Fitness Together Brecksville: Trainer Tuesdays: Should I Be More Concerned With Fat or Sugar in My Diet?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

Should I Be More Concerned With Fat or Sugar in My Diet?

Kelly Bailey: You should be concerned about both, but for different reasons. Consuming fat has gotten a bad rap in the past, but fat is an extremely important nutrient. Our bodies need fat for energy and to complete biochemical processes, such as the production of hormones. Fats should make up 20% to 35% percent of your total daily calories! It’s the type of fat you choose to consume that is so important. Stay away from high-fat, processed foods that contain a lot of saturated and trans fat. Try to eat more foods that contain healthy fats, including olive oil, nuts and seeds, and fish. Unlike fat, our bodies do not need sugar (though we certainly crave it!). Sugar is the new “public enemy number one”, and for good reason. Excess sugar in the diet can cause weight gain, diabetes, and has been linked to chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Americans’ sugar consumption has skyrocketed over the last 50 years because we are consuming highly processed foods that are more convenient to a fast-paced lifestyle. To cure a sweet tooth, try cutting back on processed foods in favor of naturally sweet foods like apples, bananas, and even small amounts of honey. Always remember that moderation is key: the occasional brownie or bowl of ice cream won’t hurt you, but eating them every day will have long-term implications on your health.

DannyStryjewski: Well for me personally I am more concerned about sugar. The daily recommended amount of sugar for adults is 5%-10% (http://www.rodalenews.com/recommended-sugar-intake) where as fat is 20%-35% (http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/). So I tend to pay more attention to sugar so I don't exceed this daily amount.

Steven Madden: When it comes to monitoring your intake of fats and sugars, I feel that you need to pay closer attention to sugars more than fats. While we tend to eat plenty of fat in our diet, there are good healthy fats, but too much sugar is always bad. Plus, sugar is hiding in almost everything we eat. If I were to ask you to prepare a low fat meal, most can do that relatively easily; no butter, lean white meat, good portion of vegetables. Then there is the sugar. It's in everything. Almost everything we drink, added to every food. Hiding in things that look good for us. Check the labels on those healthy drinks in the store. You know the ones I mean. Equal servings of veggies and fruits, no added sugars. But wait a minute. Why are they so high in sugar content? They are mixing things like Apple and orange juice to make the veggies sweeter. Oh, and since you're only getting the juice from those fruits and not the flesh, you are really only getting a fraction of the health benefits with most of the sugar from a few fruits in one glass. It adds up. Even from bread. I read once, and I don't remember where, that if you switch from white bread (good wholesome, healthy white bread) to wheat bread, in one year all the sugar you don't consumer from white bread could fill a whole refrigerator! That's a lot of sugar...

Jenn Noggle: In my opinion, sugar is definitely worse than fat in your diet. Now, keep in mind, there are different kinds of fat and it is the healthy, unsaturated fats that are essential and beneficial in your daily diet. Sugar on the other hand, really has no benefits to the body and is certainly not a necessary food group. I think the more important piece of advice I would give is to avoid processed foods as much as possible in general. These kinds of food are usually where added sugar and bad fats are hidden. Not only is there no nutritional value in sugar itself, but its effects on blood sugar and energy levels can be detrimental to your health and wellness. When simple sugars are ingested, they are so rapidly digested and enter the bloodstream so quickly that your body responds by producing excess amounts of insulin (also known as our “fat storage hormone”). Because of the excess insulin produced, once the sugar is cleared from the bloodstream, you will likely experience that dreaded “crash”. And then begins the sugar craving process all over again…just like a roller-coaster. You can also think of it this way….fat has been around and included/needed in our diets forever. Sugar has only found its way into our foods since humans began altering food from their natural sources. Just make sure to always read the labels of the foods you are eating. Remain aware of the choices you are making and the effects that then take place in your body. For additional information, your FT trainer can work with you on the principles of a healthy diet and what to look for on food labels.

Taynee Pearson: (Out of Town This Week)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Trainer Tuesdays: Should I Be More Concerned With Fat or Sugar in My Diet?

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