Healthy Lifestyle Tips ·Mar 04, 2017

Hidden Sugar in Foods

Everywhere you look, sugary foods and drinks are being advertised as healthy. Even snacks like mixed nuts can be full of sugar and still be considered healthy. You will often find information about why one kind of sugar is better for you than another. The bottom line is, aside from fruit, sugar does not provide the human body with any nutritious benefit at all. In fact, even in small doses, refined sugar can have a significant negative effect on your body and overall health.

Hidden sugar in foods

We all know it’s important to read the ingredients in your food and be aware of what you’re consuming. However, companies have gotten sneaky about how they label their food and find ways to hide how much sugar you’re actually consuming.
There are approximately 65 unique names for sugar that can be listed on food labels. Some of the obvious ones like high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and cane sugar are easy to spot. However, if you don’t see these names listed on your food labels, you could still be consuming sugar without knowing it. Words like agave, agave nectar, barley malt, and brown rice syrup sound innocent enough and they can even come across as a healthier alternative to “traditional sugar.” In reality, these are just dressed up, fancy names for good old fashion refined sugar. Each one of these can have serious effects on your body.

Sugar in moderation

You will often hear the old adage, “everything in moderation.” Does this apply to refined sugar? At Legendary Foods, we believe that there is no “safe amount” of refined sugar in your diet. Unlike natural foods like fruits and vegetables that balance the sugar with fiber, vitamins, and enzymes, refined sugar contains no nutrients, protein, enzymes, or healthy fats of any kind.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the recommended amount of added or refined sugar each day should be limited to:
*9 teaspoons for men
*6 teaspoons for women

In today’s society, sticking to these guidelines is almost impossible because of deceiving food labels, and all of the different ways to hide sugar in processed foods. Even if you’re able to stick to these guidelines, added sugar can take a toll on your body in a short amount of time.

Snacks that are truly good for you

The best way to avoid refined sugar and moderation issues, is to stay away from processed food altogether. Choose foods and snacks that are naturally sweetened like fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, and nuts.
At Legendary Foods, we take refined sugar very seriously and are committed to providing mixed nuts and nut butters that don’t have any processed or added sugars. In fact, we only include ingredients that are found in nature and have be proven to benefit human health. That’s what sets us apart from everyone else. We take pride in giving our customers only truly, good for you, sugar free snacks that are flavored by nature.
Be Legendary. Live Legendary.