Less is more when it comes to consuming sugar. Help your child maintain a healthy diet by reducing his sugar intake with these tips.
Less is more when it comes to consuming sugar. Help your child maintain a healthy diet by reducing his sugar intake with these tips.
Humans are programmed to like sugar – eating sweet treats causes our brain to release dopamine, the “feel good” hormone. It’s even possible to become addicted to this feeling. Worse, your tastebuds could get dulled over time, so you need more and more sugar to satisfy the craving.
NATURALLY BETTER?
If it’s human nature to like sugar, then why is it so bad for us? Millions of years ago, we needed maximum calories for minimum effort, so a desire for sweet things had an evolutionary advantage. But these days, we’re not hunting or foraging for our foods. Excess consumption of sugar can lead to obesity, diabetes and rotten teeth. Some people also believe that it can cause hyperactivity and reduced attention spans in children, although studies have remained inconclusive.
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
Thankfully, we can train our palates, and those of our children, to get used to less sugar. One trick is to do so gradually – put one less teaspoon of sugar on your kids’ cereal every week till you’re adding none at all, or dilute their fruit juice progressively until it’s eventually half juice, half water. You can also make easy substitutions – sweeten cakes with apple sauce and swop sweets for berries.
CULTURE CLUB
Drinking cultured milk drinks can be good for our digestion, but many of such drinks are loaded with sugar. Always read the nutritional labels and pick a healthier choice like VITAGEN Less Sugar. With 50 percent less sugar than regular cultured milk drinks, it is the only cultured milk drink in Singapore that has both prebiotics (they promote the growth of good bacteria) and probiotics including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei. These are said to aid digestion, combat harmful bacteria and help maintain a healthy digestive system.
VITAGEN Less Sugar is made from skimmed milk, so it has less than 1 percent fat. It has even been awarded the Healthier Choice Symbol by the Health Promotion Board.
It’s available in assorted flavours at hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores. You can also have it delivered to your home – just visit www.vitagen.com.sg/delivery.
This article was brought to you by VITAGEN Less Sugar. For more on how to lead a healthier, less-sugar lifestyle, visit www.facebook.com/VitagenSingapore. *Based on a total sugar test report from an accredited laboratory. Comparison based on per 100ml.
