If you read my “Preparing To Consume”, you might remember the section Reading The Label where I touch on a couple things to look out for on the nutrition label. One point I mentioned was on added vs total sugar and how total sugar isn’t necessarily what you should be worried about, and more so the added sugars line. The reason is that basically all the foods we associate or label as “carbs” come from a base of grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy, or legumes which have naturally occurring fiber (non-digestible compound), starches (complex carbs - long chain sugar molecules), and sugars (simple carbs - one-two sugar molecules). So the big issue with added sugar is that it’s the company adding simple sugar during processing… you’re never going to find a whole orange with added sugar; at least not yet.

Quick and easy nutrition label “how to read” at bottom of page**

This is something I feel needs to be addressed first. On the label you’ll typically have a carbohydrate line and a total sugars line. The difference between these two is that carbohydrates encompass all sugars, fiber, and starches. As for the total sugar, it’s a sum of all simple carbs within a serving size of the food product. Meaning that total sugars is something to pay attention to, but only in respects to the possibility of the added sugars being high. Unless for reasons of strict tracking or medical, the carbohydrate line is good to check, but isn’t really what you should be using as your decision maker.

I’m not one to be an absolutist, nor am I arrogant enough to assume or tell you to never consume processed added sugar… because it’s not realistic and that sounds miserable. What I do want to persuade you to do is limit it as much as possible. Leave the ultra-processed stuff for a treat at the end of the week, a special occasion, or that really bad day. Not an everyday thing.
I’m going to keep this article on the sugars part, but there are many other concerns on the label when it comes to these freezer and long-shelf life products.
Added sugars that overdominate the product usually means lower to no fiber content which begins a positive-feedback loop of frequent high blood sugar spikes that lead to insulin resistance, with high blood pressure. Then if that wasn’t enough the list keeps going with increased heart disease and type-2 diabetes risk, a decrease in cognitive function that can lead to higher dementia risk, and etc…
Wild stuff.

This is a key reason why it is extremely important to ensure you’re at least consuming the recommended daily fiber (Women: ~25g, Men: ~38g, and Children/Teens: ~20-38g).

Carbs are not the enemy. Not only does your body need them, your brain does. Your brain’s number one source of energy is glucose. Regardless of what guru you heard from, even on a ketogenic diet, your body converts the fat energy into glucose (sugar) to feed your brain and body.
But the majority of these sugars should not come from added or processed sugars. It’s okay to indulge once in a while, but not every day, and not in high quantities. Reward yourself, body, and brain with food that comes from whole sources or at the very least lacks high amounts of added sugars.

Quick note: Be wary of low-carb/sugar foods, as this seems to turn the item into a high fat instead… which then means highly-processed fats consisting of saturated and trans fat levels. We’ll hit on this in another article.

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