photo by wili hybrid

A new food labelling system rates a whole range of foods on a scale from 1 to 100 based on how healthy they are (100 = great; 1 = uh oh!). The system was developed by a team lead by the impressively qualified Dr. David Katz MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP.

Obviously, the system has been developed to make money (it’s called ‘NuVal’ & is trademarked), but it’s an interesting look anyway and there are a few “oh really?” surprises like White Bread being marked way worse than Sherbet.

Here’s the complete ‘quick glance’ guide to a range of popular foods:

photo by arteconluz

Refined sugar contains:

• No nutrients
• No fibre
• No proteins
• No fats
• No enzymes

Excessive sugar intake directly causes:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Hyperactivity
• Tooth decay

In summary: sadly, refined sugar has absolutely no nutritional value. The process of refining removes all vitamins and minerals.

photo by kaibara

People sometimes speak about no sugar diets as ‘radical’ or ask if it’s healthy to cut out sugar completely.

“Homo Sapiens”, the modern human, has been around for more than 250,000 years. Sugar was discovered just 7,000 years ago.

Until around 5000BC, sugar didn’t exist outside of Polynesia. When it was first introduced to the rest of the world, it was treated as a medicinal product, or a very scarce luxury. Until 900 years ago, westerners rarely sweetened anything and, if they did, they used pure honey.

Our Bodies Aren’t Made For Sugar

If you think about the speed of evolution, it stands to reason that our bodies are not evolved to eat as much sugar as we do. We do not eat sugar because our bodies need it, but because it has become habit & its preservative effects mean it’s easier for food manufacturers to add sugar than to avoid it.

photo by vox_efx

It’s very difficult to avoid sugar in your diet - it’s included in almost every processed food. Removing sugar is a simple way to lose weight without damaging your health (though - obviously - always consult a doctor before radically changing your diet!). When I cut out sugar I lost 45lbs in 3 months, with no negative health effects.

BUT - the biggest problem in cutting out sugar is that food manufacturers hide it. Here is a list of 52 different names for sugar to help you cut it down or cut it out:

1. Barley Malt
2. Beet Sugar
3. Brown Sugar
4. Buttered Syrup
5. Cane Sugar
6. Cane-Juice Crystals
7. Caramel
8. Carob Syrup
9. Corn Syrup
10. Corn Syrup Solids
11. Date Sugar
12. Demerara Sugar
13. Dextran
14. Dextrose
15. Diastic Malt
16. Exthyl Maltol
17. Free Flowing Brown Sugars
18. Fructose
19. Fruit Juice
20. Fruit Juice Concentrate
21. Galactose
22. Glucose
23. Glucose Solids
24. Golden Sugar
25. High Fructose Corn Syrup
26. Honey
27. Invert Sugar
28. Lactose
29. Malt
30. Malt Syrup
31. Maltodextrin
32. Maltose
33. Mannitol
34. Maple Syrup
35. Molasses
36. Muscovado Or Barbados Sugar
37. Panocha
38. Powdered Or Confectioner’s Sugar
39. Raw Sugar
40. Refiner’s Syrup
41. Rice Syrup
42. Sorbitol
43. Sorghum
44. Sorghum Syrup
45. Sucrose
46. Sucrose Sugar
47. Sugar
48. Sugar (Granulated)
49. Treacle
50. Turbinado Sugar
51. Xylitol
52. Yellow Sugar

Print out the list & take it with you next time you go to the supermarket.

photo by africankelli

Quinoa (pronounced ‘keen wah’) is a South American grain that’s become quite popular in Europe over the last few years. It’s easy to see why it’s become so popular:

1. Quinoa is really easy to cook
2. Works well with a lot of meals - quite different from rice, but easy to use as a rice substitute
3. Great nutritionally

What Makes Quinoa Good For You?

Swapping quinoa for rice, pasta or potatoes occasionally is a simple way to improve your diet. Here are a few of the features that make quinoa so good:

• Protein: Quinoa contains around 2 to 3 times the amount of protein of rice. White rice is generally around 6% protein, whereas quinoa is between 12% & 18% protein.
• Balanced: Not only does it contain more protein, it contains all of the essential amino acids - these are generally regarded as essential, but often missing from diets.
• Carbs: It’s around 15% lower in carbohydrate content than rice.
• Low GI: Quinoa has a glycemic index of 35 (around the same as raw carrots). Compare that to a baked potato with an index of 95. That means it has a far lower effect on blood glucose.
• Gluten Free & Easy to Digest: Quinoa is gluten free. It’s also easy to digest, meaning it works well for many people with allergies or digestive problems.