Don't hate me for this one...my opinion about sugar..

Ok so here comes the cold hard truth, my opinion about SUGAR.. : )

I'm not a big fan of sugar..natural sugar from fruit that is picked off the tree etc I give the BIG thumbs up..fruit put into a roll up, muslie bar, yogurt, etc I give the thumbs down..

I have seen the damage of sugar inside thE mouth many many times..I've cried inside whilst assisting a Dentist remove every baby tooth (deciduous teeth) in a 3 year olds mouth because every single one was rotten (heavily decayed)..

I will be honest and say that some of these Mummies I've wanted to sit them down and give them a good lecture..you may be thinking that this only occurs in the poor social economic areas..your wrong this happens everywhere and some of the kids who's teeth were rotting out of their heads came from wealthy families..in some cases the parents were Doctors, Lawyers etc etc..you get the point..

Despite the education out there about sugar, everyone is fighting a losing battle when so many food products have what I feel unneccessary amounts of sugar in them and in some cases I have no idea why it even needs it in there at all..

Coke and V drinks are on the top of my list as a huge BIG no for kids.. : (

We are a small country in comparison to America yet we have well and truly caught up to them with obesity and Type 2 Diabetes..

Everyone is to busy to eat well so to save time people buy quick and easy which can be detrimental to their health..

Why do we not care as much??? especially for our kids..convenience seems to win everytime..

I could write pages on this topic..pages of foods that are loaded with sugar but I won't why? cause you don't seriously want to read pages and pages, just as much as I'm not so keen to write it..common sense people everyone has it + the 2 eyes we have been blessed with to read what is in the food we buy..

I'm a realist though and I do believe in "moderation" and I don't think you can completely cut sugar out of your diet "forever" but you can monitor how much you eat..

I also do not like pre packaged juices, ribena or cordial to be given to kids everyday..I won't get started about these..dam it..I couldn't help myself but again I could of got pages and pages on this subject..I will give you the basic info and if you want to further research a product, topic I've written about go for it..knowledge is power...

Definitely express juice at home from a juicer to drink yourself and for the kids (BIG thumbs up)

Is Reconstituted Fruit Juice Nutritious?

Unsurprisingly, reconstituted fruit juices do not offer the high nutritional qualities of their freshly squeezed counterparts. Enzymes required for adequate food metabolism and the immune system are destroyed through the process of heating and reconstitution. Vitamin C levels are also depleted significantly, but artificially added back by most manufacturers at a later date.

Reconstituted fruit juice labels may also be misleading, as there is no current Australian regulation to enforce juice companies' list where the concentrate itself originates. Domestic harvests can great vary season to season in Australia, and shortfalls of juice concentrate used to in the reconstituted juices may be imported from offshore. This is especially concerning when there is possibility the concentrate comes from countries such as China, where there are no strict health codes of practice in place. It is also worth checking the labels to ensure the reconstituted juice hasn't been produced from less expensive juices such as apple or grape, which offer a significantly less nutritional value..

How to Choose Nutritious Juice

When choosing a juice, it is always best to stick the organic variety. They will only contain natural preservatives such as citric acid, and offer a higher concentration of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Organic juices are also free of cancer-causing pesticides often used to produce genetically modified crops, and contain no added sugar, colours or additives.


I will use 1 example of food..this product of food is consumed by millions everyday YOGURT..

This applies to both adults and kids but especially kids..

Yogurt shouldn't be loaded with sugar but it is..kids yogurts are the worst..

Below is just a small piece of info that I researched and this article was written by a registered Dietition..like any topic I write I could give you so much info your head like mine might explode..I don't think it's always necessary to get to many opinions and confirmations..when you know it own it and share it..I also pride myself on the motto when you know better you do better..I stand behind my word..I'm not just preaching at you..I do what I say, I'm not exempt..I'm not sitting up on my pedestal looking down and judging you so I hope that is not conveyed? 

So before you read the article below I just want you to know that this is my opinion, I'm not a Dietition, Doctor or Nutritionist..I'm a Mummy and also a woman who tries to keep a low sugar diet..my 17 month old has only ever had sugar from apples, pears, rice, oat and almond milk..and of course the yogurt below..

There is only 2 can you believe 2 yogurts I recommend to eat for you and your little ones..

The 1st one is the only yogurt my son Zach has ever known..

BIO DYNAMIC ORGANIC WHOLE MILK YOGURT (Jalna)

This yogurt has no gelatine, starches or food acids added..
It is Australian made and owned
Free of cane sugar
Free of stabilizers
No use of pesticides, herbicides and growth hormones
It is loaded with Bifdobacterium and Lactobacillus 600,000,000 probiotic count per serve...
It has 41g of natural milk sugar for a 1kg tub..

Zach loves it..

It doesn't have Dora or the Wiggles on the label and is not in an easy 1 serve size tub..it only cost between $6 and $7 Aud..compare the price you pay for packs of 4 tubs..not to forget a mention of the saving of packaging buying the big tub..

Here is the chart below..

BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt

Whole Milk Yoghourt Size: 500g; 1kg About the Yoghourt: This delicious Yoghourt is made from whole milk from the Jalna BioDynamic Organic farm. BioDynamic foods are produced according to advanced organic principles, including techniques to stimulate and maintain the natural biological activity of the soil – a pre-requisite for any sustainable agricultural system. Healthy soil means healthy plants, animals and people. Jalna BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt has a rich creamy texture and the traditional tang of ‘pot set’ yoghourt. Recipe idea: Pumpkin, Kumera, Cumin & Red Lentil Soup with Yoghourt Nutrition benefits: Good source of calcium aBc probiotics Low GI; reduced lactose (<2.5g/100g); gluten free Source of protein Low sodium food No cane sugar; no artificial sweeteners No gelatine, preservatives, colours Find it: in Coles nationally except WA; in Woolworths nationally; in IGA nationally; in Bi-Lo NSW, Qld Nutrition Data: Energy Calories Protein Fat Fat C'hydrate C'hydrate Sodium Potassium Calcium Fibre Total Saturated Total Sugars kj/100g per/100g g/100g g/100g g/100g g/100g g/100g mg/100g mg/100g 350kj 83 4.3g 4.6g 3.2g 6.3g 4.1g 120mg 190mg 120mg

The 2nd yogurt I recommend is good old plain greek yogurt..
This is the article written by a registered Dietition

Criteria
There are five important factors in choosing yogurt: sugar content, added ingredients, calcium, live and active cultures and taste (of course).

Sugar: Because milk already contains natural sugar in the form of lactose, it can be difficult to tell how much added sugar is in the product. The best thing to do is to compare the sugars in the plain version (if it’s available) to the flavored one. So if the flavored product has 26g of sugar and the plain has 13g the product would contain 13g of added sugar.
In general, plain yogurt and milk has about 12g of sugar per 8 ounces. So that means 4 ounces has about 6g and 6 ounces has about 9g. After examining a number of products the following cut offs for total sugars seem reasonable. 8oz: 26g or less, 6oz: 20g or less and 4oz: 13g or less.
Tip: Flavors like vanilla tend to have less sugar than fruity flavors and fat-free yogurt usually has more sugar than low fat or whole.

Added ingredients: Watch out for artificial colors, preservatives and filler ingredients that make for less yogurt in the cup. Look for yogurts without artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just plain old sugar will do.

Live & Active Cultures: You want to make sure that the yogurt you choose contains “live & active cultures,” which are also called probiotics. If you see the Live & Active Culture seal from the Yogurt Association, you know the product contains adequate amounts.

The large intestine needs healthy, “good” bacteria to thrive and help fight disease. These live bacteria also help breakdown lactose so people with lactose intolerance may be able to enjoy yogurt.
Calcium: The smaller the serving size, the less calcium the yogurt will contain. Shoot for at least 15% Calcium for 4 oz (150mg), 20% for 6 oz (200mg) and 30% for 8 oz (300mg).
Fat and organic: Kids under two need full fat dairy products for optimal growth and brain development so choose whole yogurt for them. People over two can go with low fat or fat-free yogurt (3g of fat or less).

I didn’t include organic in the criteria. Generally, I recommend full fat yogurt be organic but leave it optional for lower fat varieties. For more details see Is Organic Milk Worth the Price?

Yogurts that fit the bill

1. Plain Yogurt (any brand): You don’t need me to tell you that plain is the healthiest choice for yogurt. I highly recommend parents start their babies on plain whole organic yogurt instead of the flavored kind and keep them on it.

I made the mistake of offering my daughter sweetened yogurt and she looked at me like I had two heads when I tried to give her plain again.

At the end of the day it's all about choice...I'm choosing to not worship the sugar God..hee hee..

In faith
Kath : )