Did you know that while cats like the taste of protein, humans are naturally drawn to carbohydrates – sweetness. This instinct once helped early humans because most things in nature that are sweet are not poisonous. But we’ve discovered how to extract the sweetness and leave the rest – bad news for our nutrition and it’s leading many of us—and our children—toward an overload of sugar. The average intake of sugar today has gone up thirty fold since a hundred years ago.
Why It Matters:
✔ Modern food processing has allowed us to extract pure sweetness, leaving behind the fibre and nutrients that once balanced our diets. This has real consequences: fast-releasing sugars (like white sugar, syrup, and even honey) cause quick spikes in blood sugar and if excess sugar is not required by the body it is put into storage, eventually storing as fat.
What You Need to Know:
✔ Carbohydrates are an important source of fuel for your child. The trick is to keep the supply even and from a source of whole foods predominantly low GL.
✔ Glycaemic Index (GI):
The GI measures how quickly foods raise your blood sugar levels. High GI foods (such as white bread) cause rapid spikes, whereas low GI foods (such as lentils) lead to a more gradual increase.
✔ Glycaemic Load (GL):
GL combines the GI with the number of carbohydrates in a typical serving, providing a more accurate picture of how your chosen portion size affects your blood sugar. Even a low GI food can lead to high blood sugar if you eat a large portion. Therefore, GL gives a fuller understanding of your meal’s overall impact.
Understanding “Spoons of Sugar”
Dr. David Unwin, a UK doctor, converted the GL score of a food into of “teaspoons of sugar equivalent” to make it easy for his patients to ‘see’ how much sugar they were eating.
Here’s some examples:
🍚 Coco Pops (30g serving) = 7.3 teaspoons of sugar
🍌 Banana (120g) = 5.9 teaspoons of sugar
🍏 Apple (120g) = 2.2 teaspoons of sugar
How to Implement Change
Today’s Challenge: Remove high GL snacks for your children during the week and swap these for low-GL options like oatcakes with hummus or an apple with nuts. Notice the difference in energy and mood.
💬 Encouragement for Parents: Remember, it’s normal for children to resist dietary changes initially. Consistency and patience are key. Celebrate small victories and continue to encourage healthy choices. By creating a supportive home environment and modelling healthy choices, you’re not just changing meals—you’re changing habits for life!
📌 Next email: Protein + Carbs = A Winning Combination
Wishing you and your child the best of health and happiness,
The COGNITION for Smart Kids & Teens Team