumstances in which you may want to be strict and minimize every form of sugar. These may include:

• When weight loss is your primary goal
• When you have a condition that is especially sensitive to elevated glucose, such as diabetes, insulin resistance, or PMOS
• When you are less physically active

In other circumstances, I find that clean sugar can be incorporated more thoughtfully:

• On physically active days
• For pre-menopausal women: During the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (the time between ovulation and the start of the next period) to support hormones
• When paired with protein or fat (the Glucose Goddess calls this “putting clothes on carbs”)²

Even in those situations, consuming the right type of sugar is important. I find it helpful to think about what I call “sugar cleanliness.” If I’m in a situation where I want to thoughtfully incorporate some sugar, I opt for whole-food (clean) sugar sources rather than processed sugar or sweeteners. That way, I’m not worried about chemicals and additives that may pollute my body.

What do I mean by whole-food or minimally processed sugar sources? These include:

• For snacking: Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa; read the label!), and most whole fruits
• For sweetening: Bananas, dates, honey, and maple syrup