Tag: diet

I call sugar a sweet slow poison, a weapon of mass destruction. We use the poison on ourselves, our families and our friends, but not on our enemies.

It is reported the North American diet contains about 20 per cent sugar. This is equivalent to 30 teaspoons a day! Most of it is hidden in different kinds of juices and food. The major sources of added sugars are in beverages, desserts, sweet snacks, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea and candy.

Like alcohol, sugar has no nutritional value. It has no vitamins, minerals or fiber.

North American children’s consumption of sugar per day is reported to be between 25 to 35 per cent of total calories. The World Health Organization recommends daily dietary sugar intake of no more than 10 per cent of total calories.

Consumption of excess sugar raises blood pressure and makes us overweight. Our risk of becoming diabetic increases and it damages our liver by causing fatty liver. There is increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

Several provinces in Canada have imposed extra tax on sweetened beverages. A new tax on sugary drinks sold in Newfoundland and Labrador has come into effect since September. This is Canada’s first per litre sugar sweetened beverage tax.

In Ontario, anyone who buys sugar-sweetened beverages including energy drinks, iced teas and pop will pay an extra 20 cents per litre in sales tax. Quebec has some laws as well. Around the world about 40 nations have imposed beverage tax.

Should Canada have nationwide beverage tax?

A new University of Alberta study suggests Canada could save $2.5 billion a year if everyone followed international guidelines for sugar intake. That would mean eating the equivalent of 2.2 Kit-Kats of sugar a day instead of our current three (The economic burden of excessive sugar consumption in Canada: should the scope of preventive action be broadened? By Liu et al Canadian Journal of Public Health volume 113, pages 331–340, 2022).

The article suggests increasing tax on sweetened beverages is not going to solve the problem. It says, “Public health interventions to reduce sugar consumption should therefore consider going beyond taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages to target a broader set of products, in order to more effectively reduce the public health and economic burden of chronic diseases.”

Is this possible? Sugar is hidden (for taste and preservation) in so many products that it makes the task of controlling sugar consumption almost humanly impossible. Just like controlling smoking, alcohol consumption, drug abuse, over-eating and obesity.

What’s the solution? Self-control is the only way. Here is a collection of some ideas. There is nothing new in the list. These are the things we all think about and talk about but forget to implement.

1. Eat a healthy balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins.
2. Replace juice and sweetened drinks with sugar free options.
3. Do not give kids pop or juice outside of meal times (stick with water).
4. Check nutrition labels.
5. Government should tax all sugar-containing foods and use the funds to promote healthy eating and good health.

Sugar is one temptation we should do without! Do you think taxing sugar containing drinks and foods will change much?

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

In a 2012 study, 52 per cent of Americans (that were polled) believed doing their taxes was easier than figuring out how to eat healthy.

When you are hungry it is so easy to find unhealthy fast junk food. Junk food easily satisfies your hunger and craving for sweet, salty and oily food. But junk food can cause lot of damage to your heart, liver, brain, bones and other vital organs.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada encourages Canadians to eat a healthy diet, control salt intake, and be physically active to lower blood pressure. The latest result from the DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension) has confirmed these recommendations, providing more encouragement for people to choose a healthier diet.

My favourite is Mediterranean diet – a traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating – plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine.

Mediterranean and DASH diets are considered to be the most effective diets for good health.

In Mediterranean diet you are encouraged to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts, the odd glass of red wine, fish and dairy, and olive oil as the main source of fat. Mediterranean diet is well known as one of the world’s healthiest. DASH diet also recommends a higher level of vegetable and fruit intake.

The DASH diet had the greatest effect on blood pressure, lowering levels within two weeks of starting the plan. Not only was blood pressure reduced, but total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad cholesterol” was lower, too.

What is important to note is blood pressure was lower for everyone on the DASH diet. Less salt people consumed, the greater the decrease in blood pressure. People who already had high blood pressure had the largest decrease in blood pressure.

Five things to remember about Mediterranean diet:

1. Eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
2. Replace butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil.
3. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods.
4. Limit red meat to no more than a few times a month.
5. A glass of red wine per day – if you are confortable with that.

The health effects of alcohol have been debated for many years, and some doctors are reluctant to encourage alcohol consumption because of the health consequences of excessive drinking.

There are other benefits of Mediterranean diet. It is associated with a reduced incidence of cancer, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

The focus of the Mediterranean diet isn’t on limiting total fat consumption, but rather to make wise choices about the types of fat you eat. The Mediterranean diet discourages saturated fats and hydrogenated oils (trans fats), both of which contribute to heart disease.

In 1999, the Lyon Diet Heart Study compared the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet with one that the American Heart Association recommended for patients who had survived a first heart attack. The study found that within four years, the Mediterranean approach reduced the rates of heart disease recurrence and cardiac death by 50 to 70 percent when compared with the heart association diet. That is remarkable.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!