The Sweet Stuff
Sugar, sweet sweet sugar.
From Halloween to New Years, the holiday season is often full of play foods that are sweetened with sugar. Sugar as a refined substance originated in India, a few thousand years ago. It was once seen as a rare and expensive spice, but today can be easily found in our homes on its own, or in other foods.
As one of the only foods to be negatively portrayed for a long period of time, sugar has not always been treated as a prized possession. There is a lot of research on the topic of sugar’s influence in the body with the general consensus being not as black and white as we have been led to believe.
Sugar sources are not all created equal, leading to many misconceptions about the variety of sources that can be found in our foods. There is a noticeable difference with the body’s reaction to sugars that occur in natural foods (such as fruit), compared to play foods (such as cupcakes) that have added refined sugar, but there is a time and place for both. When considering sugar compared to natural sweeteners such as pure maple syrup or honey, there are a small amount of additional nutrients that can be found in these unrefined sources. The impact on the body is very minimal, and when broken down in the body, they will be processed the same, as a monosaccharide sugar molecule. When comparing the intake of naturally found sugars in fruits and vegetables, there is a noticeable benefit to the other nutrients that those foods contain, specifically the fiber that is still in tacked. Refined sugars have had the fibrous portions removed leaving just the sweet sugary parts. Even with that information, there is still a time and a place for both, let’s ditch the fear of sugar.
Artificial sweeteners taste sweet without the increase in nutrients, fiber or calories. The research in this area is still ongoing, with a lack of understanding how they actually work in the body. An analysis of 37 studies published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has linked artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose to an increase in weight gain, instead of loss. These sweeteners are usually labeled as “diet” foods that will help with a decrease in caloric intake leading to weight loss and less insulin influence leading to diabetes, but the metanalysis of studies actually correlate their use to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart attacks, and strokes. Instead of avoiding sugar, maybe it is the artificial sweeteners that should be avoided.
When we connect sugar or artificial sweetener to pelvic health both can be seen as an irritant. An abundance of either refined sugars or artificial sweeteners can increase inflammation in the body, including in the pelvic muscles and bladder. Please note the emphasis on abundance. Adding something sweet to your daily morning tea or coffee will not be the sole trigger for inflammation in the body. The body is a complex ecosystem, it is not always just one trigger when something is out of balance.
Sugar is not the only irritant when it comes to the bladder and pelvic floor. Other irritants include caffeine, carbonated drinks, spicy foods, highly acidic foods and alcohol. If you’re finding that these can be triggering for your body, it may not mean “goodbye” forever, but just that the body may need a break while it heals from inflammation.
As stated before, there is a time and place for all play foods, even the higher sugar containing ones like cupcakes, cookies, and brownies! Here are some tips on how to nourish your body while consuming these foods:
Add fiber to refined play foods – combining whole foods such as nuts or seeds, fruits or grains with your sweet play foods can help to lessen the blood sugar spike that naturally occurs after refined sugar is consumed.
Cinnamon – adding cinnamon can help to make foods taste sweeter, while helping with insulins response to sugar.
Honor your fullness – stop when you’re full and satisfied, even if there is still food on your plate.
Be mindful – tune into how foods make you feel. Some will fuel your soul, some will nourish your body, some may even do both!
As with many things in life, moderation is key! There is no reason that we need to cut out or restrict any food or food group for the rest of our lives, unless of course it is a true allergy for your body. Being able to connect with your body’s needs, honoring fullness and satisfaction cues, can help with avoiding over indulging with play foods or irritants. Variety is the spice of life, so spice up your life with a variety of flavours and foods!
References:
https://urogyn.coloradowomenshealth.com/blog/pelvic-floor-diet.html
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/sugar-facts-scientific
