The Impact Of Sugary Drinks

Let me give you a visual. There is 4.2g of sugar in just one teaspoon. Now imagine ~10 teaspoons of sugar in 12 oz of water.

Too sweet for you?

That’s the average sugar content in sugary drinks found in the market.

Sugary drinks, also known as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), are the single largest source of calories and added sugar in the U.S.,(1) and the global reality is catching up due to billions of dollars spent on advertising these drinks!

Top examples include Coke, Pepsi, fruit juices, vitamin water, and energy drinks.

Unfortunately, most advertising is targeted toward children and adolescents (2).

A meta-analysis concluded that people who consume 1-2 sugary drinks a day or more are at a 26% greater risk of developing diabetes (3).

The Nurses’ Health Study, which followed the health of over 90,000 women for eight years, found that women who consumed one or more servings of sugary beverages a day were twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who rarely consumed them (4).

These sugary beverages are also major contributors to the global obesity epidemic.

Reducing their consumption significantly decreases the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases like pre-diabetes.

A Hidden Danger

Dangerous foods are often marketed as healthy when they are the complete opposite.

Think cereals, energy bars, and protein bars.

Never trust the marketing claims on the front of the packaging, instead turn the box or wrapper around and look at the ingredient list.

As a rule of thumb, the first three ingredients make up the bulk of the product. Food scientists use dozens of disguised names for sugars.

Learn how to read labels, and avoid foods with added sugars, especially in the first three ingredients.

The Sugar Trap

Dried fruits have much more sugar compared to whole fruits.

For example, raisins are dried grapes. Removing water from grapes concentrates all the sugars and calories into a smaller package.

This often leads to overeating dried fruits compared to fresh ones.

While dried fruits do contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber, they are a concentrated source of calories with a lot of fructose, so it’s best to limit portion sizes, especially if you have high blood sugar levels.

A Recipe For Blood Sugar Spikes

It’s a good idea to skip eating white rice, white bread, and baked products like cakes, pastries, and donuts for an obvious reason,  they are made from refined sugars and flours, offering little to no nutrients like fiber or micronutrients.

These foods cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels and contribute to insulin resistance over time.

Flavored yogurts might seem like a healthy option, but most are loaded with added sugars.

For example, many flavored yogurts contain 15-20g of sugar per serving, which is equivalent to about 4 teaspoons of sugar.

Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt instead, and add fresh fruits for natural sweetness.

Cocktails and sweetened alcoholic beverages often pack hidden sugars. For example, a typical cocktail can contain 15-30g of sugar, depending on the ingredients.

If you consume alcohol, stick to dry options like wine or spirits without added sugars, and always moderate your intake to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.

Not So Sweet For Blood Sugar

Most chocolates and candies are high in refined sugars, with 25-30g of sugar per 150g serving.

These are empty calories with little nutritional value.

If you crave chocolate, opt for dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, as it contains less sugar and has some health benefits when consumed in moderation.

Except for rice, most of the foods listed here are processed foods with long lists of artificial ingredients.

As a rule of thumb, aim to get 80% of your calories from whole, functional foods that don’t have ingredient lists but are the ingredient themselves.

And needless to say, it’s okay to include these unhealthy foods in very limited quantities based on your goals and health condition.

It’s not realistic to eat clean 100% of the time, so strive for balance rather than perfection.

The next article is going to cover the top 7 categories of foods you should eat as a pre-diabetic.

Stay tuned! Thank you for your time!

Stay healthy, stay fabulous !