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IS SUGAR THE NEW TOBACCO? DATES ON TOAST

March 27, 2015 3 Comments

dates-on-taost-with-fabric

A few weeks ago, the World Health Organisation cut its recommendated daily sugar intake by 50%.  Whoa! If that’s not an acknowledgment of the dangers of sugar, please can someone tell me what is? The WHO now recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 g) of sugar a day.  To put this in context, a can of cola contains 7 tsps, a bowl of  Alpen has 5 tsps while a tablespoon of ketchup contains 1 tsp of sugar. And as it’s almost Easter, let’s throw in the ubiquitous 190g chocolate egg with over 24 tsps of sugar!  Yup – it’s everywhere. Yup – we’re eating far too much. And yup – the whole area of sweeteners and food labelling is a minefield.

Now dubbed “the new tobacco,” sugar is finally being recognised as the single biggest contributor to modern-day malnutrition.  If you missed last week’s BBC The Truth About Sugar, catch up here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05n2bn7/the-truth-about-1-sugar.  Or, even more informative, Canada’s The Secrets of Sugar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDaYa0AB8TQ.

This week, one of our Kale & Cocoa community slipped me, hot off the press, a 65-page report on sugar prepared by Morgan Stanley.  It made for bleak reading.  While most people think only of the direct  costs of ‘diabesity’ (the newly-coined  term for obesity and diabetes), the Morgan Stanley report looked at the total cost to the global economy.  Its summary? The diabesity epidemic poses a huge threat to future economic growth across the globe.  Diabesity is no longer confined to the over-fed West – its fastest growth is now in emerging markets.

At the end of 2014, the European Court ruled that diabetes now constitutes a disability. 8.3% of the global population now has diagnosed diabetes, with an additional 175 million thought to have undiagnosed diabetes. We’re facing a world where ten per cent of the working population may be physically unable to work – and where those that can pick up the tab – a projected bill of $561 billion by 2030.  Other than food manufacturers and some Pharma companies, there are no winners here.

We know sugar is ageing, addictive and potentially dangerous.* But what to do? Here’s what we suggest (and what we’re attempting in our own homes!):

  • Buy and eat fewer sweet things (if they’re not in the house, you can’t eat them!)
  • Replace table sugar with less refined sweeteners (sugar alternatives are a minefield – but panic not and read on):
  • The more refined the sweetener, the fewer mitigating nutrients it has (if you’re going to eat sweetened food at least try and get some antioxidants, minerals, vitamins alongside – that means following the nutrition and ageing experts .. see my next point)
  • The nutrition and ageing experts favour: Stevia; Zylitol or other sugar alcohols (ie Etythritol or Sorbitol – these are the healthy equivalent of artificial sweeteners but with added benefits, for example Zylitol reduces dental cavities in teeth); raw, dark honey (the darker the honey, the more nutrients it has, and raw means prebiotics); blackstrap molasses for its iron content; barley malt syrup; brown rice syrup; date syrup; evaporated grape juice and maple syrup (only buy pure maple syrup, not the blended stuff – we’ve all been caught out!).
  • Ditch the artificial sweeteners and High Fructose Corn Syrup , AT ONCE! Here’s why http://blog.lef.org/search?q=sweeteners&submit=Goe
  • Don’t be fooled by Agave (I no longer buy it) or Raw Organic Cane Sugar or Cane Juice or brown sugar – or processed food that contains them. They are heavily refined and the same as sugar…
  • When you crave something sweet, take a short walk instead. A report out this week suggests a 15 minute walk is all you need to satiate your sugar craving. Read more here http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/291362.php
  • Be careful when checking food labels – it’s not always easy to see how much sugar’s been added. If possible, avoid processed food (ready meals, tinned soup, biscuits, sweetened yogurt, cereal, bottled sauces etc).  The only sure way to keep control of your sugar intake is to cook from scratch!
  • If you’ve a serious sugar habit you’re struggling to break, check out mysugarhabit.com. It’s full of sound advice for the genuine sugar addict.
  • Finally, don’t panic – if you’re following a healthy diet, doing some exercise every day, not drinking daily colas and sugar-sweetened tea or eating daily Mars bars, a little bit of sugar every now and then won’t hurt you! According to Morgan Stanley, the Swiss have one of the world’s highest per-capita rates of sugar consumption but relatively low rates of diabesity – allegedly because of all the physical activity they do (although I reckon it’s the cheese!)

Most of us reach for sweet things when we’re tired, stressed or depressed. Try this fabulous, energising treat instead … Naturally-sweet Medjool dates, cinnamon, cocoa, almonds and coconut on a slice of wholemeal or sour dough toast.  It’s barely a recipe… but it’s fast, delicious and sweet. And an awful lot nicer than an Easter egg! Otherwise check out some of our sugar-free treats here and here.

DATES ON TOAST (serves 1)

  • Slice of wholemeal or sour dough bread
  • Coconut oil
  • 2-3 Medjool dates (stoned and preferably not the dried ones)
  • Pinch of cinnamon and pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp toasted, flaked almonds
  • Optional: Date syrup and toasted dessicated coconut or coconut flakes

Toast a slice of wholemeal or sourdough bread.  Spread it with coconut oil. Slice 2-3 Medjool dates and place on top.  Sift over a little cocoa powder and cinnamon (you only need a pinch of each).  Briefly dry roast the flaked almonds and coconut  (if using) and scatter over.  Drizzle with a little date syrup.

You won’t find anything more delicious, I promise!

Annabel

*According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, too much sugar can lead potentially and indirectly to: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, gallbladder, liver disease, osteoarthritis, respiratory and gynaecological problems.

  • Meal Types: Breakfast, Family, On The Go, Treats and Snacks
  • Conditions: Ageing, Cancer, Diabetes, general, Heart, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Joints and Arthritis, Liver disease, Strokes
  • Ingredients: Almonds, Coconut Oil, Dates
« MEAT-FREE WEEK AND THE BEST VEGAN BLACK BEAN CHILLI
THE MIND DIET, BLUE ZONES AND EASTER LAMB »

Comments

  1. Reta says

    January 4, 2016 at 4:45 am

    Excellent article. I’m going through some of these issues as well..

    Reply
  2. Home Plix says

    July 29, 2019 at 9:48 am

    Aww amazing!!! I’ve loved following your blog – your amazing recipes (many of which I’ve tried and loved!), beautiful photos and refreshing writing! I’m looking forward to your new cookbook – what an awesome work! Congratulations!

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      August 10, 2019 at 4:10 pm

      Thanks so much, glad you’re enjoying the blog!

      Reply

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Welcome to The Age-Well Project

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Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive harvest at Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil @bidni_evoo in Malta in late September. Fresh from the press, the oil was pretty peppery! That’s the polyphenols at work.

Polyphenol levels in olive oil also play a vital role in its brain boosting properties. They help reduce neuroinflammation and slow cognitive decline.

A study presented at a conference this summer by Harvard School of Public Health looked at the cognition of more than 90,000 people over 30 years. It found that those who consumed half a tablespoon of olive oil each day, as opposed to mayonnaise or margarine, had a 28%  lower risk of dying from dementia. Interestingly, this research found that the brain benefits of olive oil held up, regardless of the quality of the rest of the participants’ diet. So even those who didn’t adhere to other guidelines of the Mediterranean diet still got the benefits from the oil.

There’s more on the blog - link in bio

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity #EVOO
Two new pieces of research you need to know about Two new pieces of research you need to know about if you want to age well: 

1️⃣ the kynurenine pathway. It’s complicated but high levels of it don’t bode well for ageing well. Several studies have found that older people, those who’ve had hip fractures, the frail, as well as the depressed have higher circulating levels of kynurenine.  Indeed the more kynurenine in your blood, the greater your chances of dying sooner rather than later. High levels of kynurenine also seem to be associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin – meaning both poorer sleep and a greater risk of depression.

New research has identified a very simple way of blocking the accumulation of kynurenine (and its toxic by-products) in our blood and tissues: regular, heart-beat-raising movement.

2️⃣ Platelet Factor 4 (PF4). This compound appears to keep our brains and memories sharp. And it too is released when we move. Discovered by a team from the University of Queensland Brain Institute, PF4 is a protein secreted by the tiny blood cells that prevent blood clotting (known as platelets). This protein rejuvenates brain cells (neurons) in ageing mice, and researchers now think it may be the reason that exercise  and movement amplify the production of new neurons in the brain.

Want more info? It’s on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity
In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for caring for ourselves and our parents. Take a multi vit for 50+, persevere with technology and/or try something new every day, walk daily, stay social, consume sufficient protein, supplement with vits D and B12… 

#agewell #healthyaging
Autumn giveaway! 🍂 We’ve got a bundle of two Autumn giveaway! 🍂

We’ve got a bundle of two books to give away here on Insta - one copy of The Age-Well Project and one of 52 Ways to Walk. 

To win, simply leave a comment below letting us know your favorite landscape for autumn and winter walks. Do you like hills, mountains, flatlands, canals, rivers, coastlines, cities, cemeteries, your local park, moorland...? Just a few words to tell us where you’d most like to be walking in the next few months to help you age well. 

The competition closes at midnight BST on 18 October and a winner will be selected at random.

And in case you’re wondering why Annabel’s interested in your favourite landscape, it’s because she’s writing a new book about the places we choose to walk in and how they affect us. So she’d love to get a rough idea of the best-loved locations… all in confidence, of course.

Good luck!

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Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock access to a sauna. But Susan found one in a hotel she was staying at recently, there’s one in our local gym and Annabel found plenty on her summer holiday in Finland. 

A growing number of studies attest to the longevity-enhancing benefits of routine forays into a sauna. Much of the research has been instigated in Finland where sauna (pronounced to rhyme with downer) has existed forever.

So how does sauna help us age well? The extreme heat activates heat shock proteins which researchers think can maintain the healthy functioning of our cells.  As we get older, the proteins in some of our cells start to misfold and collapse. They then clump together forming plaques, including the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Heat shock proteins – triggered by a sauna stint and possibly by hot baths – appear to prevent the misfolding and collapsing of cellular proteins, as well as clearing out those that have already misfolded. Which is to say they keep our cells in good shape. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth #betterbrainhealth #brainfog  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell
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